Your Friday Art Cat Panics

Cat afraid of car. Watercolor drawing.

Why, oh why, is a ride in the car so fraught with anxiety? Your Friday Art Cat has to be tricked or stuffed into a carrier to go anywhere. (Most often the vet, of course.) Once en route the protests range from quiet mewling to plaintive wailing to outright caterwauling.

Cat afraid of car. Watercolor drawing.

There are ways to desensitize kitties to the stress of car travel by leaving the carrier out, wiping the carrier with happy cat pheromones, and depositing occasional treats in said carrier. Some cats are prone to motion sickness. According to PetMD, the initial signs are:

  • Excessive drooling
  • Crying out in distress
  • Immobility, or acting afraid to move
  • Vomiting or regurgitation
  • Urinating or defecating

If that happened to me every time I got in a car, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere either! Check with your vet to determine the best remedy for your cat’s symptoms, and considering trying some strategies to destress the cat carrier experience.

I write about art, cats, and books all of the time. Check out my posts at Art is Not for Sissies. Thanks much for your interest!

Don't miss out!
Subscribe To Newsletter

Receive top cat news, competitions, tips and more!

Invalid email address
Give it a try. You can unsubscribe at any time.

14 thoughts on “Your Friday Art Cat Panics

  1. ravenhawks magazine says:

    Reblogged this on ravenhawks' magazine and commented:
    Good Suggestion of course since pet carrier is synonymous with vet visits it may take a lot of work to make kitty happy. I solved my problem by having the vet come to me. No more Caterwauling[x 5] for 16 of the longest miles I have ever traveled.

  2. angela1313 says:

    I keep the carriers out in various corners with bedding and catnip inside. Everybody naps in them. Without mentioning the “v” word or changing the morning routine when I pull the carrier out the one who has the appointment takes off. If they all did I could understand but they must be psychic. It’s only the one with the appointment. And none of them like the car. Once in the vet’s office they are fine.

  3. rohvannyn says:

    I’ve had fairly good results with just being calm and matter of fact. The cat sense they can’t get out of it. I think it helps the stress level. Of course, not all cats are created equally… by the way, I love that cat painting. It’s so evocative.

  4. Pingback: Your Friday Art Cat Panics | Angel's Life

Why not meow a comment to fellow readers?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.