How to Give Eye Medication to Your Cat

Many cat eye diseases or injuries require that you give your cat eye medication. These include the herpes virus, abscesses, and glaucoma. This article will describe three different options you can use to give your cat the eye medication.

Giving your cat eye medication can be a difficult process. It requires some sneakiness and planning on the owner’s part because few cats have patience when humans mess with their eyes. Unlike humans, cats may not understand why you are messing with his or her eye. He or she may think you are trying to hurt him or her rather than help.

The first way of giving your cat eye medication I call the towel method. For this procedure, you’ll need your cat, a towel, and the eye medication prescribed to your cat. First, wrap your cat in the towel. Make sure that all of his or her paws are wrapped up in the towel and only your cat’s head is sticking out. You want to wrap your cat similar to how one swaddles a baby.

Next, place your cat gently between your legs. Make sure you do not press your legs around your feline too hard or it may hurt him or her. With the feline’s paws wrapped up, you will be able to easily slip the eye drops into his or her eyes.

Another way you can give your furry friend his or her eye medication requires two people. One person holds the feline while the other slips the eye drops into his or her eyes. The person holding the cat can hold his or her paws so that the feline doesn’t scratch the medicine giver.

Sneakiness is involved in the third way you can give your cat his or her eye medicine. Watch your feline around the time you are supposed to give him or her one’s medicine. When your cat has settled down for a nap or looks peaceful and restful, you will sneak up, open your feline’s eyelids enough to get the medicine in, and you’ll be done with that dose. Your cat will not have time to react with this method of eye medication giving.

Whichever way you choose to give your cat his or her medicine, reward him or her with a treat to reinforce that you want to help and not harm your feline.

These are three ways you may want to try in order to give your feline his or her prescription eye medication. The goal of these methods is to reduce the stress of the experience for you and for your cat. If you need further advice on giving eye medicine to your feline, please consult your veterinarian.