How to Pill Your Cat

Let's face it, pilling a cat is one of the most difficult tasks of kitty parenthood. If the cat's head isn't rotating like Linda Blair's in The Exorcism movie, his or her claws are making ribbons of your flesh.

Thank goodness Dr. Mike Ontiveros, DVM, Tabitha and Alta have created a YouTube video to demonstrate the best techniques.

Dr. Mike suggests trimming you cat's nails and wrapping your cat in a blanket to help prevent them from scratching.

According to Dr. Mike, gently grasps the top of your cat's head with one hand and lift it up towards the ceiling. The jaw will usually drop open. Then, with the pill between your index finger and thumb, support the lower jaw with one finger and drop the pill directly into the mouth. Close the mouth. Return your cat's head to the normal position and blow on the nose. The nose blowing stimulates the cat to lick the nose and swallow.

If your cat is impossible to pill, there are options. Ask your veterinarian if they have a liquid medication as an alternative to the pill. Medications can be compounded into a flavor such as a poultry and a fish flavor. Another option are transdermal gels.

A friend of my mom uses a pill popper, which is a flavored treat available at most department and pet stores. The pill is placed inside the pill popper. For cats, it's best to wrap the pill with the pill popper tightly, making it small to swallow.

Another friend pounds pills into a powder that she sprinkles on tuna fish served to her cat.

The video host, Dr. Mike, makes a series of videos to help explain important information to pet owners. VetVid videos feature respected veterinarians from around the country.