Valium and the kitty cat...

Im not sure if this should go under the health topic or under care but anyhow...
Has anyone ever had any issues with valium and their kitty? Im moving across the country and Im thinking about getting a stock of sedatives just in case, my thought was that I could just give them half to take the edge off if they dont calm down after the first day, but I always worry about giving my critters anything (you should see me when its time to do shots, ahh!)
Thanks!

Please do not EVER give human prescription (legally or illegally obtained) meds to a cat!

There are quite a few threads on TCS about long-distance travel with their cats.

I traveled for 10 hours with Penny from NC to MA, and she was fine with no meds whatsoever.

I have experience with Valium and cats. I once traveled via plane with my one kitty in the cabin. They gave me a pill form "sedative" to take the edge off. Well that was horrible. It just made her less lucid and more terrified. Never again will a give a cat a sedative to travel. ( I dont think this was Valium either)

Now I have given, upon veterinary advise and prescription, valium injections to two different cats who would not eat. They were both at risk of hepatic lipidosis and giving them an appetite stimulant was less stressful on them then forcing them to eat.

So in the case of these two cats, the valium did not act like a sedative at all. For some reason valium gives cats the "munchies". Zoe ate and didn't act much differently. Stomper ate and acted all happy silly, heatbutt boy. I had to give them one shot a day for several days.

I have traveled across the country with multiple cats. I found they all traveled much better than I thought. Give them a place where they can hide or be out. they usually find a place they feel safe and fall asleep.

My personal opinion is don't give her anything. Speak to your vet about it and if you feel you must have something then get something that will allow her to fall completely asleep for the entire journey. They get seriously freaked out if they are partially drugged.

I wouldnt be giving human meds, I plan on going to the vet first. I actually have given a few of my cats valium (from the vet) before and didnt have any problems and it worked just like it should, Im just a worry wart. I figure they will be fine after the first day or so or traveling, they all have their own carriers. Still trying to figure out what to do about litter boxes, Im pretty sure I have read almost all of the travel posts but I'll check again, in case Ive forgotten anything!

I would also advise trying to do it without medication first. A car is less traumatic than a plane, generally. Many cats settle down after the first hour or so and even go to sleep... your cat may be one of these.

My cat's the nightmare exception, I found out on the plane last Christmas. He meowed for eight solid hours, at a volume ranging from low to screeching howls and hissing, and he clawed and chewed his way out of the fabric carrier twice. You'd think his voice would have given out after a few hours, but no. This happened again on the way back.

I was not a popular person on the plane, and wasn't looking forward to doing it again. So I asked my vet if there was anything (I was wary since my cat takes heart medication), and he gave me a prescription for generic Xanax. I can't give any personal experience yet, as I haven't taken the flight yet, but he said it would be safe. He said it might not make the cat sleepy, but would treat the anxiety. He recommended giving one dose before the trip to see how the cat reacts, but I'm not sure I want to drug the cat just for a test.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned "rescue remedy".

I would use this way before I would ever give my babies a xanaax or valium

TALK to your VET .....

i have used both natural and traditional medicine when traveling depending on the animal .....

Valium (diazaepam) is not usually used for this purpose for cats. It's effects on them are somewhat different than with other mammals, including the tendency to stimulate appetite as mentioned previously. While it can help with some types of anxiety, it is less effective than other options and the sedation effect of this medication is much less pronounced in cats. Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) is frequently used in both dogs and cats to help with motion sickness and anxiety in both dogs and cats when transporting by car. Acepromazine (prescription) is another medication that is sometimes used effectively. One important point I must point out, last I checked it was both not recommended by current veterinary standards and a violation of FAA regulations for an airline to transport an animal that is even partially sedated. There are many serious medical concerns involved.

Aceprozine is in the same class as Valium! My cats get really stressed out on car rides and foam at the mouth. My other cat loves car rides though and I have pics of him riding in the car for hours on my shoulder!

my kitties love the car too!

they like to perch on my shoulders and look out the windows.

I gave my babies some type of sedative when we moved from FL to NC but I cannot remember the name. The vet gave them to me and Widget did fine, it made him sleepy but Puss puss, it made her drunk and weird acting. I wouldn't give it to them again.

My personal preference is to go with a trusted doctor's prescription and something that's been tested. "Natural" doesn't mean harmless; it's often more risky.

I looked at a couple of herbal remedies that are sold for the purpose of calming pets during travel. There was really one that people said worked... I looked at the ingredient list, and the reason it works is that it contains valerian, which acts on the benzodiazepine receptor (same as some of the prescription drugs we're talking about here). I wouldn't give something, particularly a sedative, that didn't come from a vet.

In general, I'm against using medication on a pet unless other methods have been tried and failed. The original poster's plan to bring something along just in case of emergency sounds good.

Originally Posted by emmylou

My personal preference is to go with a trusted doctor's prescription and something that's been tested. "Natural" doesn't mean harmless; it's often more risky.

I looked at a couple of herbal remedies that are sold for the purpose of calming pets during travel. There was really one that people said worked... I looked at the ingredient list, and the reason it works is that it contains valerian, which acts on the benzodiazepine receptor (same as some of the prescription drugs we're talking about here). I wouldn't give something, particularly a sedative, that didn't come from a vet.

In general, I'm against using medication on a pet unless other methods have been tried and failed. The original poster's plan to bring something along just in case of emergency sounds good.

Click to expand...

many of the Naturals are STUDIED and tested ... ohh and MANY VETS recommend them .... I learned about them on my own and to my surprise the vet RX me a natural first ....

BUT BUT DEAL with YOUR vet

How amazing that I would see this post. I have my kitty on valium. She has calmed down a lot. And she takes 1/2 pill a day of a 2 mg tab. She seems to have this thing where she likes to fight the other cat. That half pill does great!