The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Bonqat to help with the anxiety and fear cats associate with car rides and veterinary visits. It can be administered orally 1½ hours before the visit and can be given on two consecutive days. Bonqat is the first FDA-approved animal drug containing pregabalin.
One of the studies involved 209 cats. The cats were taken to a veterinarian for a screening physical without any drug/placebo. About a week later, they returned for another exam, but this time 101 cats were given a placebo and 108 cats received Bonqat. A little over half of cats given Bonqat had a good-to-excellent response during both transportation and the veterinary visit compared to about one-third of cats given placebo. In addition, 83 of 108 (77%) cats given Bonqat showed improvement in levels of fear and anxiety over the course of the two physical examinations, compared to 46 of 101 (46%) cats given placebo. Adverse reactions related to Bonqat included mild sedation, ataxia, and lethargy.
Bonqat is a DEA Schedule Class V drug, which means it does have potential for human abuse. As such, prescriptions will be closely monitored and there are strict instructions for its use, including handling the medication.
