Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Ketamine is dosed at 5–10 mg/kg IM once in cats, per Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th Ed (2016), printed p.429 (PDF p.457), Small Animal Dosage > Cats — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855. Ketamine is used in cats for Sedation/restraint for fractious cats, Feral cat trap-neuter-return (TNR), CRI for somatic analgesia, Anesthetic induction. Routes documented in cats: IM, IV. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 4 cited dose rules for Ketamine in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Ketaset, Vetalar
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5–10 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation/restraint for fractious cats | Weak | Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th Ed (2016), printed p.429 (PDF p.457), Small Animal Dosage > Cats — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855 |
| IM | 10–20 mg/kg | once | Single dose for TNR protocol | Feral cat trap-neuter-return (TNR) | Weak | Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th Ed (2016), printed p.429 (PDF p.457), Small Animal Dosage > Cats — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855 |
| IV | 0.1–0.5 mg/kg/h | per hour (CRI) | Intra/post-operative | CRI for somatic analgesia | Moderate | Lamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.748 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.717, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; 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 |
| IV | 2–5 mg/kg | once | Single induction dose | Anesthetic induction | Strong | Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, printed p.429 (corpus 457), Ketamine, Small Animal Dosage > Cats: '2-25 mg/kg IV or IM. (Generally, the lower dose range is given IV compared to IM.)' - replace the Plumb's 10th ed p.717 anchor, which does not carry this row. |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mcg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.234 | of ketamine (5-7.5 mg/kg i.m.) combined with medetomidine (80 μg (micrograms)/kg i.m.) or dexmedetomidine (40 μg/kg i.m.) will provide 20-30 min general anaesth |
| 40 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.234 | (80 μg (micrograms)/kg i.m.) or dexmedetomidine (40 μg/kg i.m.) will provide 20-30 min general anaesthesia. Reduce the doses of both drugs when |
| 2–5 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | min) if needed, or lowered to 2-5 mcg/kg/min when combined with other drugs |
One of the cited rules is a continuous-rate-infusion regimen: IV 0.1–0.5 mg/kg/h per hour (CRI). CRI regimens are delivered as a continuous infusion rather than discrete doses — verify the rate against the cited source before use.
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NMDA receptor antagonist producing dissociative anesthesia. Provides somatic analgesia, amnesia, and catalepsy while maintaining pharyngeal reflexes.
Increases intracranial and intraocular pressure. Causes increased salivation (premedicate with anticholinergic). Eyes remain open under anesthesia — use lubricant. Do NOT use alone in dogs/cats (muscle rigidity) — combine with a sedative.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Ketamine dose ranges in cats, with cited source references: IM 5–10 mg/kg once; IM 10–20 mg/kg once; IV 0.1–0.5 mg/kg/h per hour (CRI); IV 2–5 mg/kg once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Ketamine in cats: IM, IV.
Cited course lengths for Ketamine in cats include: Single dose; Single dose for TNR protocol; Intra/post-operative; Single induction dose. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Ketamine is indicated in cats for: Sedation/restraint for fractious cats, Feral cat trap-neuter-return (TNR), CRI for somatic analgesia, Anesthetic induction.
These are general warnings for Ketamine across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Increases intracranial and intraocular pressure. Causes increased salivation (premedicate with anticholinergic). Eyes remain open under anesthesia — use lubricant. Do NOT use alone in dogs/cats (muscle rigidity) — combine with a sedative.
Why a species-specific page? Ketamine 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.
| 15 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | (5-10 mcg/kg/min). This rate may be increased to 1 mg/kg/hr (15 mcg/kg/ |
| 5–10 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | (5-10 mcg/kg/min). This rate may be increased to 1 mg/kg/hr (15 mcg/kg/ |
| 25 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • Short-term procedures: 3-5 mg/kg ketamine 1 25 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine, |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–7.5 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.234 | combinations of ketamine (5-7.5 mg/kg i.m.) combined with medetomidine (80 μg (micrograms)/kg i.m.) or dexmedetomidin |
| 10 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | 10 mg/kg/hr (both drugs combined). |
| 0.3–0.5 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • CRI: Loading dose of 0.3-0.5 mg/kg IV, followed by 0.3-0.6 mg/kg/hr |
| 0.3–0.6 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • CRI: Loading dose of 0.3-0.5 mg/kg IV, followed by 0.3-0.6 mg/kg/hr |
| 1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | (5-10 mcg/kg/min). This rate may be increased to 1 mg/kg/hr (15 mcg/kg/ |
| 2 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | amine and 2 mg/kg propofol administered IV, followed by infusion (CRI) of |
| 2 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • Mix with propofol combined 1:1 in the same syringe at a dose of 2 mg/kg ket- |
| 3–5 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • Short-term procedures: 3-5 mg/kg ketamine 1 25 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine, |
| 10 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | also can be sprayed into the mouth and produces similar effect as IM 10 mg/kg.) |
| 0.1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | Note: When used in cats, a sedative such as acepromazine (0.1 mg/kg) or a benzodi- |
| 2–25 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • 2-25 mg/kg IV or IM. (Generally, the lower dose range is given IV compared to IM.) |
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.