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Pill Pockets for Cats

Cats > Medicine > Pill Pockets for Cats

also see How to Give Cat Pill

also see Cat Pill

Pill pockets for cats are hollow, moist treats which make it easy to feed a bitter pill or capsule. Most pet owners have suffered while trying to get their cat to take medication. The struggle and stress that your cat goes through makes the process unpleasant and time consuming, for her as well as you.

The Benefits of Pill Pockets

Pill pockets are especially useful for a cat that is on long-term medication and who may need to take pills every day.
The purpose of a pill pocket is to make the entire process easy and anxiety free.
These hollow treats allow you to hide a pill or powder within.
Your cat will most likely eat the treat without even realising that she has taken her medicine for the day.
Familiarising your cat with the treat and getting her enthusiastic about it is the key to making pill pockets a success in your household.

How to Effectively Use Pill Pockets

Start by giving your cat an empty pill pocket for a few days. This will get her interest and she will get accustomed to it.
Once she shows a liking for the pill pocket, insert the pill far into the hollow. Pinch the top of the pocket so that it gets sealed. This way your cat will not smell the tablet.
If the pill is small, you can use half a pill pocket treat. Just break the treat and mold the soft substance around the pill. This will allow you to use one pill pocket twice.
Supervise to see that she eats the entire pill pocket, and does not spit the medicine out.
If your cat tastes the pill by chance, she may develop an aversion to the pill pocket. Give her empty pill pockets again for a while until she forgets about the bitter taste she had with the tablet.
If your cat is fussy, you can try and mix in the pill pocket along with some of her other favorite treats. This way, she may eat the pill pocket without giving it too much thought.
Greenies pill pockets are available over the counter. These nutritious vitamin enriched pill pockets are tasty and suitable for hiding a pill. They come in two flavors which mask the smell of the medicine.

Pill Pocket Precautions

Every cat is different. With some, pill pockets work well, but there could be cases where your cat either smells the medication or is a piecemeal eater.
If she takes small bites, she may eat around the pill, thus ingesting the pill pocket treat and leaving out the medicine.
Even though your cat has eaten the treat, she may have coughed up the pill. Make sure that your cat does not miss her dose. Even if she likes the pill pockets, there may be times that you may have to force feed her the medication.
Watch for adverse effects. Sometimes pill pockets can contain ingredients that interfere with the medication, or in some cases may cause diarrhea.

also see How to Give a Cat a Pill