How to Give a Cat an Injection

by Stan Beck

“Easy with the tongue, Shep”

From: freewebs.com

Hopefully you won’t have to give your cat or kitten an injection, but, just in case…

Setting the Mood

It is important for your cat to be relaxed up until the time of the injection.  My cats respond well to having a favorite treat.  Make sure you pet and cuddle with your feline also.  Some also recommend that an injection be giving about the same time everyday.  Also, make sure you get down on Fluffy’s level - you don’t want to come across as threatening or domineering.  Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible.  For those of you who are not comfortable on the floor, you can bring your cat up with you a couch in your lap.

Disguise the Needle

You don’t want your cat to make the connection between a syringe in your hand the slight and momentary pain he or she will feel.  And really, this is important, usually in the very beginning of a injection routine.  You can try to hide the syringe altogether.  I like to use the capped syringe as a play-thing - pet your kitty with it, stroke him.

Confidence

If this is your first time doing this, you are apt to be a little nervous.  Try to relax.  Cats can read your mood and feelings.  The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed he or she will be.  Also, keep your movements fluid and smooth - try to avoid sudden, jerky motions as this signals stress or can over-stimulate your cat.

The Place

The scruff of the neck has long been used as an optimal place for the injection, however, there is research to show that blood supply is lower there than what is optimal to deliver the drug to your cats body.  It is much better to use an area on the stomach (avoid the nipples and navel) or an area near his or her hips.  Also, it is important to not use the same spot over and over again because this may cause a nodule of tissue to form, called a ‘granuloma’, which has poor blood supply.

The Technique

You want to pinch the skin up, pulling it slightly from the cat’s body.  Don’t pinch too hard, just enough to raise the skin.  You are going to inject into the pinched skin because the act of pinching it helps to numb the area.  You want the need angle to be almost parallel with the cat, but slightly raised.  Look at the needle length and then look at the amount of skin you’ve pinched - you want the need to penetrate into the middle of skin mass that you’ve pinched.

Be as quick as possible because you want to puncture through nerve-laden skin as quickly as possible - most of the nerves are at the very surface of the skin.  Once the needle is in, you can slow down a bit since the worst is over.  Slowly push the syringe plunger down until the contents are in your cat and then quickly remove the needle.

Post Injection

It is important to have some cuddling/play time with your kitty just after an injection, doling out lots of affection.  Give lots of verbal praise also.  This helps Fluffy associate positive with the experience.

Cat Injection
Cat Injection

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