Key takeaways
- Gabapentin may be used in both humans and animals. Uses in cats include anxiety, pain management, and seizures.
- The dosage of gabapentin for cats depends on the cat’s weight and the condition it is being used to treat.
- Like most drugs, gabapentin can cause side effects. For example in cats, gabapentin can cause sedation.
Gabapentin is a generic prescription drug that can be used in humans as well as animals. For cats, gabapentin can be used to for:
- relief of anxiety caused by visits to the vet, travel, and other situations
- chronic pain management, especially nerve pain
- seizures when used in combination with other medications
Talk with your cat’s veterinarian if you have questions about uses of gabapentin in cats.
Disclaimer: This article provides information about medications for pets. Do not use human medications for pets, or pet medications for humans, as dosages, strengths, and ingredients may be different and can lead to serious harm. Always use medications under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian or doctor.
The dosage of gabapentin for cats depends on your cat’s weight. For smaller cats that weigh less, you may have to get gabapentin through a compounding pharmacy to get the right dose.
Your cat’s dosage of gabapentin may also depend on the condition it is being used to treat. For example, gabapentin may be given at higher doses and more frequently when being used for seizures.
You may give your cat gabapentin with or without food. If you miss a dose, do not double up on doses as this increases the risk of side effects.
What to know if you get your cat’s prescription at your local pharmacy
- Some oral suspensions are strawberry flavored and can smell like licorice. Cats may resent this and it may make them foam at the mouth, drool, and spit out the medication. If they do, a veterinarian will be able to prescribe it through a compounding pharmacy so it can be flavored with chicken, tuna, or marshmallow flavoring.
- Because some oral suspensions for humans are flavored to taste better, they can sometimes contain an artificial sweetener called xylitol.
Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. It is not known to cause the same dangerous effects in cats, but it is still best avoided in medications for cats. Talk with your pharmacist or your cat’s veterinarian to check the gabapentin does not contain xylitol.
How long does it take gabapentin to kick in cats?
You may start to see peak effects of gabapentin in cats about two hours after they receive their dose. If you think gabapentin is not working for your cat, talk with their verternarian.
Sedation and trouble walking are more common side effects of gabapentin in cats. These should be temporary side effects and improve after a few hours.
Also in cats, gabapentin may cause drooling or vomiting. These side effects should also be temporary but may take about 8 hours to improve.
Medical Perspective“For cats that experience drooling or vomiting, this is almost always due to their aversion to the flavoring. You can try giving the drug with food or work with you veterinarian to find other flavor options that your cat may prefer. For cats that feel sedated or have trouble walking, keep them confined, block stairs, prevent jumping to reduce their risk of injury, and talk with their veterinarian about lowering the dose to avoid those side effects in the future.”
Learn more about the benefits of taking care of a cat.
Quotes represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
Cats are not covered under prescription insurance that is used for humans. There are some companies that offer pet insurance, which may be able to help with prescription costs.
Coupons or savings cards may be available to help lower the cost of gabapentin for your cat. Talk with your cat’s veterinarian or pharmacist for more information.
Gabapentin is a generic drug used in both humans and animals. For cats, it has many uses including anxiety relief.
If you are curious whether gabapentin is right for your cat, talk with their veterinarian.
Disclaimer: While Healthline strives for factual, comprehensive, and current information, this article is not a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional’s expertise. Always consult a doctor before taking or discontinuing any medication. Drug information is subject to change and may not cover all uses, directions, precautions, warnings, interactions, reactions, or adverse effects. The lack of a warning does not guarantee a drug’s safety, effectiveness, or appropriateness for all patients or specific uses. Learn more about our approach to content integrity.