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How to calm anxious cats for a long car trip or cross-country move

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 years and 8 months old | 15 lbs

I'm planning a cross country move with my two rescue cats who are very anxious about change. Is there a reliable, low impact, over the counter sedative I could use on them before our 14 hour car ride? I don't want to them to necessarily sleep through the entire ride, but I'd like to at least calm them through the bulk of the trip.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on July 9th, 2018

I sympathize with you. I just moved across the country with my 2 cats last year. There are a number of over the counter options, but none of them are as reliable as prescription medications. So, it really depends on how anxious your cats are as to which would be a better option for them. You could try calming treats such as Composure ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetri-science-composure-feline-bite-sized-chews ) for an herbal option. We used to recommend tranquilizers for traveling which would sedate an animal, but we now recommend milder anti-anxiety medications that do not cause excessive sedation. I used the prescription medication Gabapentin for my cats for a 3 day drive across the country, and they did great. I would recommend asking your veterinarian for their recommendation and try a few products before you actually move. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on January 8th, 2018

    It's good that you're planning ahead to make the move easier with Lemon! It really depends on how anxious she normally gets in the car. If her anxiety is mild, you might be fine using a natural calming supplement like Composure or Solliquin just before the trip - these are available over the counter, so you don't need a prescription. Just follow the dosing instructions on the label. For cats who get extremely anxious on car trips, prescription medication can be a good option to help keep them calm. In that case, you would want to talk to your veterinarian about trying something like acepromazine or alprazolam - either of these can be given just prior to your car trip, and would be very helpful in keeping your kitty calm and quiet assuming that she is healthy otherwise.

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