[idle]

Hi, just need some advice. It's just an hour's flight from Hobart to Melbourne and I'm clueless.
Someone has suggested giving him a tranquiliser for the trip?
Also, someone will be looking after him until we find a house as we are staying with my sister and she has 2 dogs and 2 cats.
What is the best way to settle him in?
TIA

[Soprano-Cat]

We did Brisbane--> Mackay. The vet gave DH some kitty valium for Mr C. He was SO groggy for about 3 hours after the 1 hour flight. He's also never been happy travelling in the car since - it was obviously a traumatic experience.

As to settling him in the new house, I'm recommending a quiet place in the laundry, with plenty of Feliway spray over the surfaces he is likely to rub against. That's always helped our cats. We've never used the diffuser, just the spray bottle on corners that he'll strop.

[Jillian_10]

How old is he, and how does he respond to being in his crate?

I had two cats (only one still with me ) that I flew with several times. They flew together in the same enormous crate. No tranquilisers or anything - some flights were longer than you described.

I did have a pillow in the crate and they liked to burrow under the pillow so they felt safe.

At the time they were about 2 years old, just moggies, hated going to the vets or being left in boarding kennels.

[Bek+3]

I've flown numerous times with pets and I've never seen or heard of such a thing!! Totally unnecessary IMO. My cat is flying on Sunday in fact. We'll put him in the box, check him in and see him at the other end. I've never considered it much of an issue.

[knowsnotmuch]

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This post has been edited by knowsnotmuch: 01/03/2013, 04:22 PM

[idle]

Oh no I hope he will be ok. I'm a bit stressed about it to be honest.
I'm not stressed about being one adult and 6 kids travelling but i'm stressed about the cat.

ETA, he is a year and a half old. He isn't flash about travelling in the car. I'm sure he will be fine.

This post has been edited by idle: 11/01/2013, 10:00 AM

[Apageintime]

I flew my 2 from Brisbane to Canberra.

The Vet did not reccommend sedation and said it was actually dangerous as they couldn't steady themselves against any bumps which oculd injure them.

I brought a big blanket that they'd been sleeping on for weeks (so covered in their hair) out as soon as we got to the new place and then left them in a quiet room with the blanket, food, water and litter.

I found they took a couple of hours of quiet to settle in and be ready to come out, but they were largely fine the next day, and I let them explore the new place at their own pace, they were 100% settled in a few days.

[minimae]

Yep no sedation! My vet said he would never recommend sedation on a plane. Altitude + drugs is not a good mix.

My cat flew all the way from England, 24 hours on a plane! He was such a nervous cat as well, never travelled well.

He was totally fine. Arrived at quarantine and the lady said he wasn't bothered in the slightest. He is now more relaxed than he's ever been before.

I was such a nervous wreck beforehand, but he was fine.

[missy78]

I would only sedate if the cat is very traumatized by travel. If your cat travels ok generally, just do as the others suggested. I've had a cat who clearly had issues travelling, and required sedation, and the current furkid - when we moved from NSW to VIC we initially sedated him but quickly realised it stressed him out more. The next leg of the journey was done without sedatives and was way less stressful for everyone involved. I will never sedate him for travel again.

[Bluenomi]

We had a cat that was given something (I can't remember what) to make him calmer but not sedated. It had a similar effect to pot, he calmed him and gave him the munchies The vet recommended it since he was a stressful traveller and hated his cage.