Being a cat owner has a lot of rewards and a few frustrations but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. No matter which cat I have had, there has been at least one point in their life that I have had to treat them with a medication or handle them when they didn’t want to be held. One of the best little tricks that really comes in handy is a restraining technique we like to call the Kitty Burrito….and no you won’t need to stock up on tortillas. This technique is a lot like swaddling a baby. By using this technique, you should be able to give medications by mouth, treat the eyes or ears, clean the ears and/or trim the nails.
This is how you make a Kitty Burrito. (Thank to Enzo for being our model!)
Start with a clear table or counter, but you can also use the floor if need be.
Step 1
Take a regular size bath towel and lay it out fully. Place your cat about 6 inches away from the one end of the towel. Sometimes to help get started, you can scruff your cat to keep them still.
Step 2
Take the short edge of the towel and wrap it up around one side of your cat (width-wise).
Step 2b
Fold the part of the towel that is at your cat’s rump up over it’s back. Be mindful of their tail, usually they will curl their tail at their side. By folding the towel in this manner will help ensure they can’t back out of the towel.
Step 3
Take the other side of the towel and wrap it around the other side of your cat. Make sure your cat’s front paws are still inside the towel.
Step 4
Continue to wrap the rest of the towel around your cat until the towel is fully wrapped around your cat like a burrito. Make sure the towel is tight enough that they wouldn’t be able to get their feet out of the towel but not tight enough they are unable to breath.
