My old cat meows early. Can tranquilizers help senior cats sleep?

It is unlikely that 1/4 of a 0.25mg alprazolam (Xanax) will sedate Pixie much, if at all. Always check with Pixie's vet prior to giving her any medication. Call the vet who will be examining her to ask if more effective oral sedatives (such as trazodone and/or gabapentin) can be prescribed in order to facilitate the vet visit. That said, use extreme caution giving any prescribed oral medication to Pixie since she is a feral cat. I would not recommend attempting to give her a pill if she is not up to date on her rabies vaccine due to the potential that she may bite you, intentionally or otherwise. If oral medication is not an option for one reason or another, you could either look into mobile vets able to come to your house, or expect to have her sedated at your vet if you are able to get her into a carrier. I hope that all goes well!

Hi Alix, You can try using Rescue Remedy (for pets, not people) and also some Feliway diffusers around your house. If they don't help, you need to talk to your vet about getting some anti-anxiety medication that may work better. ( https://www.chewy.com/rescue-remedy-stress-relief-pet/dp/135502 ) ( https://www.chewy.com/feliway-30-day-starter-kit-plug-in/dp/121785 )

It sounds as though Bella may have some signs of developing dementia. Just like humans, elderly pets can develop dementia. The treatment for this is a behavioral modifying drug, like trazadone. Selegiline is another option that is commonly used to treat age related behavioral changes in cats. You can also try using a Feliway diffuser if you do not want to medicate Bella. This works by releasing pheromones that help calm anxious cats.

In cats, the dose is 0.125 to 0.25 mg per cat as needed up to every 12 hours. This medicine should be used only if strictly recommend and/or supervised by a veterinarian. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

My first thought is whether Misty has been spayed/ fixed or not as she may be hollering for a mate. If she is spayed, then other sedatives / anxiety medicines may be effective to help curb her night time behavior. I dont have a lot of personal experience using chlorpheniramine in cats, but this class of antihisthamine is relatively safe. The drugs that I may consider dispensing would be gabapentin or amitryptilline. These are both prescription medicines. I have found minimal benefit in herbal remedies in cats - valerian would not be very effective. Royal Canin make a diet called "Calm" which can help with anxiety/ stress behaviors as well.

I would think it would be safe for Cindy as long as she doesn't have any blood pressure issues. There are sedatives that would be safe. Talk to her veterinarian about Alprazolam which most cats tolerate very well. I recommend a trial run before the plane ride to make sure Cindy does well with it. Best of luck!

Actually now the recommend medication is gabapentin. Ask your veterinarian for some and give it before the visit. With this the cats are just mellow, easy to handle and not as drugged as with the other medications. Diazepam is not used much in cats now due to it causing liver problems. Apromazine can make them sedate but doesn’t reduce the aggression. I personally don’t find Xanax effective. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cat.