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How to calm my skittish cat for vet visits and get him in the carrier?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 5 years and 7 months old | 15 lbs

what type of mediciane is there to calm cats who are very skittish? Also any tips on how to get a cat who wont let you near him in a create to take to vet? And worried about how he will handle the vet once we get there. We love him very much but just dont no what to do. we are going to try the feliway but worried it wont work. It has been 2 days since his fight with his brother and he is still mad. any tips would be nice. also he has a patch on his side of missing hair il add a picture. thanks

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on February 26th, 2018

Poor Puss! I know vet visits can be a challenge with some anxious kitties. As far as calming aids that you can get over the counter, you could try a calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure along with Feliway spray in the carrier - these are generally quite safe, and can be purchased at pet stores or ordered online without a prescription. Effects are usually pretty mild, though, so if he's extremely fearful this may not be enough to make a difference. If you have a regular vet who has seen Puss before, you could call them to discuss your concerns. There are some great prescription medications like gabapentin or trazodone that can be very effective at calming anxious kitties prior to a vet visit - but you would need a prior veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) with a vet in order to get prescription meds before the exam. If the visit isn't urgent, you can try placing the carrier out with the door open in an area where Puss spends a lot of time to let him investigate it and get comfortable on his own. By dropping treats in the carrier and letting him go in when he's comfortable, it can be much easier to get him in for his visit. If he needs to be seen right away, then you can use a blanket or towel to put over him, pick him up, and put him in the carrier without being scratched or bitten.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 11th, 2016

    Feliway is a great start. You may also want to try a natural calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure - these can be given daily, and additional doses can be given prior to stressful events such as vet visits. If these don't help much, you can also talk to your vet about a daily prescription medication like Prozac to help with his anxiety.

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 21st, 2019

    I am so sorry to hear that Felix gets so stressed! There are several things we can do for nervous cats. A pheremone spray in the cat carrier such as Feliway https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Spray . A calming supplement such as Zylkene https://www.vetoquinolusa.com/content/zylkene can also help. If your cat has a vet, we now often prescribe a medication called Gabapentin for cats who are nervous for owners to give them before they come in to give them a much less stressful experience!

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