Kate is not a traveller
I am doing some internet research into remedies for cats who have motion sickness while travelling in the car.
My cat Kate gets very car sick–even on short trips (1/2 hour or so). She is almost 3 and has always had this problem. She will vomit, drool, and generally be queasy for a while after we get home.
I would like to bring her on a trip to the Cape this coming summer, but need to be sure she will not be sick or uncomfortable along the way.
My research is still in the beginning stages, but I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions. Obviously, one solution would be not to take her on a trip…but other than the car sickness aspect, I think she would have a wonderful time. And it is hard to find excellent cat sitters for extended amounts of time.
I would be very interested and grateful to hear from anyone who has had experience with this situation.
We used to have a dog that was car sick every time he got in the car. Our vet recommended an over the counter medication and gave us the proper dosage for his size. We gave it to him for 2 trips, one 10 hour trip and one 8 hour trip, and it worked so well! After those trips either he adjusted to the car or we broke the cycle. I don’t know which but it is worth a try.
I know that there are some medications that are not safe for animals and the dosages are WAY different for each animal, I would make sure to check with a vet to see what is safe for your specific animal.
It would be awful for Kate not to get to spend the summer at the Cape!
Hope that helps!
Marla
I posted a comment it did not appear to show up, so I am reposting.
We used to have a dog that was car sick every time he got in the car. Our vet recommended an over the counter medication and gave us the proper dosage for his size. We gave it to him for 2 trips, one 10 hour trip and one 8 hour trip, and it worked so well! After those trips either he adjusted to the car or we broke the cycle. I don’t know which but it is worth a try.
I know that there are some medications that are not safe for animals and the dosages are WAY different for each animal, I would make sure to check with a vet to see what is safe for your specific animal.
It would be awful for Kate not to get to spend the summer at the Cape!
Hope that helps!
Marla
Car sickness can be a result of either motion sickness specifically, or fear, or both. I have a fearful dog that drools and vomits with or without medication.
For such a long trip, I honestly would try both motion sickness meds along with an anxiety medication such as Xanax. This may sound extreme but fear/anxiety is frequently underestimated and misunderstood.
Before you do anything, you will need to test both; first to see if the over the counter stuff is sufficient, and second to see if there is a hyper response to the Xanax, which is rare but present in some animals.
Of course, any protocol should be undertaken only with the advice of your vet.
Hi,
Thanks so much for your comments and insight.
My wonderful house sitter wants to stay here again, so the kitties will not be going east this summer.
But I would like to be prepared in case a trip comes up that Kate has to make.
What motion sickness remedies have you tried that were successful for you?