My skittish rescue kitten needs medicine. How do I give it safely?

Hi, Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the cat burrito method (wrapping in a blanket) isn't working you can try putting the liquid medication in canned cat food. Put it in a small amount then feed him the rest. Otherwise make sure he is really wrapped tightly and all legs are wrapped up and the towel is to the back of his head it doing the towel method. You could also ask the vet for a pill or injectable form of the medication if available. Good luck

I'm sorry to hear that Gabriel is so scared! Try coaxing him out of the closet with tempting canned cat food or a small amount of chicken or tuna. Warming the foods slightly will make their odor more prominent, which is often more tempting to cats. Once he comes out, you should be able to administer his medication. If he doesn't come out with temptation, you may have to go into the closet to catch him for the medication. You can give his medication by using your non dominant hand to grasp the top of Gabriel's jaw and point his nose towards the ceiling. Then, using your dominant hand, gently open his lower jaw with your ring finger and put the pill down the back of his throat with your index finger and thumb, or put a syringe in his mouth relatively far back if it is a liquid medication. Pill poppers are useful tools for putting a pill back relatively far in a cat's mouth so that you don't have to put your fingers in his mouth. If Gabriel becomes aggressive, stop your medication attempt and contact your vet about other medication options. I hope that all goes well!

If you can hide the tablets in the food (wet food), it's worth a try, otherwise the best way would be to scarf the neck and apply the tablet, take a look at the following picture, it might help: http://home.exetel.com.au/fanderson/faid/images/fa023.jpg

Hello. You will need to get just a little bit tough with Pookie. You need to scruff her & tilt her head back so that her nose is pointed straight up. This will actually relax her jaw a bit where you can introduce the syringe into the side of her mouth. Drip the Metacam in & then praise her well. This is sometimes the only way I can medicate my own cats. Hope this helps & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

Hi. So sorry its tough to give those medications. I would still treat both. There are a couple options. You could put the medicine on wet food, but you have to make sure they eat it all and all at once. You could ask your veterinarian if they could tey a pill form. Or you could ask them to compound it in to a.flavored medication ( tuna, chicken, etc). Good luck

Ask your veterinarian if the medication can be compounded or flavored. This could make administration easier. When done properly, scruffing the neck is an acceptable, safe and painless way to restrain a small pet such as a mouse.