Posted: 9/5/2002 10:14:29 PM EDT
| A friend has a new kitten. She is driving home, a 7 hour drive, from MA to MD. The kitten loathes the pet carrier. Is there a way to sedate or calm the kitten for the drive? |
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It is likely that she will end up with a NASTY mess in the carrier. I speak from experience. She might be able to get away with letting the kitten loose in the car as she drives. Adult cats don't care for it but I have seen several kittens that do fine and just go exploring. Forgot to mention... A vet can sedate a cat, but I have heard that a fairly high percentage never wake up. |
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Quoted: Adult cats don't care for it but I have seen several kittens that do fine and just go exploring. Forgot to mention... A vet can sedate a cat, but I have heard that a fairly high percentage never wake up. My cat simply gets on my lap and falls asleep on trips. About the sedation...that's true, but not as high a percentage as you might imply (although 1% is too high for me). The problem, according to my vet, is that the sedation wreaks havoc on cat's electrolyte balance. I had a cat that was sedated for a simple procedure. Unfortunately, it turns out his kidneys were failing, and his body wasn't able to filter out the anethestic. He ended up dying a week later, and he never FULLY woke up...just kinda groggy for a week before he passed on [:(] |
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Kittens are a lot more accommodating to new experiences than full-grown cats. The idea is to break them in to it gradually. Your friend might try sitting inside the car for a while on several successive days before making the trip. As the kitten gets used to it, have your friend start the engine. Next, it's a quick trip down the end of your driveway, a trip around the block, etc. (Great sig line, BTW, [b]brouhaha[/b]!) |