Road-tripping with your pets in tow is not always easy. With the unknown ahead, they might become anxious and scared, but to help alleviate those feelings, one cat owner turned to medication during a 20-hour road trip.

In the June 1 TikTok video posted to the account @zagfluffnstuff, Fluffy the cat was put on gabapentin for their road trip from North Carolina to Minnesota. When used in veterinary medicine, gabapentin helps to relieve anxiety and stress, often caused by vet visits or during transportation, thunderstorms, and fireworks, Catster.com reported. It can also be used as an adjuvant in controlling chronic pain and managing seizures.

Sophia Palia told Newsweek via TikTok that she hasn't traveled much with Fluffy before other than short trips and vet visits. But in those minimal car rides, she noticed Fluffy got extremely anxious.

"He would cry the entire drive and just wanted to get out of the car," Palia said. "I talked to my vet and they gave me gabapentin for him to help with his anxiety over a multiple-day road trip."

Palia showed how Fluffy was reacting as the medication started to kick in. The cat started to get sleepy with his eyes growing heavy. Then, at the two-hour mark, Fluffy sat in the cat carrier completely zonked.

"The medication made him feel groggy and he ended up sleeping most of the drive," Palia said. "I was really nervous about traveling so long with him since the car seemed to cause him a lot of distress, but gabapentin was a lifesaver."

Fluffy was relaxed enough to come out of his carrier, hanging in her partner's lap for hours.

Palia also put their other cat Zagrius on a lower dose of gabapentin. He is already a great traveler, but this was the longest road trip he was about to embark on. Like Fluffy, Zagrius felt groggy and slept most of the trip.

Gabapentin is considered relatively safe for cats, however, they might have a few side effects such as sleepiness, upset stomach, and wobbly walking, Relievet reported. On rare occasions, cats might have trouble breathing and get facial swelling.

Prepping Cats to Travel

Not every cat will need vet-prescribed medications for long travel journeys. However, owners should consider prepping their cat to avoid mishaps or headaches during the trip days before departure.

If possible, owners should teach cats to travel while they are kittens, but adult cats can still learn. VCA Hospitals recommends first teaching your cat the carrier is a safe and inviting place to hang out. Feeding your cat in the carrier will help them create a positive association with it.

From there, get your cat inside the carrier, close it, and walk around the house with the cat in the carrier, rewarding your cat as they exit. Then, once your cat is comfortable, move the carrier to the travel vehicle. Let the engine run for a bit, but do not drive. Slowly have your cat warm up to the sounds of the car.

The next step is to start with short drives around the neighborhood. Always reward your cat during the process and make it a positive experience for them.

Viewer Reactions

The TikTok video quickly amassed over 663,800 views, 98,400 likes, and 623 comments as of Monday.

"If I hadn't seen kitty blink I would have thought the carrier clip was a photo, not a video!" said a viewer.

Another joked: "He went on a completely different trip than you guys."

While the gabapentin worked out for Fluffy, some viewers shared they weren't as lucky. One person said: "Gabapentin did NOTHING for my cat. We had to give it to her before her dental and she was just as feisty as ever."

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