How to Sedate Cats for Travel?

Nessibean · 07-06-2011, 06:01 PM

We are going to be moving over 600 miles away at the end of this month, bringing our three kitties with us. None of them are very good in vehicles. Jack will immediately pee and poop and then continue to cry for the entirety of his very short trips to the vet. Those are only 15 minute car rides, this trip will be over 12 - 14 hours. We were hoping to find a way to safely sedate them to make the transition a little easier. Of coarse I would never give my babies any type of drug without consulting a vet but I was hoping to find something over the counter. Any suggestions?

Mary_NH · 07-06-2011, 06:25 PM

a tiny amount of children's clear benadryl you can google the dosage.
Remember though any sedative you give them they have a hard time regulating their body temp (why they don't like to give animals going on planes a sedative).
Don't do anything OTC without consulting your vet - probably better off getting something from them.

laurief · 07-07-2011, 02:56 AM

You should also be aware that drugs that sedate most cats can sometimes have the opposite effect in certain individuals. You sure don't want to give something, thinking it'll help calm your cats, only to find that it causes your cats to over-excite and bounce off the walls, instead. You really shouldn't be looking for a sedative, anyway, because that won't help calm your cats. All it will do is make your cats too drowsy to express their fear to its full extent, but they will still be feeling the fear. You should talk to your vet about anti-anxiety meds, instead, because they can actually help calm the fear. You also need to understand that some drugs take a while to build up to effective levels in the blood, so you need to ask your vet if the drug you intend to use needs to be started days or weeks before your trip.

Laurie

SunKissedToes · 07-09-2011, 11:52 AM

My vet prescribed Krystal "Acepromazine, 10 mg", with the direction of "Give 1/2 tablet prior to travel."

It has worked well for her whenever we have to travel.

Emelda · 07-09-2011, 01:21 PM

I would just use what the vet recommends. You might not even have to take all the cats in, just call them and tell them what you need. I got some for Mandy and they were very cheap. She flew in the cabin of a plane and we barely heard a peep from her. Mandy is very very terrified of travel so this was our only option. We kept a small towel on her carrier to keep her calm and help her sleep. She barely made a peep. She traveled 3000 miles with ease.

07-06-2011, 06:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
Nessibean Jr. Cat Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 30	How to Sedate Cats for Travel? We are going to be moving over 600 miles away at the end of this month, bringing our three kitties with us. None of them are very good in vehicles. Jack will immediately pee and poop and then continue to cry for the entirety of his very short trips to the vet. Those are only 15 minute car rides, this trip will be over 12 - 14 hours. We were hoping to find a way to safely sedate them to make the transition a little easier. Of coarse I would never give my babies any type of drug without consulting a vet but I was hoping to find something over the counter. Any suggestions? __________________

07-06-2011, 06:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mary_NH Tom Cat Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New Hampshire USA Posts: 364	a tiny amount of children's clear benadryl you can google the dosage. Remember though any sedative you give them they have a hard time regulating their body temp (why they don't like to give animals going on planes a sedative). Don't do anything OTC without consulting your vet - probably better off getting something from them. __________________ may your heart be filled with purrs and fur

07-07-2011, 02:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	You should also be aware that drugs that sedate most cats can sometimes have the opposite effect in certain individuals. You sure don't want to give something, thinking it'll help calm your cats, only to find that it causes your cats to over-excite and bounce off the walls, instead. You really shouldn't be looking for a sedative, anyway, because that won't help calm your cats. All it will do is make your cats too drowsy to express their fear to its full extent, but they will still be feeling the fear. You should talk to your vet about anti-anxiety meds, instead, because they can actually help calm the fear. You also need to understand that some drugs take a while to build up to effective levels in the blood, so you need to ask your vet if the drug you intend to use needs to be started days or weeks before your trip. Laurie

07-09-2011, 11:52 AM	#4 (permalink)
SunKissedToes Jr. Cat Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 58	My vet prescribed Krystal "Acepromazine, 10 mg", with the direction of "Give 1/2 tablet prior to travel." It has worked well for her whenever we have to travel.

07-09-2011, 01:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
Emelda Jr. Cat Join Date: May 2011 Location: Oregon Posts: 80	I would just use what the vet recommends. You might not even have to take all the cats in, just call them and tell them what you need. I got some for Mandy and they were very cheap. She flew in the cabin of a plane and we barely heard a peep from her. Mandy is very very terrified of travel so this was our only option. We kept a small towel on her carrier to keep her calm and help her sleep. She barely made a peep. She traveled 3000 miles with ease.

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