Reactions to Feliway

mrsty

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2016
Messages
105
Purraise
28
BTW, speaking of catnip, I just found out recently that leaving catnip filled toys or catnip out all the time causes cats to become desensitized to it and it won't do anything for them anymore. I try to keep them picked up now because my cats love YOWEEE Catnip Bananas! They get fresh ones every Christmas and I give them to everyone I know that has cats.
 

cindy san diego

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Mar 18, 2016
Messages
13
Purraise
42
Location
San Diego
I had two Feliway diffusers plugged into two commonly-used rooms in my house because I wanted my female cat Star to adjust well to the presence of a new male cat, Desmond.   After

several months of Star being highly excitable and sometimes aggressive toward Desmond, I wondered if the diffusers could be making Star sort of 'high' or hyperactive, even though I'd never read about this effect.  So I unplugged the 2 diffusers about a month ago, and I swear, Star has totally calmed down toward Desmond.  No more swiping or hissing at him for any reason, which is a big change.  Now it may be that Star just naturally became accustomed to Desmond, but the fact is, this didn't occur till a couple of weeks after the Feliway was discontinued.  The timing may be a coincidence or maybe not.  
 

thesewingcat

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Oct 25, 2016
Messages
3
Purraise
2
I do not believe that Feliway operates "miracles" for every single cat in this world. Obviously they are cats and share similarities, but they have their own personalities and personal features. 

I suspect there was a connection between the use of the wipe and its vomiting, because after that he was ok as I did not use it anymore. 
 

johndearmond

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
Messages
7
Purraise
4
Hi all
i have posted on this issue before
its been 4 months since we moved with our 3 fur babies from the middle east to Australia
while in quarantine the female cleo was in a different cage to the 2 boys who are bothers as quarantine couldnt have 3 cats in one cage together

anyway since coming out and being together cleo and tigger just dont get along, he chases her and attacks her, but on occasion he chases and jumps on Sparky as well but not so often

the other day he chased and attacked cleo to the point it looked like a pillow had exploded on the floor and she peed herself


even though he attacks her she only ends up with some scratches or lil chunks of hair missing, nothing too terrible has happened.....yet

anyway i cannot separate them as i am in a loft style house and have no doors so cannot shut them away from each other

i have one feliway diffuser at the mo as have order the spray and another one online

i dont know if its working as one diffuser in a very open house prob isnt doing much but so far it hasnt done squat, Tiggy is still having his moments though is a tad more sooky with me

however Cleo is twitching and growling and grrring and jumping about and i am wondering if it is a reaction to the diffuser as she sleeps closest to it whereas the boys dont hang around its general area

i will see how it goes and if the diffusers and sprays dont work i think i will have to get her on some anti anxiety meds as i think she is not a very happy bunny at all and will hide all day under a chair in fear of Tiggy, unless i am home

as for him i will have to see what the vet can do, i am baffled as he is a loving and total pathetic cat apart from these issues ...maybe some cat prozac or valium i dont know

every morn i go to work and when i get back i am paranoid i am gonna come back to something dreadful, however seems they dont fight at all during the day as there is never any hair around .... and when they fight there is hair everywhere

i just dont know why she is all twitchy etc , has anyones cats had negative reactions to the feliway

only other time she has been like this is when she has had her shots and had bad reactions to them
Yes to the question of bad reaction to Feliway by cats. While our home is being rebuilt from a fire we have had to move into a very nice home, basement plenty of room, BUT, we have had to promise to keep the cats in the 2 car attached garage and NOT let them in the house. Needless to say the "kids" are not happy being cooped up even though I have gotten 2 cat condo's over 6' tall with multiple cubbies, built a huge waist high table 8' x 12' to get them off the drafty floor, winter is here in KS., hung 3 250 watt red infrared heat lamps the length of the platform, 4 litter boxes, the same as before, toys, scratchers, rugs etc. we try to add new things every week but its not the 2 story house with a sun room, big picture windows etc, etc, and they get cranky.. The Feliway was recommended, Comfort Zone-Multicat diffuser. I paid the outrageous amount for it, took it home, did as recommended in the limited instructions. Within 48 hours even the most docile of the bunch was baring teeth, hissing, snarling, FIGHTING, Those were not happening before plugging that unit in, We unplugged it this morning, the instructions say use it for 30 days for full affects, then keep using it,,,,,, NO WAY, my cats went from just mildly cranky to full on fights, we were afraid what would happen if we tried to use it longer,,,,,, We opened up the place, COLD and all, and let it air all day. They seem much better this evening, I imagine it will take a day or more to get it all out of there systems.........
 

mrsty

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2016
Messages
105
Purraise
28
http://consciouscat.net/2016/11/21/feline-pheromone-products-theyre-not-created-equal/#comments Here is a link I found from another cat site that discusses the different types on the market - Feliway brand and Comfort Zone brand. I didn't know that Feliway brand (the original) has several different formulas based on the problems of the cats. And it's possible the "knock-off" Comfort Zone with Feliway is not really the same quality. Amazon sells both, but the Comfort Zone is cheaper. Maybe it''s a matter of you get what you pay for in this instance?
 

johndearmond

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
Messages
7
Purraise
4
The Comfort ZONE Multi-Cat Diffuser w Feliway is a Feliway Product, NOT a knock off, clone, cheep imitation. Its  $40.00 at PetCo. 

     It is now 2 full days after discontinueing usage and opening up the door for a fresh air exchange. They have calmed down but are still not totally free of it. They slept excessively for the first 24 hours as if totally exhausted from being aggressive or defending from the aggressive ones and even the mildest mannered 2 were showing aggression towards the end. 

     I have no idea why our cats reacted this way, the product came highly recommended but I'm taking it back and asking for a refund.

     I do know if I had read the label closer at the store and before I tried it I would not have bought it. I don't like Synthetic chemicals, no matter the study and care taken, made made chemicals can not exactly duplicate nature.

    So in one sense your accusation  that I bought a Cheap Knock off and got what I paid for was Almost correct, I was the Real Deal by Brand Name, BUT not the real deal I thought I was getting, i.e.. a Natural Product,, my bad and my Kids paid the price, as well as I by having to pretty much sit with them for the better part of 2 days to keep them calm and not fighting.
 

augie

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 16, 2013
Messages
22
Purraise
7
Location
Weatherford, TX
one of my cats was licking the same place aggressively to the point she was getting bald. the vet said it's sometimes called "barbering". the vet gave her a steroid injection and it seems to have calmed whatever was bothering her.
 

mrsty

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2016
Messages
105
Purraise
28
I was not trying to make accusations...I also bought the Comfort Zone from Amazon because it was slightly less expensive if you bought multiple refills, and was simply repeating what the article I referenced had said.
 

johndearmond

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
Messages
7
Purraise
4
I have tried several times to visit the link you gave, for some reason all I get is "Blank",   I would like to read what they discussed, I'm always reading and searching anything to do with animals, esp the types I live with.
 

johndearmond

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
Messages
7
Purraise
4
OK, to satisfy my OCD for having to know all the details on a subject that either piques my interest or has started a controversy I've dug thru business reports, stock exchange mergers reports and come up with a simplified version copied and pasted below from another Kitty lovers site, and I've visited many the last few months due to our little tragedy and all the resulting stress it has put on the kids (our cats).

What's the difference between Comfort Zone with Feliway, and Feliway? I'm confused.


Feliway is the original name and so we stick with it and use it a lot. Feliway is marketed in the US by Farnam/Central Life Sciences who several years ago decided to create a product range for cats and dogs which would contain pheromones manufactured by Ceva Sante Animale. They call the series of products Comfort Zone. Personally, we stay with the name Feliway because that's the pheromone we want and love. It's the name that has been around since 1997.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There was Farnham Pet Inc in AZ which was the 1st Feliway dist. and licensed by Ceva of France, Then Central Life bought the major shares of Farnham thus the merger. But the product comes from Ceva in France. I've been to many so called "Expert" blogs on cats and or animals in general and they gave alll kinds of convoluted stories of why Feliway is better, i.e. better diffuser, veterinarian strength formula, purer chemicals, different bases that comprise the bulk of Feliway. But if you go to any website selling both items and magnify the ingredients list, both have the exact same list with the exact same percentages.

I hope this clears things up and helps anyone else that is in a quandary as to did I buy the wrong thing and thats why it didn't work or make things worse, or the question of do I spend the extra money for one over the other (god knows I've found prices all across the board, one higher on one site, the other higher on the next).

     I did not go to all this frustration and work and hours of my time to prove a point, I was stumped and concerned that I had gotten the wrong thing, and the store I went to only had the CZ brand and swore by it. Anyway I hope this helps someone down the line, clears things up and I 

Wish you all many, many years of wonderful time with your furry feline companions.

Lj
 

orientals

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 14, 2016
Messages
154
Purraise
28
Location
Netherlands
Hi fefe76, I don't know about the Feliway but I recogize this behaviour, it happened between our cats. I think it's not about the girl, it's about the boy venting his pain on the lowest cat in the pecking order.

He apparantly did not cope well with the quarantine or had a bad experience there. (Abuse does happen everywhere.) He may need some serious help to get over his trauma. Do you have many play sessions with him and them? This boosts their confidance and released stress. Often when things go badly owners forget how paramount important this is. Also try relaxing him by petting him a lot.

If you're willing to put in the work instead of going the chemical route, I think this will get a lot better. Are you yourself stressed? That is also something some cats are more sensitive to than others. Try and be relaxed when you're around them.
 
Last edited:

mrsty

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2016
Messages
105
Purraise
28
Sorry you're having trouble opening it, when I clicked on the link there was no problem. The website is consciouscat.net - maybe you could just go to the website then search for the article called "Feline Pheromone Products: They're Not All Created Equal". Or maybe Google search the article title and Google will pull it up for you.
 

johndearmond

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
Messages
7
Purraise
4
Thank you, after I posted that I tried to copy and paste, that worked, then posted that I got it to work..... 

Thanks again.
 

upand

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 13, 2016
Messages
1
Purraise
1
Hi Everyone, 

My 2 cats reacted negatively to Comfort Zone with Feliway diffuser and spray which I purchased at Petco and they were expensive (over $70USD for both).

If it were a placebo I would shrug it off, but it actually caused a negative reaction in both cats immediately. 

Cat #1 sleeps in his cat tree bed all day. A few minutes after I plugged in the diffuser, he was calmly walking past it on his way to his tree. I was watching him. He suddenly froze in his tracks, looked directly at the diffuser and backed away. He never went near his bed again and avoided the area of the diffuser. This is the dominant cat who is relaxed and quiet and has a great friendly personality.

Cat#2 is his sister from the same litter. They are both 16 years old and have lived side by side all their lives. She is nervous, hisses at #1 and likes her privacy, so they live apart in different rooms. We set up 2 sets of food and kitty litter and now they live peacefully. The occasional hissing when #1 walks by #2. 

I purchased the Comfort Zone with Feliway diffuser and spray because we are going on a cross country road trip and both cats will have to share the back of the car for 3 days each way. 

I sprayed the product inside Cat#2's carrier, because she is the nervous cat, I waited 20 minutes and left the carrier in the room, Cat#2 ran away from it. She won't go near it. Also the spray smells very strong of alcohol, I sprayed very little to introduce it slowly but it had a strong odour. 

The whole day both cats started pacing nervously around the room, in circles and looking at me. Neither one of them slept and they usually sleep all day. After supper they usually come closer and sit with us in the living room. Both cats were pacing around us but would not settle down. 

Finally at 8pm I unplugged the diffuser. My cats have never acted this way before. I have never seen them pace like this it was weird. They were visibly uncomfortable, nervous and agitated. 

I will return the product to the store today and ask for a refund or exchange. It did not work for my cats. 

.... back to square one, and more research needed on cats and long road trips. 
 

janemulhall

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
21
Purraise
3
I absolutely agree with the bathing with the same shampoo.  When one of my 3 cats goes to the vet, as soon as it comes home, the other two sniff and growl, fuzz up and sometimes attack.

Once, the smell goes away (from using the cat box) or I give them a quick shampoo rinse, then they are all fine again.

Good luck! 
 
Top