Taking your skittish cat on a trip?
Whether if you want to take your cat to the Vet, or you are going on vacation, or moving to another house, traveling with your pet could be stressful for your feline friend. Cats get stressed because when you put them in a car, they are being taken from their territory, which is the most important part of the feline’s life.
A cat marks with its scent every corner of the house and mostly on furniture to make sure this is part of its territory. These marks are made by rubbing its face through surfaces so when the cat smells this scent it feels safe, secure, and relaxed in its territory without any other threat. But what’s this scent? It’s called pheromone.
What is a cat pheromone?
Pheromone is a chemical factor secreted by the cat. There are different types of pheromones located on the cat’s chin, lower back, tail, or paws. The feline facial pheromone is secreted by the cat’s glands which are located on the chin, mouth, forehead, and cheeks. The feline facial pheromone is used by the cat to mark surfaces, objects, and also people. When a cat marks its territory with its pheromones it makes it feel secure, relaxed, and happy.
If your cat is skittish by nature imagine how it’ll be when traveling. In order to comfort your cat and make it feel relaxed during a trip, there are good alternatives that will make your trip a better experience for you and your cat.
A First Solution: Spray Pheromones
There are sprays that contain pheromones so you can spray wherever your cat will be traveling with you. Just spray the car and the pet kennel carrier or soft pet carrier before your Vet trip, when going on vacation, or if you are moving to another house. You can buy Pheromones in spray bottles or diffusers. The spray is more suitable to use when traveling. In my case, I bought both the spray and diffuser so I use the spray in the car when traveling with my cat and I use the Diffuser at home that gets plugged in and releases pheromones up to 500-660 square feet around the house. The diffuser is very good to use if you move to another house and you want your cat to have a stress-free transition to its new environment.
Also, you can use cat pheromones to change some behaviors such as urine marking and vertical scratching. In this case, is good to use the spray and apply it directly to the affected area. I must say that I am very happy that my Vet recommended I use pheromones to travel with my cat because I also discovered the diffuser kit that has brought a much more friendly environment for my cat.
My cat used to be very skittish and not very affectionate all the time, now after using pheromones I have noticed a big difference in my cat’s behavior. She is happier, more confident, and much more affectionate. Your cat does not have to be stressed because of trips. The solution is simple and you’ll notice a big difference in your cat’s behavior when spraying pheromones.
If your cat drools during a trip
If your cat calms down with pheromones in a new environment (e.g. inside the car) but you still see your pet being sick and drooling during the trip you can try another alternative or complementary solution to pheromones.
A Second Solution: Homeopathic Drops
That happened to me when traveling with Sophie in the car she calmed down with pheromones but after about 2 hours I noticed she looked miserable and drooling which really concerned me. After going to a local Vet she told me that a good solution to avoid car sickness in a cat is a natural remedy stress relief for pets called Rescue Remedy. She said that this really works. I was a little skeptical but I still bought one and I can’t believe that something natural like this worked! Its ingredients are Rock Rose (Helianthemum nummularium), Clematis (Clematis vitalba), Impatiens (Impatiens glandulifera), Cherry Plum (Prunis cerasifera), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithologum umbellatum). Inactive ingredients: 80% glycerine, 20% water.
How I gave Sophie the drops
Before the trip, I put 4 drops in her wet food. The dosage of this great homeopathic solution doesn’t depend on the cat’s weight but the level of stress is going to be exposed. So you will be checking how your cat behaves with 4 drops if still shows stress signs give her a little more during the trip.
This solution works for any stressful situation you will expose your cat, Vet visits, new environments, etc. It also works for dogs, for example, excessive barking. And you don’t have to worry about safety since this homeopathic remedy is veterinarian-recommended worldwide.
The ultimate approach: A combination of both
Finally, I found my best solution when traveling by car with my cat and it is spraying some pheromones in the car and kennel and also giving her these drops in her food previous to the trip. My trip back home couldn’t be better and it was a long 28 hours trip including a night in a pet-friendly hotel. I guarantee your cat will be relaxed during your trip with these tricks.
If your cat doesn’t calm down with natural solutions
In case your feline friend is still super stressed after trying these natural alternatives, you must get a prescription medicine to calm your cat. You have to go to the Vet and get some sort of sedative. The Vet will direct you on how to give it to your cat and how frequently, depending on the trip. Good luck!
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