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Car sickness

post #1 of 8
4/15/10 at 10:37am
Thread Starter 
Hi all-

Charlie gets car sick and I am trying to figure out how to prevent it. He will get car sick ina 45 minute drive, even when he has not been fed for a couple of hours. Does anyone have any ideas?
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post #2 of 8
4/15/10 at 10:40am
Is he in a carrier? If so, before he leaves and before you deposit him into the carrier, spray the inside quite well with Feliway spray.

When you put the carrier into the car, take some pillows and put the carrier on top of the pillows. I do that for the cats who have motion sickness and it seems to help. I think they just get stressed by the vibration of the engine and the feel of the road.

Give the cat 1/4 tab of Pepcid about 30 minutes before travel. This helps ease the stomach

leave a bit of organic catnip in the carrier just sprinkled on the bedding and put a small toy in there he can bat around.
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post #3 of 8
4/15/10 at 10:41am
Pull food away earlier, say 4 hours before a drive.

How do you transport your cat? Making sure you cat absolutely cannot see outside the windows could help. There's also rescue remedy that you can give to help calm his nerves in case this is more of a nervous stomach.
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post #4 of 8
4/15/10 at 11:34am
Not sure if you do or not, but it's imperative that a cat be transported in a proper carrier when driving; for their protection and yours (in the event of an accident, a pet become a projectile and can be seriously injured/get out of the vehicle, etc). If possible, I'll put my cat/carrier in the passenger seat (with humans, they're more inclined to get motion sickness if in the back seat). I'll then always cover up the carrier with a large towel or sheet/light blanket....so that kitty cannot 'see' anything whizzing by them. I try to situate the carrier in such a way that it's secure in one spot and not inclined to slide around or move when I'm turning corners.

My friend told me that HER friend has a dog who is very motion sick in cars and she'd heard and tried anti-static strips on the car and dog is no longer motion sick. I just did a quick search on Google and it seems many people use them, for motion sickness in humans/kids (while traveling in a car), and their pets. Seems like a very simple thing to attach to your car. Here's one that seems to be well reputed but again, I've never tried it.

http://www.mizter.com/
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post #5 of 8
4/15/10 at 11:40am
^Those anti static strips look interesting. Even if they don't help car sick pets and people, a break from nasty car static zaps might be worth the $20.
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post #6 of 8
4/15/10 at 11:46am
wow, I want those strips too. I am driven crazy by static shocks when getting out of my car

To the OP, you've gotten some good advice, but I want to add one warning. I don't know if this is prescribed in Greece, but never accept a sedative for car rides, especially ACE, (Acepromazine) they can be very dangerous for cats.
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post #7 of 8
4/21/10 at 11:24am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice! I also leave Charlie in a carrier, and its a good kind- the type you use for airlines, but its not a hard top- soft top with a rug like inside and there are a bunch of screens so he can look out. Great idea to cover the carrier so he cant see anything. I also always put him on my lap in the passenger seat, so hopefully the cover will work.

the other reason I asked this question was because I am going away for two weeks and I was hoping to bring him on the plane with me. Due to the carsickness, I am nervous that he will get really sick on the plane and will not have any escape for the two hour flight. Has anyone traveled with a cat on a plane?
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post #8 of 8
4/21/10 at 12:25pm
Ossi is a puker too. He is otherwise good traveler (not a yeller like his brother) but he just will get the iffies at some point. I will withdraw his food several hours earlier and just let him have water. What I noticed helped a lot was that the day before big travel, I feed him just cooked chicken instead of his regular food. He loves this solution too.

On the other hand, vet suggests tranquilizers for his whining brother
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