Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Buspirone is dosed at 0.5–1 mg/kg PO q12h in cats, per Crowell-Davis SL, Murray TF, de Souza Dantas LM. Veterinary Psychopharmacology. Newark, UNITED STATES: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated; 2019. Distributed by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.184 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.155, Buspirone monograph spanning p.155-156; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207; Veterinary Psychopharmacology (Crowell-Davis) — ISBN 9781119226246, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119226246. Buspirone is used in cats for Urine spraying/marking, fear-based aggression. Routes documented in cats: PO. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Buspirone in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: BuSpar
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.5–1 mg/kg | q12h | Long-term | Urine spraying/marking, fear-based aggression | Moderate | Crowell-Davis SL, Murray TF, de Souza Dantas LM. Veterinary Psychopharmacology. Newark, UNITED STATES: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated; 2019. Distributed by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.184 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.155, Buspirone monograph spanning p.155-156; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207; Veterinary Psychopharmacology (Crowell-Davis) — ISBN 9781119226246, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119226246 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
| Dose (mg/animal) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5–5 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.119 | • 2.5-5 mg/cat q12h PO, which may • 2.5-10 mg/dog q24h or q12h PO. |
| 2.5–10 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.119 | • 2.5-5 mg/cat q12h PO, which may • 2.5-10 mg/dog q24h or q12h PO. |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.119 | be increased to 5-7.5 mg per cat • 1 mg/kg q12h PO. |
Need the exact dose for your patient?
These ranges are per kg. Enter your cat's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Partial agonist at serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. Anxiolytic without sedation, muscle relaxation, or anticonvulsant effects.
Takes 1-2 weeks for full effect. No sedation (unlike benzodiazepines). Not effective for acute anxiety/panic. Used for urine marking in cats, generalized anxiety in dogs. May increase aggression in some cats.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Buspirone dose range in cats, with cited source references: PO 0.5–1 mg/kg q12h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Buspirone in cats: PO.
Cited course lengths for Buspirone in cats include: Long-term. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Buspirone is indicated in cats for: Urine spraying/marking, fear-based aggression.
These are general warnings for Buspirone across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Takes 1-2 weeks for full effect. No sedation (unlike benzodiazepines). Not effective for acute anxiety/panic. Used for urine marking in cats, generalized anxiety in dogs. May increase aggression in some cats.
Why a species-specific page? Buspirone pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in cats — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
| 0.5–1 |
| — |
| Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.119 |
| twice daily for some cats (0.5-1 mg/kg |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.