Daisy doesn't like her carrier

[cat nap]

I agree, I try everything seperately. Her vet suggested lavender and tested her for it, but it wasn't positive, like it was for Valerian. Please send Daisy good thoughts so her travels are uneventful. And again thank you all for your helpful suggestions..

@joeyjr   You're welcome for the well wishes.  I know that all of us here, are sending positive thoughts your way, for a safe, relaxed and comfortable trip.  And especially that Daisy finds the journey to be less like going to the vet, and more like a boring travel time, where she can catch up on sleep.

  I find your thread very useful for any person that needs to travel with a cat.

  All the ideas and tips from members are very helpful to try, so hoping that Daisy responds to most of them.

 

[joeyjr]

Time will not allow me to purchase a "Sleepy Pod" for tomorrows trip, but I will consider it for furture travels. Thank you for the grest idea.

 

[BonitaBaby]

Wow! That Sleepy Pod carrier looks so nice! I really want to get my cat a round one...maybe one day. I thought I had gotten a great soft carrier as an extra carrier for my cat, but it's nothing like the round Sleepy Pods. The only thing is the Sleepy Pod would not be good for an ill cat who has diarrhea. I was thankful that after I picked my cat up from the vet and she had developed diarrhea and had a lot of it on her way back home in the car, I could just pull out the $5 padding I had put inside and throw it away and get another one! For a healthy cat though, that round Sleepy Pod looks perfect for travel!

 

[Columbine]

Good luck for your journey tomorrow. Hope everything goes smoothly for you and Daisy :cross:

 

[cat nap]

I'm not sure if the 'Sleepy Pod Round Pet Carrier' is suitable for air plane travel, though.  Some Airlines companies have strict dimensions for in-cabin, under the seat pet carriers, and others only take hard shell pet carriers that go into cargo.

The website does have a rectangular looking pet carrier, which looks good, but again, I would call the Airline, and make sure, before any purchase, in the future.

 

[BonitaBaby]

Thanks! Good points. I just like the way the Sleepy Pod Round carrier looks! I would really like one. I could see my cat snuggling up in it at home...

 

[cat nap]

 
Wow! That Sleepy Pod carrier looks so nice! I really want to get my cat a round one...maybe one day. I thought I had gotten a great soft carrier as an extra carrier for my cat, but it's nothing like the round Sleepy Pods. The only thing is the Sleepy Pod would not be good for an ill cat who has diarrhea. I was thankful that after I picked my cat up from the vet and she had developed diarrhea and had a lot of it on her way back home in the car, I could just pull out the $5 padding I had put inside and throw it away and get another one! For a healthy cat though, that round Sleepy Pod looks perfect for travel!

 
Thanks! Good points. I just like the way the Sleepy Pod Round carrier looks! I would really like one. I could see my cat snuggling up in it at home...

Actually, I think I maybe wrong because I looked again, and the website does say the round one is for air travel, too.

For some reason, I thought it would not fit under the seat.

@Bonitababy   Your points are really good about having an ill cat, or watery accidents, and good to have removable padding. One of my previous cats also went poop and urinated in his carrier, in the car, and it was not quite leakproof...so a padding like yours, would have made my day.  Probably having some velcro hold the padding down, so he could not kick it around, might have worked.

 

[joeyjr]

I phoned Daisy's holistic vet this afternoon and asked if she could give her something for her anixity because nothing she suggested to date seems to be helping and we're traveling tomorrow. She gave her Clonazepam, 2mg and instructed me to give her half a pill tomorrow morning, the calming effect should last up to twelve hours. I have my fingers crossed!!! I'll let you know what happens.

 

[BonitaBaby]

Thanks for the post, especially in case anyone reads this and needs to know what to give a cat. Best of luck! Please post how it worked afterwards. 

 

[joeyjr]

Hello:
This is an update on Daisy, she's in Wisconsin and she's fine.. But she wasn't last week Saturday after I gave her the tranquilizer (Clonozepan) that her vet prescribed for her. Within a half hour after taking the pill she had a paradoxical reaction, which lasted almost twelve hours! She became aggresive, biting anything in site, she became extremely hyper and she could hardly walk. Shortly after she started to display this awful reaction I phoned her vet and was told that they go through stages, but she should become calm, and she did almost thirty-six hours later!!!! Of course I canceled our flight for that day and noticed Sunday evening that Daisy was extremely tranquil, so I took a chance and reserved space on a flight for the next morning. She was fine in her carrier for the three hour flight except she did meow a lot, but no yowling.
Since we'll be spending the next six months in Wisconsin, I'll have plenty of time to work with Daisy so she'll begin to feel comfortable in her carrier. Knowing what I know now, I will never ever give her another tranquilizer and put her through that HELL again!

 

[Columbine]

Oh my goodness. What an awful experience for you both. Logically I know that any drug can cause a negative/unexpected reaction, but it never occurred to me that Daisy would react so violently to a tranquiliser. to you both.

I'm glad you managed to get there safely (despite the complications) and without Daisy getting too upset. It sounds like both you and she did brilliantly in the circumstances :nod: I hope she's fully recovered now?

I'm sure that, if you keep working with her, the journey back will be less eventful. I really hope so, anyway :cross:

Thanks for the update. It's really opened my eyes about potential issues with tranquillisers.

 

[cat nap]

Hello:
This is an update on Daisy, she's in Wisconsin and she's fine.. But she wasn't last week Saturday after I gave her the tranquilizer (Clonozepan) that her vet prescribed for her. Within a half hour after taking the pill she had a paradoxical reaction, which lasted almost twelve hours! She became aggresive, biting anything in site, she became extremely hyper and she could hardly walk. Shortly after she started to display this awful reaction I phoned her vet and was told that they go through stages, but she should become calm, and she did almost thirty-six hours later!!!! Of course I canceled our flight for that day and noticed Sunday evening that Daisy was extremely tranquil, so I took a chance and reserved space on a flight for the next morning. She was fine in her carrier for the three hour flight except she did meow a lot, but no yowling.
Since we'll be spending the next six months in Wisconsin, I'll have plenty of time to work with Daisy so she'll begin to feel comfortable in her carrier. Knowing what I know now, I will never ever give her another tranquilizer and put her through that HELL again!

Thank you for this update, @joeyjr.  I'm so glad that both you and Daisy are at your destination, and doing well. 

It's so unfortunate when our animals do not have the typical reactions to vet-prescribed medications, but it's also good that now you can write down the meds that Daisy has bad reactions to, and no longer have them prescribed.

  Also, by telling your regular vet, or having the records with you, in Wisconsin, then any new vet will know not to prescribe any meds that may fall into that same family of drugs, or at least know about the paradoxical reaction.

(my dog had a bad reaction to a common antibiotic, and is also sensitive to benadryl...but he is a 130lb lab/retriever...so it was quite surprising.)

Sensitivities in our animals is just hard to predict. 

It's so good that Daisy managed to get through the travelling, albeit, not ideal.  Also good that you seem like such a strong advocate and companion for Daisy, and she'll have you to work with her,  for the next six months on becoming more comfortable in her carrier.  I really do hope that over time, and trying out the different suggestions, that Daisy will get used to the three hour flight.  

 

[BonitaBaby]

Oh, no! I'm so sorry that happened to you! And so glad that she made it to Wisconsin! 

 

[joeyjr]

Thank you. Daisy is doing fine, her appetite is slightly diminished, but I suspect it's because of the new surroundings. If she would lose a pound it wouldn't hurt her, she gained 3 lbs. + since I adopted her in January, she weighs a heavy 14lbs!!!
Enjoy your furry friends, they are so precious. Bye and have a good day.