How to Give Your Cat Medication: 3 Owners Share Game-Changing Tips
Key takeaways:
Giving a cat medication can be challenging, but the right techniques can make it easier for you and your pet.
Three cat owners share their strategies, including using a pill popper, rubbing your cat’s neck, and creating a “cat burrito.”
Staying calm, being prepared, and rewarding your cat with treats can make the process easier.
GoodRx for Pets: Here’s how to save on pet medications with GoodRx.
Cat owners know the frustration all too well.
Even when your cat is sick, they always seem to have the energy to resist efforts to help them.
Whether it’s squirming out of your grasp, spitting out pills, or glaring at you with indignation, cats have a knack for turning medication time into a battle.
Search and compare options
But don’t despair. Here, three experienced cat owners share the tips and tricks they’ve learned about getting medicine into their cats — and maintaining a bit of sanity in the process.
Using a pill popper can make the process easier
Kayla Delcoure, 31, a human resources business partner from Alpharetta, Georgia, knows the struggle well. With six cats to care for, she has plenty of experience giving them pills. A lifelong cat lover, she shares the joys and challenges of cat ownership on Instagram.
One of her cats, Arya, is 17 years old. Kayla gives her a daily pill for anxiety. Without the medication, Arya overgrooms, licking her fur so much that her undercoat shows through.
“But when you try to stick the pill in her mouth, she will bite down,” Kayla says.
To avoid the stress and potential pain from giving her pills manually, Kayla uses a pill popper — also known as a pill dispenser, pill gun, or pill shooter. It’s a pen-shaped device with a plunger that releases the pill into the back of the cat’s throat.
Kayla’s tips for using a pill popper
Get organized: Before starting, take the pill out of its vial and have a treat ready to reward your cat.
Hold the cat gently: Use your nondominant hand to hold the back of your cat’s head.
Place the pill: Pry the side of your cat’s mouth open slightly with your fingers, and place the pill with the popper.
Encourage swallowing: Tilt the cat’s head upward and close its mouth gently, leaving space for their tongue to move and adjust the pill.
“It’s better to have your cat spit out a pill than choke,” Kayla says.
After her cat swallows the pill, she rewards them with a treat like pureed cat food or cat yogurt. These serve as a treat but also help the pill slide down.
Alternative strategies for pills
Your cat won’t cooperate? Kayla has other strategies. One includes sitting on the floor in a W position, with your feet pointing backward. Place the cat between your legs, facing outward. This prevents them from backing away as you administer the pill.
A tip for liquid medications
Kayla also has a trick for liquid medications: Fill the front of the syringe with pureed cat treats, then add the prescribed medication behind it.
Confidence is key
No matter the method you use, Kayla emphasizes being confident and efficient.
What can you do if your cat has anxiety? You can talk to your vet and possibly find savings on anxiety medication through GoodRx.
What are common reasons cats lick themselves too much? If your cat’s licking is a problem, here are some common reasons.
Can I use a GoodRx coupon for my pet? Yes. If your pet has been prescribed a human medication, most GoodRx coupons will work at pharmacies.
“If they feel you’re hesitating, they’re going to take advantage of that,” she says.
Rubbing the neck helps trigger pill swallowing
Brenda Rees, 64, a freelance writer from Los Angeles, has cared for as many as 10 cats at once. She has five now — three of her own and two foster cats.
Brenda learned how to medicate cats in 2024 when her cat Fiskars needed a pill twice a day for 6 weeks. At first, Fiskars seemed to swallow the pill but would spit it out moments later, leading Brenda to refine her approach.
Brenda starts by gently holding the cat’s head, tilting it slightly upward. With her other hand, she slides the pill into the side of the cat’s mouth, using her finger while speaking in a calm, soothing tone.
“Then there’s lots of rubbing on the neck. That’s the key,” she says. She also puts a dab of wet food or pureed cat treats on the cat’s nose. The cat will want to lick it off, she says. To do that, the cat will need to swallow what’s already in their mouth: the pill.
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
Brenda always follows up with a treat to reinforce positive behavior.
The ‘cat burrito’ technique keeps you safe from claws
Val Martinez, 45, from Newport Beach, California, became a cat owner in 2019 when she adopted Romeo, a rescue cat, from a shelter.
Along with learning the basics of cat care, Val had to figure out how to give him medication for feline herpesvirus. The condition caused swelling around his eyes, requiring both liquid oral medication and eye drops.
For Val, the eye drops were the biggest challenge.
“When all else fails, I wrap him snugly in a towel, creating a ‘cat burrito,’ which helps prevent squirming or scratching while I give him the medicine,” she says.
Val, the CEO of Betting Ladies, says this technique works best with two people — one to hold the cat and the other to administer the medication.
When giving liquid medication, Val uses a syringe, gently inserting it into the side of Romeo’s mouth. For pills, she crushes them and mixes the powder into a small amount of wet cat food.
“Otherwise, he’ll eat around it,” Val says.
What does the vet say?
Ghanasyam Bey, DVM
Veterinary Reviewer
Medicating your pets at home can be difficult, especially for cats. Cats can move a lot or be too wiggly to keep still enough to medicate. Cats can be great at detecting medications hidden in their food or treats.
Here are two more strategies to help medicate your cat at home.
1. Mix medications in food
Some medications come in capsules with powder inside or as tablets that can be crushed. You might be able to mix the powder with a small amount of tasty wet food, but always ask your vet first. Some medications can’t be crushed or opened because it might stop them from working.
One problem with this method is that your cat needs to eat all the food to get the right dose.
Some cats nibble only a little, prefer dry food, or don’t like the taste of the medication if it’s crushed. If that happens, this method may not work.
2. Compound medications into a liquid formulation
If your cat doesn’t take pills well, they might do better with liquid medication. Ask your vet if a compounding pharmacy can make the medication into a flavored liquid. This is especially useful for cats who need daily medicine, like those with heart disease, but won’t take pills.
If you’re having trouble giving your cat medicine, ask your vet about other options that might work better.
Why trust our experts?
