Cat Rescuer's Trick for Giving Feisty Kittens Medication Is Too Perfect
Diana Logan
January 17, 2025 at 9:29 PM
When I first got my cats, I had no idea how to get the feisty little creatures to stay put long enough to get their meds in them. It was my first time dealing with cats, and I had one who was an untrained kitten, and one who was stray used to who knew what kind of treatment. Both arrived at my home with an array of unfortunate medical issues -- a congenital eye defect and an upper respiratory infection in the kitten, and some kind of intestinal parasite in her mama. Both needed medicine to treat their ailments. Both were deeply uninterested in letting me give it to them.
Enter the "purrito," a time-honored method for getting your cat or kitten into a position where you aren't in danger of being scratched by their adorable but lethal little paws.
In this video, a cat rescuer shows how they utilized the purrito, or feline swaddle, in order to properly dose their new rescue kitty with meds. The poor thing, named Earl Grey, is currently suffering from an upper respiratory infection, much like my kitten likely was when she came to live with me. Given that her brother managed to die from the ailment, it was really important that I help her recover, and I have the same hopes for this kitty.
Related: Cat Mom Hilariously Explains the Downside of Turning Medicine Time Into Treat Time
The purrito, like most swaddling techniques, is meant to immobilize the thing being swaddled so that it cannot struggle and presumably so that it has a calming effect on the subject. For the kitten in this video, it's very true. Once he's all wrapped up, he looks at his caretakers with the most adorably plaintive expression. One cannot help but be moved. It's almost like he knows that whatever they are doing to him -- it helps.
How to Wrap Up a Kitten
To properly purrito your cat, first, place the cat on a blanket or towel, paws-side down. Then, quickly wrap the back and sides up over the top of the cat so they can't escape, making sure to secure the towel around the neck of the cat so they ca't squeeze their paws out. This was always the part I found trickiest.
Once the cat is securely wrapped, turn them upside down and cradle them in your arms. Now it should be easier to get some medicine inside their mouth.
How to Give Cats Medication
Liquid medication delivered by syringe is often difficult to induce cats to swallow. The best way to accomplish this is to immobilize the cats head then slip two fingers at the far sides of its mouth. Part their jaws slightly and slip the syringe in, then quickly depress the plunger before they jerk their head away. This way most of the medication will go right down the back of their throat. You can also hold their jaw shut for a minute and rub their throat in short, downward motions to induce them to swallow.
Fortunately, the cat in the video seems to be getting used to the new regimen, and hopefully it won't always be such a trial for him to take his necessary meds.
Now, someone tell me what to do to trim their nails.
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