How to calm down a cat if it does not tolerate the road well?

1. Make carrying a part of your home

Leave it open where the cat will comfortably rest in it. Also put her favorite bedding inside and bring the treats to the cage.

Do not force the cat into the carrier and do not bother her there - let it be a place where she will always feel comfortable and calm. Then it will be easier for her to travel in her own house.

It is also worthwhile to carefully approach the choice of carrier: it is better to choose a model made of durable plastic, where you can open the door and completely remove the top without disturbing the cat. This is especially important when traveling to a veterinary clinic.

It will be much easier for the doctor to "negotiate" with the cat if it is in such a cage. And during the trip, you can cover the carrier with a blanket, leaving a small window: so the animal will be calmer.

2. Find the right drugs

Only use sedatives specifically for cats. Human remedies are often contraindicated for pets. Or they may act differently on them. For example, valerian of cats excites, not soothes.

The pet industry offers a wide range of natural and safe sedatives. They are available in the form of tablets, solutions and sprays for bedding and handling. There are also special collars.

The products can be based on pheromones of the facial glands of cats, the amino acid L-tryptophan, herbs or a protein with a sedative effect isolated from milk. There are also combination preparations that contain these and other auxiliary components.

However, these remedies also have a downside: they are not very effective for severe stress. In this case, an anticonvulsant drug can be used, which has a pain relieving and pronounced sedative effect on cats. That being said, it is quite safe. But only a veterinarian should prescribe it and select a dosage.

But before resorting to medication, try to make the carrier the cat's home. And then, most likely, no drugs will be needed.