Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Midazolam is dosed at 0.2–0.5 mg/kg IM once in cats, per Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted), Midazolam monograph, p.910 (CATS); refs 36 = Marjani M, Akbarinejad V, Bagheri M. Comparison of intranasal and intramuscular ketamine-midazolam combination in cats. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2015;42(2):178-181; 37 = Ueoka N, Hikasa Y. Effects in cats of atipamezole, flumazenil and 4-aminopyridine... J Feline Med Surg. 2015;17(8):711-718; 39 = Wheeler EP, Abelson EL, Lindsey JC, Wetmore LA. Sedative effects of alfaxalone and hydromorphone with or without midazolam in cats: a pilot study. J Feline Med Surg. 2021;23(12) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.880, Midazolam monograph spanning p.880-884; 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. Midazolam is used in cats for Pre-anesthetic sedation, Sedation/chemical restraint, intranasal, in combination with ketamine 14 mg/kg (NOT seizure control), Pre-anesthetic sedation, seizures. Routes documented in cats: IM, INTRANASAL, IV. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Midazolam in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Versed
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.2–0.5 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Pre-anesthetic sedation | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted), Midazolam monograph, p.910 (CATS); refs 36 = Marjani M, Akbarinejad V, Bagheri M. Comparison of intranasal and intramuscular ketamine-midazolam combination in cats. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2015;42(2):178-181; 37 = Ueoka N, Hikasa Y. Effects in cats of atipamezole, flumazenil and 4-aminopyridine... J Feline Med Surg. 2015;17(8):711-718; 39 = Wheeler EP, Abelson EL, Lindsey JC, Wetmore LA. Sedative effects of alfaxalone and hydromorphone with or without midazolam in cats: a pilot study. J Feline Med Surg. 2021;23(12) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.880, Midazolam monograph spanning p.880-884; 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 |
| INTRANASAL | 0.2–0.5 mg/kg | once | Emergency | Sedation/chemical restraint, intranasal, in combination with ketamine 14 mg/kg (NOT seizure control) | Moderate | Marjani M, Akbarinejad V, Bagheri M. Comparison of intranasal and intramuscular ketamine-midazolam combination in cats. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2015;42(2):178-181. doi:10.1111/vaa.12183 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.910 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.880, Midazolam monograph spanning p.880-884; 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 | 0.1–0.3 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Pre-anesthetic sedation, seizures | Strong | Biermann K, Hungerbuhler S, Mischke R, Kastner SBR. Sedative, cardiovascular, haematologic and biochemical effects of four different drug combinations administered intramuscularly in cats. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2012;39(2):137-150. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2995.2011.00699.x — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.909 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.880, Midazolam monograph spanning p.880-884; 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 |
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 (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2–0.3 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.282 | seizures including status epilepticus: bolus dose of 0.2-0.3 mg/kg i.v. or intrarectally if venous access is not available. Time to onset of clinical |
| 0.05 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.558 | • Sedation: 0.05 mg/kg IV. |
| 0.3–0.6 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.558 | • Induction of anesthesia: 0.3-0.6 mg/kg IV combined with 3 mg/kg ketamine. |
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Enhances GABA-A receptor activity, increasing chloride conductance. Provides anxiolysis, sedation, muscle relaxation, and anticonvulsant effects.
May cause paradoxical excitement in healthy dogs when used alone. Water-soluble (less painful IM than diazepam). Respiratory depression at high doses. Flumazenil is the reversal agent.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Midazolam dose ranges in cats, with cited source references: IM 0.2–0.5 mg/kg once; INTRANASAL 0.2–0.5 mg/kg once; IV 0.1–0.3 mg/kg once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Midazolam in cats: IM, INTRANASAL, IV.
Cited course lengths for Midazolam in cats include: Single dose; Emergency. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Midazolam is indicated in cats for: Pre-anesthetic sedation, Sedation/chemical restraint, intranasal, in combination with ketamine 14 mg/kg (NOT seizure control), Pre-anesthetic sedation, seizures.
These are general warnings for Midazolam across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. May cause paradoxical excitement in healthy dogs when used alone. Water-soluble (less painful IM than diazepam). Respiratory depression at high doses. Flumazenil is the reversal agent.
Why a species-specific page? Midazolam 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.
| 3 |
| IV |
| Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.558 |
| • Induction of anesthesia: 0.3-0.6 mg/kg IV combined with 3 mg/kg ketamine. |
| 1–2 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.558 | (Additional doses of ketamine at 1-2 mg/kg can be administered as needed.) |
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.