Taking my cat on a long car trip--info on tranquilizers for her?

Hi there,

Sedating a cat for a long trip is not a good idea, without consultation with your veterinarian. There are natural products such as Rescue Remedy for pets that work very well, and have a calming effect on cats without the risk of side effects from medications.

http://www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/articles/r...

Do not give your cat any over-the-counter medication without talking with a vet. Sometimes vets may recommend benedryl, as it has a sedative effect on cats, but you need to talk with your vet about the proper dosages based on your cat's weight.

Also discuss how long before your departure you should feed your cat in preparation for your trip.

Hope this helps and good luck on your journey.

Troublesniffer

Owned by cats for over 40 years

Member: Cat Writer's Association

Completely ignore the moron who said to NOT put her in a carrier, but to let her roam. That is BAD advice. Trust me, I have made many car trips with cats. The longest was a 4 day car trip while moving. The safest place for the cat is the cat carrier. They should NOT be allowed to roam the car. There are so many things that can happen. Cat can freak out, stick it's claws in the driver, who can freak out and have an accident. We used to allow our cats to roam, until we were doing 70 on a freeway and mom's cat stepped on the button that rolled down the window. He was 2 inches from the window, and completely level with the open part. I had to a act fast or somethingr really bad could have happened. Take trash bags, baby wipes, and paper towells. This is because many cats have nervous pee/poop issues in the car, or get carsick and throw up. This way you can stop at the nearest gas station, easily clean up the cage, and toss the bag, and not have to smell it for hours. These things (nervous pee/poop or vomiting) usually occurs within the first half hour of the trip, and not again unless you stop for a LONG time and start back up again. The cat should have access to water, but will not want to use a litter box or eat while in the car. For 6 hours, that's allright. Take the heat DEADLY seriously. NEVER NEVER NEVER leave the cat in the car alone with the windows rolled up for even ONE minute. ROLL down the windows. IT takes less than 4 minutes for the car to get hot enough to kill, in this weather, if the windows are up. Roll them down as far as you feel is safe, and use shades on front AND back winsheild if you have to stop for even a minute. Do NOT take chances. Hundreds of people every summer regret it. If you wanna stop for lunch, try getting fast food and taking it to a rest area picnic area where you can take the cat(in carrier) to the picnic table with you while you sit down and eat, rather than leavinig it in the car. To comfort cat, a piece of clothing that smells like you (that you don't mind tossing) in its cage will help calm it. Also placing the cage where the cat can see you, and where you can stick your fingers through the front gate, will comfort the kitty if its crying. That's pretty much all you need to know. 6 hours is nothing!! Just don't take chances with the heat.

I would advise against sedating your cat for a car trip as to give her enough medication to make her sleep for several hours is very risky and could cause her harm. You are much better off preparing her for travel (if you absolutely must bring her with her) buy transporting her in a carrier with enough room for her to move and be comfortable and make sure she has food and water available. She should also be given breaks outside the carrier, so expect to make at least a few stops so she can relieve herself if necessary. You can easily purchase holistic sprays at large pet supply retailers to help keep her calm during travel.

If you insist on sedating her (and again, I am stressing that this is not in your cat's best interest), you must first speak to her vet and he must prescribe the medication. It is not something that you can just buy at the pet store. Make sure that you get very clear instructions on dosage and how to administer (it will most likely be an injection) and ask the vet to show you how to administer the medication.

You should also consider leaving your cat at home if this trip is only for a short duration if you have someone trustworthy who can watch her, or to board her at a licensed facility.

Feline Tranquilizer

It's best to get the medication from your Vet as you want to make sure the medication is safe.

Years ago I had an indoor cat that started peeing in my entrance way when he could smell outdoor cats spraying on my veranda. The vet prescribed an anti-anxiety med for him which helped solve the problem.

I would also put your cat in a cat cage during the travel for safety and put a nice soft blanket in it.

Hope this is helpful.

Michelle

http://www.loveablecats.net/

I used to live in Durham! Small World!

There is a herbal remedy called LessStress that you can try. Feline Lesstress is a herbal formula that assists in relieving stress and boosting the immune system in cats. It acts on the nervous system to calm anxiety and excitability in order to treat cat separation anxiety, feline stress and general anxiety.

Try giving your cat a dose before your car trip.

http://www.petwellbeing.com/cat-anxiety-p41.cfm

Never give tranquilizers of any kind without your vet's approval. You can kill your cat!

Just put her in a kennel and make it as comfortable as possible. Yeah she'll get a little scared but she'll get over it.

You can get some "off the counter" medication;but I would go to your

vet as the prescription will be for her weight.She will not be over

medicated.