My cat gets carsick. What can I do to help it?

First you need to find out whether your cat is actually suffering from travel sickness or if it is just scared.

-If your cat only gets nauseous medication can help. Contact us for advice.

-Scared cats seem worried, vocalise a lot, drool and often wet themselves and poo in their cage.

- To reduce the amount of stress it is best to get your cat used to the cat cage/carrier several months before the planned trip. Place the cage with the door open on the floor at home. Feed your cat close to the cage. Once your cat starts to get used to this you can begin putting its food bowl inside the cage. The goal is that you should be able to close the cage door while your cat is comfortably sitting and eating inside its cage. This should not make the cat stressed. Hiding treats and toys inside the cage can also be helpful.

Feliway, a pheromone spray, can make cats feel at ease. You can purchase Feliway at your vets, online or at your local pet shop, and spray it inside of the cage. Another option is Zylkene. Zylkene is a dietary supplement that helps reduce stress. It can be used together with Feliway. If this is not enough, a veterinary examination will be required before any sedatives can be prescribed. Sedatives only help at the time they are used; your cat will be just as scared the next time it travels with you in the car.

 If your cat is very stressed by travelling it is probably best to organise a sitter so you can let it stay at home.