My cat begins yowling as soon as the lights are turned out at night. Within approx a half an hour to an hour we watched (through window out of her view) her becoming visibly calmer cat, no calling/crying, grooming herself for the first time in days. After about three hours of having a diffuser plugged in, she FINALLY left the safety of her condo for longer than a quick, clandestine, visit to her litter (I still have no idea when she goes... just that the litter box does need to be emptied). Vet recommended Prozac but I have had a problem with him ingesting his food. feliway vs comfort zone. From the look of these comments, it seems like it's hit or miss with the Feliway. Funded by Abbott Laboratories, who also produce and distribute Feliway in the USA. There was a bit of aggression, even though all the cats are a bit older and house trained. We adopted two cats once our neighbors moved and left them behind, but we've already had an indoor Kitty whom is now 14 years old. Which makes me wonder does natural environment/climate/geographical location add/remove from the effectiveness of Feliway?? 4 y/o, with increasing violence when he can get to her, in part because she acts like prey. The rate of scuffles seems about the same to me. Excellent points and I always feel like the more I know...the more I know I don't know! Maybe! Type and Use. Feliway classic: This type of Feliway is a general stress-reliever, which is designed to send "happy" signals to your cat. I had them both checked out by vet to be sure there were not physical problems, first. I paid $54 for a bottle of feliway spray to try for my 11 year old cat his attitude has become more aggressive and hes very jumpy at any sound, and hes in pain from arthritis (just diagnosed), so the vet recommended feliway. The effect seemed to be driven by the cat carrier, not the Feliway. We have two indoor female cats. 3 days each way). I find I get about 24 days out of each refill. I hadn't heard of cats avoiding the diffuser, only urinating on them, so thanks for sharing that experience! Not aggressive previously. Comfort Zone 02-24-2017, 08:18 PM. I kept her in the garage and later when winter came in the laundry room. Just at night she can get ... Well normal i guess... FELIWAY CLASSIC will not help decrease urine spraying if clean litter boxes are not available to the cat. This spray contains Feliway, which is the top-recommended solution for stress by veterinarians. March 4, 2017 at 1:26 pm Cat pheromone diffusers is a limited product category with just a few main players: Feliway, Comfort Zone, and more recently, ThunderEase, which is best known for its weighted vests that help to calm dogs’ anxiety. Sometimes they can suggest minor changes (unfortunately these are not always obvious to the cat owner) that can make a world of difference and result in long term solutions. I've been using it on and off throughout the day, but never when I'm out because the diffuser feels warm to the touch. A behaviorist would be helpful but due to the expense, I'm what they've got. She is a sweetie all the time. Not funded by Ceva. I have them separated now to prevent any further fighting, I have ordered Feliway to try, as well as calming treats. As my last veterinarian said “Most cats respond well to it but not all, some cats it doesn’t seem to work on - but it’s worth trying, I highly recommend it”. Ceva continuously deny this problem exists. 4 years ago, we took in our local library's cat during construction, then ended up keeping him. They are both on medication now for anxiety. I am very grateful that with the very first use when it happened someone had posted a workaround. When he does spray I use En-sy-matic to destroy the urine. Feliway MultiCat is a synthetic copy of the feline appeasing pheromone mother cats produce during lactation. This product should be off market.....look online many same experience! Not sure what to do next...I've emailed Jackson Galaxy 20 times and have had no luck...after tonight's fight breakup I was bit and scratched by her. Having said that: If I would have realized what kind of potential a male Bengal (f4) has of being a sprayer/pee-on-anything/everything) I would have reconsidered. What a complete and utter waste of close to a thousand dollars. an FFPA. The ThunderEase Multicat Calming Pheromone Diffuser is a plug-in diffuser that mimics nursing pheromones to help ease aggression, scratching, spraying and more. They are costly, but the best prices are on Amazon or EntirelyPets.com . I second that - have tried both Feliway Classic and Friend, but also ThunderEase during introducing 3 year old Bengal to 2 kittens. The female is having issues, including weight loss, lack of appetite, etc. March 4, 2017 at 1:10 pm Typically if it occurs it will happen in the first few days, and largely I have found it will happen 1-4 times per refill. feliway vs comfort zone. That didn't make much sense to me, since each individual cat ought to have its own pheromone pattern. He wouldnt go near his blanket or sit in his usual spot where i sprayed, he avoided it completely. Due to my experience, I would recommend giving it a try. Had 14 and got 3 kittens. Such aids include Feliway or Nutri-Vet Pet-Ease diffusers. And maybe you don't need it. A new study, “Evaluation of environment and a feline facial pheromone analogue on physiologic and behavioral measures in cats,” by Conti et al., examined the effect of Feliway on cats during a standard medical exam in both the home and the vet hospital. I called Feliway, was told to throw it away. Got a second box and eventually a third. It seems to work but he still marks some. I ordered this product in desperation. Chew on this! I can tell when it runs out because my one cat gets "growly" with the other cats. But major progress, which to me WAS a miracle. Before deciding to buy any Thunderease Vs Feliway, make sure you research and read carefully the buying guide somewhere else from trusted sources. Now I may have my own biases – the people who are helped (or believe they are being helped) by Feliway most likely never call me for a behavior consultation. I have a very serious probkem with redirected aggression.....toward me. They both came out with clean bill of health. Classic vs. multicat . I have been citing the study by Frank (2010) at several presentations I have been giving to vet techs and behaviour therapists alike. Watch Queue Queue Sorry forgot to add, she is an indoor cat. Feliway classic: This type of Feliway is a general stress-reliever, which is designed to send "happy" signals to your cat. I second that - have tried both Feliway Classic and Friend, but also ThunderEase during introducing 3 year old Bengal to 2 kittens. The vet suggested the Feliway diffuser as opposed to serious drugs. From responses to nutrition, treatment plans, behavioural therapy, and anything to do with olfaction, the individual variation in response is amazing and significant! You may be experiencing redirected aggression but I don't have enough information to say. I have used their product since 2014 when I brought a 1 year old Street cat, not ferel, into my home with two middle-aged Pugs and one resident can who was four years old. Feliway vs Comfort Zone Review. The directions say to use for 3 months, well it's been 3 months and nothing has improved, might be getting worse. I have been using Feliway for years for behaviour (big difference when diffuser runs out & we overlook refill) and never experienced either a funny smell or spray on wall??? There doesn't seem to be any solid, objective research on these products that we have plugged into our homes, spewing something out at the level of our pets' faces. He doesn't meow/cry when in the car, at the vet or in our new home. I've been wanting to write something similar on this topic on my pet sitting blog, but this article and the subsequent comments covered so well all that I was thinking about writing (and more) that I think I'm probably just going to write a brief intro and share this post instead! The vet did prescribe medication for the two, generic Elavil but I know this needs time to build up in their systems and is not a cure, nor am I expecting one just from that. I've never used Feliway to reduce stress or spraying, but I've had great success using it to prevent scratching (Despite the countless scratching surfaces in my house, occasionally my cats like to dig into the textured upholstery on the back of my sofa. Original Feliway. Except we really underutilize olfactory conditioning in practise so you WANT to use it... And I think you hit the nail on the head - individual characteristics and method of application. Shop our full collection of vet recommended ThunderEase calming pheromones. Plugged in a refill and shortly she was back to her friendly but aloof self. Deciding on which one of the diffusers comes down to you and is completely a personal choice. There are no guarantees of anything, but my suspicion is that it won't work as well. Not a good experience at all. Actually it does work and quite well. We know your feelings because we used to be in this weird situation when searching for Thunderease Vs Feliway. Classic vs. multicat . The use of synthetic Shes a hemingway and is just so different from any other cat i had in my life. The Feliway does not work and I have two. And especially considering the heat issues some users mention here and on other sites, I've decided not to even give these products a chance. She is very anxious and constantly stalks and chases my other cat. This is a far cry from where she appeared to be pre-Feliway when she cowered further back into the condo any time I entered the room it is located in, even when I was delivering food. Which might defeat the intended purpose by fostering competition..? We reviewed 10 cat pheromone diffusers from these and other brands to identify the best of the best. Out of interest as I found Feliway to be very helpful, I am reading through other peoples experiences. It makes me a little uncomfortable, for sure. It certainly seems with our pets in our environment that FF has been very effective at solving the fighting problem. And I guess my answer would be – for the money that owners spend on Feliway, it really should be doing some magic. I tried the plug in and the unaffectionate cat will not come near at all. When I opened the closet door my cat came tearing out, it had a heavy heavy burned electric smell. Are you a cat owner? The pheromone collars and holistic remedies, with them it's more that it isn't harmful and if it does happen to help, all the better and it is in addition to the other steps. The face (cheek, forehead, chin) and paws have important scent glands, and of course urine or spray marking contains pheromones – cats use all of these scent glands to mark their turf and communicate with other cats. Jun 22, 2015 #9 artiemom Artie, my Angel; a part of my heart. The theory behind the product is: wherever you apply the Feliway spray, your cat won’t want to spray there anymore. Feliway TV Spot, 'You Would Not Put Up With It If Someone Else Did It' Replay Share. We adopted her from a shelter six weeks ago and she spent the entire six weeks hiding in a cat condo (the first day she spent hiding under a couch and we were unable to provide her with food and water so we squirted her with a water bottle to break that habit for her own safety and well-being). Within a few days, I noticed a huge decrease in the aggression by both cats. My cats started fighting out of the blue tonight. I must commend your very balanced & well written view, particularly paragraph from "Although it works in my situation......... that can make a world of difference and result in long term solutions.". Feliway covers a room size of up to 70m² (750 sq ft). Some of you might be wondering what the heck Feliway is! In addition to that, this is a bit different diffuser than the ones we have seen above especially Thunderease vs Feliway plug ins. I wish there were something that would help him to relax that isn't life threatening. very loving and gets along great with our 2 dogs. 1ST of all thank you Michael for the in depth research and all other responders for the personal experience testimonies. MadeClose.com is reader-supported. It seems like every other slide mentions them, and on the module quizzes they often have them as answers to questions. There are many things you can do to help! One thing I have observed working with cats…the individualism is startling. USD$45.28 I stopped using the Feliway after 9 months, and didn't see any notable change in the cats' behavior thereafter. It provides a calming effect on cats of all ages, and can help cats in multicat households feel more safe and secure with their surroundings by reducing tension and aggression between cats. I agree that it does do harm if our clients could spend that money on things that really do help their cats! I would take her out of garage and put her in fenced area. It didn’t work on her. the facts about feliway feline pheromone. I can tell when it runs out because my one cat gets "growly" with the other cats. So back to the question: Does Feliway work? "Lots of stores will give you one if you just tell them they should." We recommend using a cover over the aquarium. I just bought the product myself, but having seen that the company apparently needs to boost their hype with bogus comments, I'm going to return it. Comfort Zone recommends changing it every 12 months. I just purchased feliway diffuser for the area in our home where confrontations happen the most and it seemed to be working until we go to sleep then the fighting starts. So here I am, buying a refill, just in case. The diffuser releases a drug-free odorless vapor that can cover up to 700 square feet and last up to 30 days. Although it works in my situation, I do not believe that it would always be a magic bullet in solving extreme behavioral issues. The majority of Feliway products either belong to the "classic" or "multicat" families, but there are also some "Feliscratch" products, which help with territory issues. Agree it would be great to have peer reviewed studies (not financially backed by product manufacturers). Does Feliway have any side effects? I’m interested to know if anyone has seen an increase in aggression between cats with the multicat diffuser? Where Feliway and Adaptil stand apart from Comfort Zone is not in their ability to calm cats and dogs with diffusers, but in the versatility provided by its multiple forms. There is enough cats that are abandoned. We left it running 24/7 for a month (until it ran out) and decided they were then okay together. Any other suggestions? It was suggested that I try Feliway on Penny and I am, of course, willing to do that but I've been reading a lot of posts on Amazon and I'm soooo confused. Also in the News & Media section News Releases & Articles About Ceva ; Annual Reports; Events; Ceva News … My cat hates the stuff and becomes very aggressive around it!!! So far, this ThunderEase option has worked well, from what I can tell. Even after asking for repeats. The plug ins seemed to help both situations. Another popularbrand for calming pets is Comfort Zone , which is available both with Feliway and with D.A.P. The fighting ceased immediately. Everyone's life will be better. Definitely unnecessary! What I can conclude right now is that we’ve got a pheromone mess, and it would be great for someone to clean it up with some decent studies. Stress not only is bad for your kitty, but can lead to some pretty unpleasant behaviors, like urine marking around your home. She even made a dash for my front door when opened, which is something she has never - ever - done before. Not sure if I should stop it or not because I don’t know if her attacking it is a sign she’s reacting badly. As a soon-to-be cat owner I considered getting a pheromone diffuser as I had been recommended to use one. Becky, He is very social, indoor /outdoor cat. I’m very thankful to whomever posted exactly the same problem with the diffuser refills and the workaround (here is the link: https://thecatsite.com/threads/feliway-frustration.254393/) - you have to remove the diffuser from the socket and leave it to wick up again overnight or about 7-8 hours. Hi Miles, I am willing to try anything, even something I can't afford, if it will help. It may even help with … If it does nothing, just don't get a refill...yes? I now only have two plug ins in the area of the first group. Perhaps there are characteristics of some cats that make them more likely to respond to Feliway than others. The ThunderEase Multicat Calming Pheromone Diffuser is a plug-in diffuser that mimics nursing pheromones to help ease aggression, scratching, spraying and more. “Using Feliway [Multicat] when adopting an additional cat may help the relationship begin well.” Dog and Cat Pheromones Aren't a Magical Solution While calming pheromones may help with many issues in both dogs and cats, they don’t work for every potential issue or behavioral problem your pet might be experiencing. You do the math. We have two adult cats (one male, one female) and adopted a very young make kitten. ThunderEase Multi-Cat Calming Diffuser mimics those nursing pheromones for a vet recommended calming solution that is proven to be over 90% effective in reducing the intensity and frequency of conflicts and helps your cats get along. Feliway MultiCat pheromone is a synthetic copy of the pheromone produced by a mother cat during lactation. Plenty of homeless cats out in the world. Two very happy cats agree! And some of the studies (including ones with double-blind, placebo-controlled methodologies) find positive results. I've added more litter boxes and water bowls around the house (everyone has their own food bowl and do not free feed) so to lessen any resource issues and, although they are of different ages and activity levels, I am trying to engage them in more play than before. Yes. This is interesting as I got the diffuser for my 19 year old cat. The other cats smelled it and backed away. Cozzi et al, 2013 - This study found an increase in scratching of areas sprayed with a Feline Interdigital Semiochemical. Watch Queue Queue. The way the product works is my mimicking a cats’ pheromones in order to make them feel more relaxed. This spray contains Feliway, which is the top-recommended solution for stress by veterinarians. However, when I left it on for most of the day yesterday and today, I noticed that at night the anxious cat started acting very playful but in a hyper/twitchy and aggressive way, so I switched off the diffuser. Scratching is a natural behavior of cats. You're right, it is very much an act of desperation to try it but I am desperate, though perhaps not that much. He's peed all over my first 2 apartments, my 2 houses after that, my current apartment, and probably my new house I am building. "How do I get a refund if I send it to you?" For the spraying only, the male is in the restroom for two weeks to learn not to foul where he sleeps and eats (per the vets recommendation). However, they are the feline version of West Side Story with the Sharks being led by my fattest cat, Orca, who with his merry band of impotent followers, block the other cats' access to the inner sanctum and the porch. Make the carrier more inviting by placing a soft towel or cozy, old sweater smelling of the cat's owner (familiar natural pheromone scent). It was not an immediate overall cure, but it certainly was a very noticeable change within an hour & thankfully the anxiousness left, I was going to buy the spray for the rest of the house but think I'll pass. I've also heard of cats urinating on or near a diffuser. Feliway is a “feline facial pheromone analogue (also refered to as FFP or FFPA).” It is a human-created chemical copycat (no pun intended) of the pheromones that your cat deposits when they rub their scent glands on objects (or even on you). Bengal is not impressed and he got aggressive from these diffusers. Like the post I am responding to, we used Feliway out of desperation for an overly anxious/fearful cat. Tough to do (find a large enough cohort of potential responders, then double blind that…) and maybe even harder to find funding for it….but not impossible. It has less of an effect on the 2 others; it might make them sleep for longer periods. Then one day, one of my adult cats was in a window facing fenced area. I'm guessing it's more about the car than the carrier.The vet "recommended" to give Feliway a try and that it "May" help. They never talk about what evidence shows that pheromone therapy works, they just mention them like their efficacy is a well-known fact. Your comments seem to have more negative connotation then positive. But right now, it’s really hard to tell, and until we have better evidence, I’m not putting Feliway at the top of my behavior toolkit. “During the past 20 years Ceva has developed expertise in animal behavior, and more precisely in pheromones. Frank, Erb, & Houpt, 1999 – 14 out of /24 households reported a decrease in spraying after implementing Feliway. Ceva Feliway and Adaptil diffusers, however, use the veterinary strength pheromones that have been scientifically proven in similar clinical studies. Good one vet, a quick $54 extra for nothing on the already expensive bill. Smells like old socks washed in foosty water. I have used Feliway plug in's, but not really sure it is working. I have two cats, female is 15 and male is 9. You could see the top 10 Thunderease Vs Feliway of 2019 above. Out of nowhere the 2 males began to fight. I've used Feliway in the recent months for my cat Gus. This image has a resolution 1200x500, and has a size of 0 Bytes In that situation, I ordered this ThunderEase “powered by Feliway” diffusers instead. Related topics: Feliway MultiCat Pheromones Feliway. They are cleaned daily, sometimes twice. I thought it worked for her. Out of interest as I found Feliway to be very helpful, I am reading through other peoples experiences. I would recommend keeping the cats separated until you can get professional assistance. Granted, i still seperate the cats as all he did before was attack my other cat on sight (& me too often). Acts more like a dog than a cat. I'm going to fix it right now. Yes, there are lots of prescription anti-anxiety medications available for instance calming dog treats. I’ll be sure to downplay that recommendation till I can see more studies. Makes me suspect that that’s why they mention pheromone sprays so much in their training modules. Hunthausen, 2000 -  a decrease in urine marking was found with use of Feliway, but AGAIN, no control group. The way the product works is my mimicking a cats’ pheromones in order to make them feel more relaxed. Vet said there wasn't much hope and said she may have to be euthanized. Mikel, Your email address will not be published. Hello, Using everything but litter box. The decimal is written as a dot in between the numbers for some god-only-knows bad formatting decision. There was a lot of tension, which we attempted to negate with affection, training, treats etc. A very expensive small bottle of apparently stinky water. Anyways would this help allay any of that? In other words, we don't know if the spraying would have decreased anyway without the Feliway. Thus, what may work for some might not for others. Using feliway for a year and then finding out you sprayed it all wrong because the little booklet that came in the box sucked…. (I took these claims from the Feliway website). I have used it sometimes for a few months on end then discontinued use with no ill effects. I am so reluctant to spend this much money on something that may not work. Git 'er done. Mikel. Most of the time she doesn’t, despite her lifelong high anxiety. Feliway is pricey – with each plug setting folks back $40, a six-pack of refills running over $80 on Amazon, and the spray costing around $20/bottle. Another study shows that Feliway™ doesn’t work. It would be nice if it worked really well. Our Kitty does now lay on her scratch that is closer to the diffuser and seems to be much more relaxed. The price was so much better (ironically, as of when I’m writing this, the ThunderEase single refill is $20 each and the Feliway option is $13). Please don't advertise your products on other people's websites without asking first. Great article and follow-up comments. The blend of ingredients is so safe that the spray can be applied to fabrics and metals. They will also sit together on the couch with me now too. I read this advice in a review on Amazon a few months ago and have been doing it ever since. Acknowledge it can work for other cats, a good veterinarian will advise it doesn’t work for all cats - but it is certainly worth a try, as the results can be quite remarkabke. I should also add that out resident cat is a 6 year old male with a lot of maincoon in him. Kronen et al, 2006 - Feliway did not reduce struggling of cats for a blood draw, although FFPA cats appeared "calmer." The other group(2 kitties from the same litter) there is a Kitty that has taken years to allow affection. ALTHOUGH...ha...I have tried Feliway Friends with fantastic results. Spread the word, its super-dangerous to your cat. While this is no smoking gun and could POSSIBLY be coincidental - though in my mind it doesn't seem likely Feliway played no role in this specific situation, it may merit consideration of other claims as valid and further study/research could be devoted to validating those claims and uses? Feliway Classic Starter Kit for Cats. Here’s a brief summary of what I found, as well as a little note as to whether the study was in any way funded by makers of Feliway (the current study by Conti et al., was NOT funded by Feliway, or any of its parent companies – such as Ceva Sante, Abbott Laboratories, or Pageat’s company, the Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology). Another point that I find contradictory in the instructions for use is to not use it in the area of the home where there is more tension...so where does it go, since they LIVE in the house? Animals, like people, are individuals. Out of interest as I found Feliway to be very helpful, I am reading through other peoples experiences. Thank you! You can also use the spray on the pet bedding, bandana, or even spray a little on your fingers and gently rub around muzzle, under chin, and top of chest! I'm trying the diffuser now but I can't say there is an improvement. But should it not yield acceptable results in your household, definitely consider contacting a reputable cat behavior expert to assist you in resolving your cat dynamic issues. i just read through the comments and I would agree with the Mikel Delgado that it might or might not work. We can't, but there is something for them to smell. Griffith et al., 2005 - hospitalized cats exposed to Feliway and a cat carrier to hide in ate more than cats exposed to just Feliway. But does it work? Advanced features of this website require that you enable JavaScript in your browser. Product had been in use less than 3 weeks. When our Mother cat passed away her then 5 year old "kitten" was frantic looking for her, would follow us every where, cried/called out, barely touched her food (this cat was basically a life long food lover - would eat anything ), stopped grooming/playing & if she was human you could say she went into a depression. So while it might marketed as feel good spray, I always tell folks it's a small piece in a larger puzzle. It’s a pharmaceutical product from a pharmaceutical company with a pricetag to match: Australian dollars $38-50 per refill bought singly), so this type of poor quality control or bottle design/seal is pretty unfair. The plug diffuser should be located in the room in which the stressed pet spends the most time. However, the spray can be used to good effect when cats are scratching furniture, but only when the scatching is stress-induced. Absolutely thats a fact. I wonder if I'll get a refund on the useless feliway water? In googling I came across this article and I am among those who recommend feliway but only as an addition to environmental changes, and I never make it a must with my recommendations. Hi, I have been trying to rescue cats for the last five years. W on the other hand was very stressed, don’t know if by the move or maybe now that I read this by Feliway itself as we moved again a few times after that and she has never been as disturbed. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Tried heating oads, more massages, catnip playtimes. This article changed all that! Until it ran out, and once again she got clingy. If the cat spends most of their time in the room with the aquarium, we recommend using an outlet as far from the aquarium as possible. In my anecdotal experience over the past five years, the spray has a higher success rate. Whatever the case may be, it is the owner’s responsibility to help their pets in these situations. We will not repeat it here to save your time. Reply; Serbella McGee July 9, 2018 at 10:07 am (3 years ago) Years ago I tried the regular Feliway on my girl Samirah, when she was angry at me and wanted to kill me on several occasions. My guess is that the pheromone mess will continue until our studies start to ask even further defined questions (i.e.