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The 4 Best Pill Pockets For Cats of 2024

Best Pill Pockets For Cats

The Spruce Pets / Alli Waataja

Getting your cat to take their medicine can be difficult, but using a pill pocket makes it easier. If you aren’t using a liquid solution, your cat may shy away during mealtime. But pockets are made of a moldable material with flavors like tuna or catnip that cats love, making dose distribution just a bit less of a hassle.

Most pockets have a hole in the top, allowing you to place the pill inside and mold around it. That way your feline friend is none the wiser that you just gave them something they might detest without the squishy exterior.

“Pill pockets are a great tool for administering pills to your pets,” Sara Yonkers, DVM at VCA Jones Road Animal Hospital told The Spruce Pets. “They are simple to use since they are soft and conform to the shape and size of the pill without crumbling apart.”

Our best overall pick is Feline Greenies Pill Pockets, which offer multiple flavors in an affordable package your cat will love.

What We Like
  • Affordable

  • Easy to use

  • Multiple flavors

What We Don’t Like
  • Not every cat will like

When looking for the right pill pocket, you want something easy to use, that’s healthy, and that offers a flavor you know your cat likes. Greenies, one of the most popular brands in pet supplies, offers a fantastic pill pocket with everything your cat could need. Available in catnip, chicken, salmon, and tune & cheese flavors, it doesn’t have any artificial flavors or preservatives.

Made in the United States, using the pocket is incredibly simple. Just place the pill in the slot inside, pinch the tip, and then feed it to your cat. It hides the small taste of the pill, making your cat think it’s just getting a tasty treat rather than some yucky medicine. It’s also packed with vitamins like 12 percent crude protein and nine percent crude fat.

“They seem to be a favorite among my patients and personal pets,” Yonkers said.

Primary Ingredients: Rehydrated chicken, glycerin, wheat flour, wheat gluten | Flavors: Catnip, Chicken, Salmon, Tuna & Cheese | Quantity: 1.6 or 3-ounce pack

What We Like
  • Moldable paste

  • Won’t crumble

  • Also works on liquid treats

What We Don’t Like
  • Can dry out

  • Not every cat loves bacon

Using a traditional pill pocket on some types of medication may not work, so getting a paste like this option from Pet MD is a great workaround. Oddly shaped pills won’t work as well inside regular pockets, but this paste can form a barrier to keep the medicine inside until it’s reached your cat's mouth. It also works well in conjunction with other pill pockets, since the paste can be used as a glue, or to mask flavors and scents. It has a unique bacon flavor and a container contains over 50 servings before it’s empty.

To use the paste, take a pinch of it and wrap the pill completely. Make sure the seal is tight, especially if you are using any liquid, and then just administer it like any regular treat.

Primary Ingredients: Oat flour, cane molasses, glycerin, rice bran, vegetable oil, maltodextrin, salt, lecithin, natural hickory smoke flavor, sorbic acid | Flavors: Bacon, Cheese & Bacon, Peanut Butter | Quantity: 4.2 ounce

What We Like
  • Super soft

  • Small batch fresher

  • Cats love the flavor

What We Don’t Like
  • No pocket, so treat has to be squished around pill

These soft chews are made with real oven-roasted chicken, salmon, or pumpkin with a minimum of 21 percent crude protein and 10 percent crude fat. Made without artificial flavors or colors, these chews are very soft and perfect for picky eaters. You’ll need to take a few different pieces and squish them around the pill to form a camouflaging layer.

Primary Ingredients: Chicken, salmon, chicken liver, chicken by-products, soybean meal, potato meal, pork rind | Flavors: Chicken with Pumpkin, Chicken with Salmon | Quantity: 1.4-ounce bag

What We Like
  • Soft and chewy

  • Low in calories

What We Don’t Like
  • Can get messy putting pills inside

Testing out which flavors to trick your cat with can be a process, which is why getting an assortment of different types of treats can make taking pills more palatable for your cat. INABA Churu snacks aren't designed as pill pockets, but the creamy filling interior makes it easy to shove a pill inside of one. The outside cylinder is made from baked chicken paste with 22 percent crude protein.

Not only are these excellent as treats but they can also be used as a pill pocket by shoving the pill inside the shell. That will cause some of the gooey mixture to leak out and the whole process can be a bit messy, but your cat will love helping with the cleanup. This assortment of four different flavors Chicken, Tuna, Tuna with Salmon, and Tuna with Scallop.

Primary Ingredients: Chicken, tuna, tapioca, natural shrimp flavor, natural tuna flavor, natural scallop flavor, natural crab flavor | Flavors: Chicken, Tuna, Tuna with Salmon, Tuna with Scallop | Quantity: 1.05 ounce

Final Verdict

Our best overall choice is Greenies Pill Pockets, which are both affordable and easy to use. Just place the pill inside the already drilled-out hole, close it up, and feed it directly to your cat. If you are dealing with liquids or oddly shaped pills, then Pet MD Wrap-A-Pill is worth a purchase. Though the bacon flavor may not appeal to every cat, this moldable paste offers over 50 servings before it’s empty.

What to Know About Pill Pockets for Cats

Ingredients

Pill pockets are usually made with a moldable paste that allows you to seal away the bitter taste of a pill. Many use natural ingredients like chicken or salmon to entice your cat to eat the meal. But if your cat has certain allergies,  Dr. Sara Yonkers recommends “consulting with your veterinarian to determine if pill pockets are a safe option for your pet.”

Preparation

Most pill pockets are easy to use with little preparation. If you are using an option like the one from Greenies, just place the pill inside the pre-drilled hole and then pinch the top around the center, making sure it’s enclosed all the way around.

Use

Most pill pockets with medicine in them can just be fed directly to your cat. If your cat is a bit more mischievous and eats the treat without the pill, you may have to resort to other tactics, like using a pet piller, which dispenses the pill directly into the back of your cat’s mouth. This can lead to some irritation so you should make sure your cat drinks water afterwards.

FAQ
  • Are cat pill pockets dangerous?

    “No, pill pockets are not dangerous, but they may not be suitable for all pets,” Yonkers said. “If your pet has been diagnosed with a medical condition such as food allergies, food sensitivities, or inflammatory bowel disease, I recommend consulting with your veterinarian to determine if pill pockets are a safe option for your pet. There are multiple flavors available to choose from so some pets with food sensitivities and allergies may still be able to safely use pill pockets.”

Why Trust The Spruce Pets

This article was written by Steven Asarch, a freelance writer for The Spruce Pets. He has firsthand experience working with different feline products and taking care of two rambunctious felines. He prioritized products that were affordable, and practical, and cats seemed to enjoy. To gain a better understanding of what cats are looking for, he spoke to doctor of veterinary medicine Sara Yonkers, at VCA Jones Road Animal Hospital.

Steven has previously evaluated the best cat caves, litter box furniture, cat litter disposal systems, and catnip toys.