My Kiki is now about 18 months old, and she's always been very anxious in the carrier when going to the vet. She cries and pants, almost to the point of hyperventilation. She's always fine when I let her out of the carrier when we get home (it's a 30-minute ride each way); she just hates being confined and is definitely not a "hold me" kitty. A larger carrier with a translucent top seemed to help last time I took her to the vet, but she was still quite upset both going and coming.
Now for the problem: We're moving to a new city early next week, and it'll be a 90-minute drive. I want her to be as comfortable as possible, so I called my vet for suggestions. The tech recommended Feliway spray and Gabapentin for the anxiety, as well as playing classical music in the car. After reading things about Feliway (both good and bad), I'm not sure if I should use it, or attempt the trip with just the Gabapentin (which I've never used on any of my cats), or just do nothing at all and hope for the best. I've thought about getting the Feliway tomorrow and putting just a tiny bit on a cloth to see if she has any reaction to it prior to the day of the trip. I don't want to have any kind of emergency on moving day! I also have a very large carrier that may be big enough for her favorite sleepytime pillow, and was thinking of getting that out and letting her investigate it first so that it won't be unfamiliar to her.
Any other suggestions out there for making this move as successful and stress-free as possible? I know this is only the first part of the battle - we have the new house to get all three cats accustomed to as well - but if we can get over the first hurdle, the rest of it might not be so bad.
PS - I don't have any real concerns about the other two cats making the trip, other than they're both 17 years old. They're generally okay in the car, though Baboo tends to howl for the first 10-15 minutes of travel.
Now for the problem: We're moving to a new city early next week, and it'll be a 90-minute drive. I want her to be as comfortable as possible, so I called my vet for suggestions. The tech recommended Feliway spray and Gabapentin for the anxiety, as well as playing classical music in the car. After reading things about Feliway (both good and bad), I'm not sure if I should use it, or attempt the trip with just the Gabapentin (which I've never used on any of my cats), or just do nothing at all and hope for the best. I've thought about getting the Feliway tomorrow and putting just a tiny bit on a cloth to see if she has any reaction to it prior to the day of the trip. I don't want to have any kind of emergency on moving day! I also have a very large carrier that may be big enough for her favorite sleepytime pillow, and was thinking of getting that out and letting her investigate it first so that it won't be unfamiliar to her.
Any other suggestions out there for making this move as successful and stress-free as possible? I know this is only the first part of the battle - we have the new house to get all three cats accustomed to as well - but if we can get over the first hurdle, the rest of it might not be so bad.
PS - I don't have any real concerns about the other two cats making the trip, other than they're both 17 years old. They're generally okay in the car, though Baboo tends to howl for the first 10-15 minutes of travel.
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