Administering drops and ointments to the cat

Administering spot-on preparations to the skin

Many anti-parasite preparations and de-worming products are marketed as spot-on preparations. These are dermal drops that are relatively easy to apply to your cat. However, it is important to know the best way to do this. This is because the product must get onto your cat’s skin and not remain in the fur, or it will not work properly.

Tips on how to use pipettes

1. Read the instructions carefully beforehand. Some products must be applied to different areas of the skin.
2. Hold your cat gently. Extra hands may come in handy. Are you alone? Then you can wrap your cat in a towel or blanket when he/she is very mobile.
3. Make a separation in the fur on the back of your cat’s neck (between the head and shoulders) such that you can clearly see the “bare” skin.
4. Drip the product on the skin, not on the coat.
5. If necessary, make a second separation to apply remaining product to dry skin.

WARNING! Never use spot-on preparations intended for dogs on your cat. Some of these products contain the substance permethrin, which can be lethal for your cat. Always ask your veterinarian for advice if you are unsure.

Administering ear drops or ointment

1. Hold your cat gently. Extra hands may come in handy. Are you alone? Then you can wrap your cat in a towel or blanket when he/she is very mobile.
2. Hold your cat’s head and ear in your hands and tilt the head slightly to one side so that the ear to be treated is turned more upward.
3. Insert the prescribed number of drops/ointment deep into the ear canal. Hold the head firmly to prevent the cat from shaking her head during administration.

Administering eye drops or ointment

1. Hold your cat gently. Extra hands may come in handy. Are you alone? Then you can wrap your cat in a towel or blanket when he/she is very mobile.
2. Holding your cat’s head in your hands, tilt your cat’s head so that your cat’s nose is pointing up.
3. Put your thumb on the upper eyelid and your index finger on the lower eyelid, open the eyelids gently.
4. Apply a few drops or a line of ointment to the surface of the eye (keep the recommended dosage).
5. Close the eyelids and massage them (very) gently to allow the medication to spread all over the eye. If massaging is not successful, this is not a problem; the cat will also blink the medication over the surface of the eye.

Good luck!