My 3 year old cat has only even been on a few car rides since we got him. Each time, he screams the whole way, and if he's in a carrier, he scratches at it until he rips out his claws, he bashes his head and nose on the bars until his nose is bloodied and rubs the bridge of his nose raw. When we first got him from the humane society, he had a scab on the bridge of his nose from doing the same. His nose is scarred from it. If we let him sit on a lap, he screams, scratches, and wets! Our cat is normally a very well bahaved cat, has never gone to toilet anywhere apart from outdoors, or his box. He rarely cries. He never scratches, or bites. He even comes when called and minds when he's told 'no'. It's like he's a different cat when in the car. We will be moving about 2000 miles away soon.The longest trip we've had him on was 1 hr. We are afraid he will do himself even more damage if we must have him in the car that long.How much benydyrl is safe? another sedative? Any ideas?
2007-05-12 18:00:07 · 13 answers · asked by c b 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Hmmm.... I used to have a cat named Aly and when we took her home from the agency in the car, she did the same thing except didnt go crazy and tried to kil itself. All ours did was meow its head off. I suggest u go to a professional and tell him/her your story. He/she may have some ideas.
2007-05-12 18:08:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Definitely talk to your vet about sedating the kitty for the trip. We did this with our dog when we moved from California to Oregon (we may have done so with the cat too--I can't remember). I would also highly suggest doing a "practice run" with the sedative at least a week before the real trip. Administer it and then drive around a little. You'll want to be sure that the kitty doesn't have a reaction to whatever the vet prescribes. Also if you have time before the final move, take a few short trips where you are feeding the kitty treats and praising him for being quiet.
When it comes time for the real trip, keep him crated and cover the crate. That will help keep it nice and dark for the kitty. You can use doggie training pads to cover the bottom of the crate in case there are "accidents," as the pads are disposable. Feliway, the pheremone someone else mentioned, can also help keep him calm when sprayed in the crate.
Good luck!
2007-05-12 18:43:44 · answer #2 · answered by cloud_shade 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I moved to Atlanta from Miami a couple of months ago and brought my three cats in the car with me. I bought two separate cat kennels, big enough for the cats to move around if they needed to, and put two cats in the larger one and one in the smaller one. I put both kennels in the folded back sit of the car. I put the litter box in the trunk in case they needed to go to the bathroom but they never did. Also, throughout the trip, I stopped and offered them food and water and they did not want any. When I first left the house, they were screaming and biting the bars. I tried to calm them down by driving with one hand and putting the other inside the kennel so they could smell it (I don't recommend doing this though). After three hours, I stopped and got a room in a hotel. I sneaked the cats in of course but I least they had a chance to relax, eat, and drink that night. The following morning I resumed the trip and got to Atlanta around 4pm. Again, they did not use the litter box, ate, drank water or play with toys during the trip. All they did was sleep. Do put some towels inside the kennel in case he does go to the bathroom along the way. Make sure you keep the AC on and the windows closed so that the noise from the other cars doesn't bother him. Keep him inside the kennel at all times. Do not let him free inside the car. He will jump on your legs while you’re driving and may cause you to have an accident. Spend at least one night in a hotel along the way to give him a chance to eat, drink and go to the bathroom. I don’t recommend giving him any sedatives but that’s your call. Good luck!
2007-05-13 10:49:32 · answer #3 · answered by 3cats 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I went on a very long trip with my two cats. They didn't injure themselves, but they were very restless and noisy in their cages.
First : Keep him in the cage. If he's out of the cage, he could become more dangerous to the driver.
Second: Talk to your vet about getting a sedative. The vet should prescribe something because you have to consider the cats weight when choosing the correct sedative and dosage.
Third: Cats can become very upset by the car noise. One of the most effective things we did was playing loud rock music. To our surprise, it calmed the cat down.
Cats will go into what we called a "cat trance" on very long trips. It took a while for our cats, but they did calm down after a while. Keep a literbox in the car to give the cat a sense of home. Finally, you need to get the cat used to being in the cage in the car. Try putting him in the cage in the car when the car isn't moving. Take slow, short trips with the cat. Get the cat used to the cage when it's not in the car.
Keep him calm, make sure he has used the litterbox before you leave, and reassure him. Good luck!
2007-05-12 18:16:12 · answer #4 · answered by Tunsa 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cat Travel Sedative
2016-12-10 14:03:01 · answer #5 · answered by tietje 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since you're taking the cat with you on this very long move I assume you care enough about the animal to go to some trouble for him, so I will suggest something completely different: fly the cat.
I traveled 500 miles by car with my two cats, and flew them 2000 miles, and the flight was much, much easier (and quicker!)
It's not as expensive as you might think, and they do take care of them very well. The animals are placed in a special section of the cargo hold which is heated and pressurized, but there isn't much light there. From what I understand, the darkness and the constant whirr of the engines puts them and keeps them asleep. My vet at the time said sedation isn't really necessary for air travel. When I picked them up at the airport, they weren't thrilled, but not nearly as upset as they had usually been in the car. They were perfectly fine by the time we arrived at our new home.
It might take a bit of work to arrange this, since it means you'll have to have someone at your departure town look after him and take him to the airport after you've left. But well worth the trouble, as far as I'm concerned. You'll also have the liberty to really enjoy your road trip.
It will take you several days for this drive. You can't keep the cat in the crate all the time. Do you really want to spend every morning desperately trying to retrieve a furious cat from under a hotel bed? Do you think he'll let you stuff him in his crate on Day 2? What about potty breaks on the road? Trust me, you don't want to deal with this.
Another suggestion: visit a few pet stores in your area. There are some aircraft-approved carriers for cats now that are made of stiff nylon fabric, with mesh instead of bars for the opening, that would certainly be a lot safer for your cat to travel in. Also, clip his nails shortly before the trip to minimize damage to himself and others. Your vet will do it if you can't.
Best of luck, and best wishes in your new location.
P.S. Breeders fly their cats a lot, so contact your local Feline Club to see if anyone there is willing to give you some tips.
2007-05-12 22:32:55 · answer #6 · answered by twosweethounds 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Uh oh. That's a big problem. I listened to "Calling All Pets" recently on NPR (see website below) and heard answers to a couple questions similar to yours. The Vetrinarian on the show recommended a sedative to one cat owner. To the other, though, she actually asked if anyone in the area might be able to adopt the cat. Cats tend to be tied more to a specific place than to a specific person (dogs are the other way around). It really depends on the cat though. Check out the website and see if you can find any further answers for your situation. Good luck!
2007-05-12 18:13:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can get a Bach herbal relaxant from health food stores called Rescue Remedy - a few drops mixed with water administered by a dropper is given to pets to calm their nerves. But they won't be heavily knocked out or frighteningly incapacitated as they would be if they were given hard pharmaceuticals.
see here:
http://www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/articles/bach.htm
I also sing softly to cat while we are in the car. I have a special made up song with her name in it and I'll sing it to her every day in the lead up to the car trip so she gets familiar with it. My singing distracts her to make her quiet for a while when the meow-screams start.
2007-05-12 18:28:33 · answer #8 · answered by Camperdown T 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of good suggestions, here's another. Cats emit a pheremone "feel-good" scent when happy, and if the cage could be treated with that, the cat would take a cue from it. So the next time you get him purring, toss him in the cage and shake it around to coat it well.
No, just kidding. They sell it in spray cans at pet stores.
2007-05-12 18:23:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should try getting him used to the carrier and a leash-- put him in the carrier for a few mins everyday with a toy and some treats or something else he really enjoys. eventually he should get used to the carrier. also try getting him used to a leash, that way when you stop at a rest stop or someplace you can take him out of the car, cause even if you sure he wouldn't run away, he might because he's scared. you also need to make sure you get him used to being in a car, so take him on short trips.
2007-05-12 18:12:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Call your veterinarian. He/she will be able to prescribe something for your kitty to make it safe for him and more pleasant for you!
Keep him in the cat carrier when car is moving - some cats like to be able to see 'their people' from the carrier.
Buy a harness now, and get him used to it - you will have to let him out occasionally unless you bring a litter box.
2007-05-12 18:12:36 · answer #11 · answered by Nurse Susan 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋