3 Easy Ways to Get Your Cat to Swallow Liquid Medicine

When it's time for your kitty to take a liquid medicine, or a pill for that matter, your lovable feline can turn into a monster and fast.  That’s why having a plan of action is the first step in getting them to swallow and absorb liquid medication without getting clawed or no medicine being administered.

Here are three tried and true ways cat owners and veterinarians can get cats to take liquid medicine quickly, safely, and easily.  You may want to try mixing these up to keep the cat unaware so it becomes easier for you when it comes time for their dosage.

• Hanging Out in a Hammock
• Purrito Method
• Treat Tubes

Hanging Out in a Hammock

Many cat parents have fallen in love with cat hammocks for nail trimming.  These same hammocks can be a way for you to get your little nugget to take their medicine.

You will need:

• One cat hammock
• One syringe

To do this:

1. Place your cat in the hammock.
2. With one hand slide your thumb and index finger down the side of your cat’s mouth towards the gap behind their teeth and gently slide the tip of your fingers into your cats mouth.
1. This is the slide down the side method.
3. Once the mouth opens, slide the tip of the syringe with your dominant hand to the front of the mouth and squirt the medicine in.
4. Quickly and carefully close the cat’s mouth and tilt their head upwards.
5. If your cat does not swallow, gently rub their chin or throat until they do.
6. Wait for a few seconds after a big swallow and then release as some cats will fake swallow or only partially consume the medicine.

The “Purrito” Method

This method wraps them in a towel or small blanket like a kitty burrito to prevent you from getting clawed and keeps them in place.  By wrapping them correctly they'll be in a laying or sitting position to help the medicine slide down their throat more easily.

Note: You’ll see videos online of people lowering the bottom jaw with their finger, do not do this.  If you go too hard you can hurt your cat, especially if they catch you off guard and you accidently jump.  Use the slide down the side strategy mentioned above instead.

You will need:

• A syringe preloaded with the medicine
• A towel or small blanket

The Steps to Wrap a Purrito:

1. Lay a towel or small blanket flat on the couch or spot you’ll be administering the liquid medicine.
2. Fold it over one time to build an extra bit of thickness long ways.
3. Carry your cat over and seat them with their two front paws in the center and their hind quarter to the back of the center.
1. You could do this with them laying down if it is easier.
4. Wrap the towel firmly around them in this order:
1. The right flap over their back and around to the front finishing over their legs.
2. Now the same with the left side in the opposite direction.
3. Fold the back up over their back, and secure the front by pulling the cat in towards your chest so their legs are secured in the towel and there’s a few layers of fabric locking them into place.
5. If you can, you can slide the cat backwards against a wall so they cannot try to jump or scoot backwards like we do in the video above.
6. With your non-dominate hand, wrap your arm from over their chest around them holding their legs in place, and lift their head gently so they’re looking upwards.
7. Take the syringe in your dominant hand, and with the hand you have the legs and body secured in, carefully slide your fingers towards the back of their lips where they connect and slide your fingers into the opening behind their teeth so your cat opens their mouth.
8. Once the mouth opens, slide the syringe in and shoot the medicine towards their throat, then very carefully but quickly close their mouth.
9. Use the hand with the arm wrapped around their legs to secure the cat still and your other hand to tilt their head up and hold their mouth closed so the medicine can goes down their throat.

Professional tip: If your cat does not swallow automatically, gently rub their throat while you hold their head up and tilt it backwards.  This or rubbing their chin can cause their bodies to swallow instinctively.

Treat Tubes Before and After

If you’ve tried everything, and your cat doesn’t always eat their entire can of wet food so you cannot mix it in, there’s another technique you can use. Many times when you watch a veterinarian video where they’re trimming nails and examining a cat online you’ll see a tube treat.

This is the gooey goodness most cats cannot resist.  Even the finicky eaters love them.  This is why it's a veterinarian's best tool for keeping cats calm or distracted during appointments so they can complete the examination or nail trimming.

When your cat sees the treat tube it may gain their focus so they forget they saw the medicine syringe.  Start with a purrito or hammock, and before you try to open their mouth, give them some licks from the treat tube.  You may get that brief second where your hand can slide the mouth open from the side and you can squirt the medicine in before they catch on.

But be careful, cats can and will associate the treat tube with medicine and a bad thing.  To avoid this you may want to do some treat feeding with the purrito or hammock outside of medicine times so they know it isn't always a sign of medicinal administration.  

As long as your vet has cleared them for extra treats, you can help to ensure there are no negative associations with the treat tubes so these three methods remain effective ways to get your cat to take liquid medicine. 

And if they swallow it all on the first try, give your cat the rest of the treat tube for being a good patient once the medicine is down the hatch.  If you found this guide to cats and medicine helpful, enter your email below for more dog and cat content delivered to your inbox.