Give Your Cat A Pill And Live To Tell The Tale

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dorothy_Santoro]Dorothy Santoro

This is a subject which has been the source of much humour - we've all seen the posters, read the stories or maybe even got the t-shirt, saying how if you need to give your cat a pill, you'd better stand by for a wrecked house and several scars!

I know the truth here all too well - one of my 2 cats was ok with pills, not terrific but ok. The other one though, he was a different story, and we used to have many a 'discussion' about him taking his pill!

I then decided to tap into the 'information highway' as the internet was first called, to see if there was a solution there. There was, it worked for me every time since, and I'm now about to tell you...

I call it the 'washing machine method' because if you imagine moving your washing machine around your kitchen, it's a case of a gentle push here, a slow nudge there.

When delivery men come with a new one though, they just plonk it down, give it a mighty shove and it goes where they decide it will go in about 5 seconds. It's this combination of technique and belief that you will tap into when it's next time for your cat to take a pill.

The technique is that used by vets. If a vet has to give a cat a pill, there is no asking the cat! There is no mollycoddling, the cat gets the pill 'inserted', and this is how you do it.

Firstly prepare the technique mentally. Know exactly what you will be doing, and how, because it will be done in 2 seconds. Don't try and prepare the cat, cats are way to smart for this and they will win.

If you hold the cat and grab its upper cheekbones from above using your thumb and finger of the same hand, you can then bring the cat's head to a vertical looking up position. In this position a cat has no power over its lower jaw, and it will hang open.

You then use your other hand, rest a finger on the bottom flat teeth, and simply open the mouth. Remember the cat cannot stop you doing this due to factual muscle location. Then you put the pill far enough inside the mouth to go past the tongue.

Shut the mouth and hold it shut, stroke the throat to encourage swallowing, and that it is!

This technique takes 2 seconds, no more.

When you approach it, you need to believe it will work - put off any negative thoughts - again the cat will pick up on it, and you will lose.

The technique isn't painful for the cat, it isn't even particularly uncomfortable as it involves no strain - it's over so quickly that the cat is usually left thinking 'something happened here, but I am not sure what'!

Discovering this tip was great for me, and for the cat, much less stress all round, so next time your cat needs a pill popping, remember the washing machine method and and you can live to tell the tale, too!

For more information and resources for cats, cat breeds or anything else related to your favorite pet, go to [http://www.yourspecialpets.com/cats]http://www.yourspecialpets.com/cats.