Research overview: tiletamine-zolazepam anesthesia in felids

The combination of the dissociative anesthetic tiletamine with the benzodiazepine zolazepam, marketed as Telazol or Zoletil, is widely used for chemical restraint and anesthesia of felids ranging from domestic cats to large wild species because it provides reliable immobilization from a small injectable volume, an advantage for remote delivery. This overview compiles the anesthesia literature rather than one citation, describing how the dissociative-benzodiazepine pairing produces immobilization with muscle relaxation, why low volume and a wide margin suit dart delivery in big cats, and the considerations around recovery quality and incomplete analgesia. It matters because tiletamine-zolazepam is a workhorse agent across feline species, underpinning field, zoo, and clinical procedures where dependable, compact-dose immobilization is required for safety of both animal and handlers.