Can I safely sedate wild cats at home to take them to the vet?

Hello! The safest way to take the cat to the pet shelter would be to trap it, if at all possible. Feral cat traps are the safest option because they automatically close after the cat enters. A pet carrier or box with some food that you can securely close after the cat enters will also work. Most people use canned cat food or tuna to lure the cat into the trap. A common oral sedative for cats is a drug called Gabapentin that can be mixed with food, but this is a prescribed substance and not one I believe you can purchase over the counter. I also caution that if the cat is very wild, it will still be able to bite and scratch you while sedated, so you will still need to contain the cat in some type of carrier. Cats can carry the Rabies virus, so I want you to to stay safe! The animal shelter may offer some types of traps or sedation drugs to assist you in bringing the cat in. Try calling them and seeing if they can offer you any supplies to help! I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello. Unfortunately, there are no safe and effective medications that you can put in food to tranquilizer a cat. Any safe products must be obtained from a veterinarian as they are prescription. Even these are not reliable because they take hours to take effect and the cat has usually wandered off by then. Your safest option is to purchase a humane trap and try to bait her with some good smelling food. These traps can be purchased as stores like tractor supply. Your local animal control may also loan them out so it’s worth checking with them . Good luck.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very good that you want to get Carolina spayed. I would recommend giving a whole tablet to Carolina (12.5mg) and it is best to give this when Carolina is calm and relaxed. Sometimes it is best to set a 'trap' of sorts. If you get a large dog kennel, and put food inside this with the calmivet in the food, then you can close the door when she goes in to eat. There are risks with this pill, however the risks are small and the risk of her not being spayed are much higher than the risks of the pill. Side effects include severe sedation as well as low blood pressure. If you are monitoring her after she gets the tablet, you will notice she will be very sedate and you can bring her to the vet at that point where they can monitor her blood pressure. Best of luck with Carolina!

Hello, I would recommend using a feral cat trap to trap the cat and take it to an animal shelter. They will be able to examine and treat the cats under sedation. It often takes a very long time to socialize feral cats, and some may be wild animals forever no matter how much effort is instilled. I hope this is helpful.

You can throw a blanket or large towel over her and grab her that way, wrap her and then cut off the collar with scissors. Best get someone to help you. Your vet can also give you some acepromacine tablets you will need to crush and put in her food, preferably inside, so she cannot run off and hide and fall asleep somewhere else or get attacked by a dog while sedated. There are cat traps that you may be able to borrow from your local animal welfare organisation.

Neutering could definitely help the aggression problem. I would also recommend picking up a product called Feliway. It comes in a spray and a plug in and it has pheromones that can help calm your cat. You will not be able to smell it. Sometimes this helps, too. You can also spray the towel in the carrier so he can bring it with him to the vet. I would contact your vet for an oral medication to help sedate him prior to his next exam. This would help ensure his safety and every one that handles him.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding the stray cats. It will likely take you time to gain their trust. I recommend feeding them daily or whenever you have time. Eventually they will likely pet them and then take them to your home. Unless you use a humane trap, there really isn't another way to catch them. Good luck!