Cat anxiety relief...another gross subject

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Soummer
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Cat anxiety relief...another gross subject

Post by Soummer »

When going to the vet or any car ride, Rascal cries the whole way, but Honey poops and pukes :eek: Do you know of any medication/herb mixture that will help these babies that does NOT involve me trying to shove something down their throats?

I do not usually travel with them, but sometimes transportation is unavoidable. I hate for them to be so miserable :(
Soummer, formerly Janet D.
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jmboyer
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Post by jmboyer »

Car sickness in felines is as much the result of anxiety as it is of motion sickness. The car is an uncomfortable environment for a cat. Often a fear of destination comes into play when the first experiences in a car resulted in a trip to a vet. If you prefer not to use medications for this problem, which are available from your vet, you may attempt to retrain your cat to being in the car. Try sitting in the car with the engine off with your cat. Bring a few toys and play with him. After a few sessions like this, turn the engine on and off. Progress then to short trips around the block. This takes time and much effort, but if you want to extinguish the fear your cat associates with being in the car, it will be well-worth your time.

Some experts say not to feed a cat for two hours before a car trip. Other experts believe that a small amount of food and water is a better way to go because some felines becoming ill from an empty stomach and anxiety is increased. Always keep the crate in which your cat is traveling padded and make sure a favorite toy is with him. I use towels, but any soft fabric will work. It is a difficult problem to overcome and I wish you luck in your effort. Please remember, Janet, that if the behavioral approach is not working for you, the vet can provide medication to ease your cat's journey in a car.
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patsue53
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Post by patsue53 »

Something that helped my super-anxious-about-cars kitty was to wrap him in a towel and put him in a box with a lid that was small enough to make him feel secure but obviously not so small that he had to be crammed in. I found that when I created a little "womb" for him to travel in he wasn't quite so upset.
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Lionitus
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Post by Lionitus »

Hi Janet,

I moved my kitties 550 miles last November and my veterinarian recommended a product called Feliway. It helped a lot, there was no sickness or accidents and for the most part the kitties (five of them) did well with a minimal amount of howling and upset. You spritz the inside of the carrier with the Feliway ten or so minutes before you put kitty in. Since our trip was so long I stopped periodically and reapplied the spray around the interior of my car. I was so afraid it would cause a permanent odor or little droplet stains but there was absolutely no trace of it after our trip. Wonderful stuff though a bit on the expensive side. For my trip it was worth it and I still have quite a bit of it left. I found it at PetSmart.

Thought I'd throw in my suggestion. It might ease Rascal and Honey's anxiety.

Take care,
Lionitus
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