Moving my cats.... help?

[theavenger333]

i'm moving saturday, and last time i moved my two cats, they did NOT do well. getting them into the carriers is almost impossible, but they just are super skiddish and scared the whole way. anyone know how to sedate them a little bit, for like an hour or so without going to a damn vet and paying out the ass for it? i have sleeping pills, over the counter kind, can i like shave a teeny bit out of it and give some to them? i've heard a teeny sliver of dramamine helps but i don't know. any help would be appreciated..... MICHELLE?

[LEWETHETIGER73]

baseball bat? Although maybe one of those wiffle ball bats might be more humane.......

[michelle]

I wouldn't recommend a people version of a sleeping pill. A lot of vets won't even prescribe a sedative anymore because of the side effects and the chance of an animal choking on it's own saliva while it "sleeps".

When we moved our cats from New Berlin to Hubertus, We put them in carriers - Oscar had is own and Roush and Otis shared a big one. I also put a thin sheet over the sides of the cat carrier to block out some of the light. They meowed, a lot, but nobody vomited during the trip. I also did the same with my ferrets and chinchillas when we moved as well. I kept the music on low and made sure the temperature was just right without having the windows down.

If the cats are afraid of their carriers, then I would recommend having them out and open now. Start with putting some tuna or wet food on the inside to attract them to go in on their own. Keep this up until you plan on moving so going into the carrier isn't as traumatic. Our cats now find comfort in their carriers - every so often I leave one or two open so they aren't a big deal when I need to use them (like when we have tornado warnings and I am freaking out).

ETA: Oops - I see you are moving Saturday. Like I said, get those carriers out now. Keep some "stuff" in the litterboxes so they are easy for them to find in a new place. You could even leave them in a certain room until they relax a bit before allowing them to explore the rest of your new place. All the furniture movement, boxes, etc. can be stressful on them. If you notice your cats licking a lot or pulling out their own fur, they are showing signs of stress (or fleas/mites).

[KidCougar]

when they are in the cat carrier,have it in the back seat facing you and a towel over it covering everything else.The trick is you want the cats to only be able to see you and it will comfort them,they will howl for the 1st 5 or 10min but they will settle down.Just try and not let them see that they are inside a moving vehicle.Scares the F*ck out of most cats,lol mine like car rides...Good luck

[BR3W CITY]

My cat was very scared but we gave him a treat and I had my hand IN his carrier stroking him the whole way. My friends cat likes to wander around his e250 cargo van while driving, kinda weird.

[88Nightmare]

a veterinarian can prescribe a mild sedative to help the animal relax, not completely put it out. Otherwise there are mild natural sedatives you can buy at the pet store that have chamomile and stuff like that in them, however for the price, you might as well just talk to your vet and get something that you know will work.

[lordairgtar]

Roll a doobie and shotgun the cats....j/k

[BR3W CITY]

that does not make the cat lazy, ends up doing quite the opposite.

[theavenger333]

it's borderline impossible to get them in the carrier is the problem. i tried putting it out last time and they got even more wierd. it's been out now for a bit, once i get them to the new place i know what to do to make them more comfortable, but it's getting them INTO the carrier thats almost impossible. oh well just throught i'd check to see if there was any advice that i hadn't tried. thanks for the help though michelle

[LEWETHETIGER73]

try some toys or cat nip inside the carrier? Be out of sight and then when they go in close it quick and wait for the chaos to ensue. You never catch a cat, you just hope to survive long enough.

[Holeshot]

I use this when I have to travel with my flee bags
http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/shop_image/product/fff7a492b430a996834e8ed7714805d2.jpg

[HITMAN]

Give them away.
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/9268/freecat.jpg

[pnad]

I sometimes have a hard time getting one of the cats into a carrier. I end up grabbing both back paws in one hand and two front in the other. Stuffing him into the carrier head 1st and shut the door as i pull out my hands. Back of the neck and back paws works also.

[KidCougar]

Roll a doobie and shotgun the cats....j/k

yea...... and then pass it to your passenger...But ya, almost every cat will be hard.When it was time to get my old cat in i had to wrap her in a towel a bit tight and torpedo her in and just let it unwrap inside and shed lay on it,leave the towel somewhere your cats likes to sleepo or get it to sleep on it tonite so it has scent on it.Good luck 2morrow.