Paws At Home pet sitters and dog walkers are trained to administer any kind of medication to your dogs, cats, farm animals, and other types of pets. We even have sitters that are experienced in giving reptiles injections. Hassle free medications is one of the many things we offer with our pet sitting services.
We take our time with cats because we care about making it a less stressful interaction, and we give kitties the medication on their terms.
1. Add Playtime Before And After
With all cat medications, we will try to do a little playtime before and after the pill or shot. This helps us build report with your cat and it helps your cat feel more comfortable with us. We don’t want your kitty to think we are just there to give them a medication, we want your cat to know we are there to give them all the love and affection they can handle!
Sometimes when we encounter a particularly shy cat, or one that does not wish to come out from its hiding place, we will often use play as a bonding exercise. You can read more about how we use play to bond with cats in our Scaredy Cat blog post.
2. Hide The Pill In A Meatball
If your cat does not like to be held or handled, we like to hide the pill in a small ball of patte cat food. I have found that Natural Balance wet cat food works really well to make Kitty Meatballs because the patte is nice and sticky. The stickiness of the cat food helps the pill stay in the meatball and not slip out as the cat eats it.
Making a meatball is really easy. I will usually make a pill meatball and feed it to the cat before their meal. This way your cat is still hungry and more likely to eat the pill.
To prepare the meatball:
- Put a small amount of wet food in a dish
- Put the pill on top
- Put a little but of wet food over the pill
- Form a meatball around the pill
3. Kitty Burrito For Agressive Cats
If your cat is aggressive or might bite when giving a pill, we recommend using the Kitty Burrito technique.
It’s one we have found to be a safe and gentle option for both cats and humans, and is used to restrain a cat by wrapping the cat in a towel, making it easier to administer the medication.
4. Use A Pill Popper For Agressive Cats
Pill poppers are an effective option for kitties who are not food motivated and but may bite and/or do not like to be held.
Paws At Home is also able to accommodate clients who have cats with diabetes. Diabetic cats can require extra attention, and we are up to the task. We can easily set up visits for diabetic cats, and make sure to hit a narrow time window for their medication. In regard to insulin, we are trained and capable to safely administer a shot.
Other types of medications we are able to give include eye medications, topical (such as click pens for thyroid), and Sub-Q.
5. Keep A Medication Log
Keeping track of the time and date each medication is administered is key. To ensure that every visit is well-documented, we have our own signature Paws At Home medication sheet. This sheet logs a pet’s medication routine, right down to the type of medication the pet takes and the exact time it was given, everything is dated and easy to read.
Hire Professional Cat Sitting
Our clients’ cats are cherished members of their families, and we consider it a great honor to assist in their care. We know that when looking for a pet sitter, having an animal that requires medication can be an additional stressor.
Paws At Home wants you to know that we have you covered- and that we are happy to provide reliable care for your kitty, including safely and efficiently giving them their medication. A healthy cat is a happy cat, and that’s what we’re here for!
