How to give your cat pain medication without a struggle or fuss?

Cats are tricky with foods, you can try different types of baby food or wet cat food. Cream cheese, soft cheeses, peanut butter (make sure it isn't sweetened with xylitol), marshmallows, etc. are ok. You can also learn how to get them to take a pill with a pill popper made for pets. There are lots of youtube videos on training them how to do this.

Any wet or semi wet food that he likes such as liver pate, sausages, sardines and just regular wet cat food. With the syrup I would advise giving it to him directly in the mouth as it can affect the taste of the food greatly.

I understand! Medicating cats can be very challenging in some cases. I'm not sure what type of medication he is taking, but some options would include mixing in some canned food, tuna, or other special treat. If he won't eat it this way and won't allow you to medicate him by putting the medication directly in his mouth, you could ask your vet about having it compounded into a tasty treat or liquid suspension that might be easier to give.

I suggest you talk to your vet about the possibility of switching to a different medication. Zyrtec works great for cats and it is dosed only once per day. The other option is switching to liquid Benadryl however, cats don't like that much either and she will learn to not interact with you if you are shoving a nasty tasting liquid down her throat twice a day. Have you tried mixing the medication with a very stinky food like canned tuna. Also, warming up the food in the microwave (before adding the medication) will make the smell stronger to help mask the medication smell. If she won't eat the medication no matter what then you may have to resort to putting the pill down her throat yourself. There are some good YouTube videos online you can watch or you can take her to your vet so they can show you how to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRcsgpJ0GSE Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I can certainly understand your frustration. Cats are very smart at not taking their nedicaiton. I would talk to your vet about getting his medicaiton compounded into a flavor that he likes. There also may be an alternative medication in capsule form that won’t taste like anything that you can hide in a soft treat or a pill pocket. Most vets carry pill pockets or you can get these from your local pet store in many situations (call first). And finally there is a “pill gun” or “pet piller” that your vet should be able to sell you to make it easier to give Diggie his medicaiton. I surely hope this helps you in giving Digger his medicaiton. And remember that cats will often feed off of our energy, so try to keep a level head and be firm with him, then cuddle him and praise him every time he takes his medication well. I also find it helpful to use a large soft blanket to help hold my cats still when I want to give them their medication. This also prevents you from getting scratched. Best of luck to you and take care.

If you can't get Sweetie to take the pill by pilling her or adding it to her food, you can buy a "pill gun" that is like a little syringe that you fill with water, and then hook the pill to the end of. This lets you place the pill in your cat's mouth, and then the squirt of water helps them to swallow it down immediately a little easier with less risk of fighting it or being bitten. This site has some more info about how to use a pill gun with a cat: https://cats.lovetoknow.com/Pill_Gun_for_Cat You can also search "pill" in our search bar if you'd like to see other general articles regrading pilling pets. If all else fails and Sweetie won't take the medication at all, or it is too dangerous to try and give it to her, I would contact your vet to see if the medication can be compounded into a liquid or different formulation through a pharmacy, or if a different medication that is easier to give can be given instead.

Hello there and thank you for your post! I am not sure what medication you are trying to hide, but you could potentially have it compounded into a liquid form if that is easier. I've had clients use pieces of canned tuna to mash around the pill and that seemed to work well. I've had other clients use pieces of liverwurst to mash around the pill as well. You could also invest in a Pill Popper, which you can find in pet stores. Basically, a Pill Popper is a syringe like device that contains a hollow rubber tip which you can insert capsules or pills and safely administer them into the back of your cat's mouth. I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns that you may have.