Pregabalin before a stressful car trip for cats: what the pilot study found
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
For a cat that panics the moment the carrier appears, some vets prescribe an anti-anxiety medication to give before departure. Lamminen, Korpivaara, Suokko, Aspegrén, Palestrini and Overall published a clinical pilot study in 2021 in Frontiers in Veterinary Science on a single dose of pregabalin before a car trip. Our guidance for travelling with a cat is gathered in the cat travel and safety section.
Contents · 5 sections
The protocol: a crossover trial in 13 owned cats
Thirteen client-owned cats took part in this blinded, randomised, crossover trial: each cat received, roughly a week apart, an oral pregabalin solution at 5 mg/kg, then at 10 mg/kg, then a placebo, in randomised order, before being placed in a carrier and driven. Owners then rated their cat's behaviour during the trip.
Less vocalising and restlessness, but not without a side effect
Owners reported significantly less vocalising, less restlessness and less panting in cats given pregabalin than in cats given placebo, at both doses tested. The flip side: mild, transient ataxia — a wobbly gait, not serious but real — emerged as the most common adverse event, particularly at the 10 mg/kg dose.
What this pilot study does not settle
Thirteen cats across three sessions each is a limited sample, typical of a pilot study meant to guide larger trials rather than settle the question of optimal dosing outright. The study does not compare pregabalin against gabapentin, more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, nor against non-drug approaches such as gradual carrier habituation. It covers a single one-off dose, not repeated use.
A decision that stays with the vet, not the owner
None of the medication discussed here is taken without a prescription or a prior health check: transient ataxia that's tolerable for a one-off vet visit isn't necessarily fine for a long trip where the cat needs to stay coordinated. Our guide to daily carrier habituation covers the behavioural approach worth trying first, and our article on cat car sickness separates stress from genuine vestibular discomfort, two causes that call for different responses.
- 13 cats, blinded, randomised crossover trial, doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg against placebo.
- Less vocalising, restlessness and panting reported by owners at both doses.
- Transient ataxia: the most common adverse event, especially at 10 mg/kg.
- Pilot study: it points research in a direction, it does not hand out a protocol to follow at home alone.
Pregabalin looks like a credible option for some highly anxious cats in the car, but only on prescription and after discussing doses with the vet — not something to try on your own before the next trip.
Frequently asked questions
Can you give pregabalin to a cat without veterinary advice?
No: it is a prescription medication, and the study itself was carried out under clinical supervision, tracking side effects such as transient ataxia.
Does pregabalin replace carrier habituation training?
The study doesn't show that: it evaluates the drug alone, not combined with habituation work, which remains recommended alongside it.
Is the ataxia seen in the study dangerous?
It's described as mild and transient in this study, but it's worth discussing with the vet before a trip, especially if the cat needs to stay active or coordinated on arrival.
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This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Cats universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.