Cats are rather easy to immobilize. Since most of these cats are caged, in trees, or in traps, they tend to be highly agitated and having a dart shot into them only adds to the stress. Make sure that all other animals are out of the enclosure. After the animal is darted, give it 10 - 15 minutes to fall asleep in a quiet atmosphere. If there are onlookers or media, TELL them to be quiet and out of sight until the drug has taken FULL effect.

Do not use narcotic such as carfentanil or etorphine (M-99) in felidae.

SALIVATION

This will be a serious problem for cats immobilized with telazol or ketamine. Use atropine at 0.04 mg/Kg mixed with the agents in the dart. The intact pharangeal reflexes in cats will be very helpful in preventing aspiration of saliva. If you are going to intubate these animals you will have to paint or spray the vocal folds with a local anesthetic. I use 4% topical lidocaine. It is available through any pharmacist.

FIRST CHOICE Telazol: 6mg/kg. with atropine at .04mg/kg.

FIRST CHOICE IN TIGERS Ketamine 4 mg/kg with medetomidine 70ug/kg. Reverse the medetomidine with Atipamezole 150 ug/kg IV.
Some tigers, especially Siberian tigers have shown greatly prolonged recovery and recycling of Telazol that has caused CNS signs several days after immobilization. These signs may come and go for days or weeks post-immobilization.

SECOND CHOICE Medetomidine at 30 ug/kg, butorphanol 0.3mg/kg, atropine 0.04mg/kg and telazol at 0.1mg/kg. Reverse the medetomidine with atimapazole 150 ug/kg mixed with naloxone 0.02mg/kg given IV.

THIRD CHOICEKetamine/Midazolam mixed 1:1 at 1ml/2.5-5 Kgs with atropine at .0.04mg/kg.

FOURTH CHOICE Ketamine/Acepromazine mixed by adding 0.5ml Acepromazine in a bottle of ketamine. Dose at 1mL/5 - 10 Kg. Use atropine at .04mg/Kg