Are the feliway diffusers safe

kattiekitty · Feb 22, 2014

Hi all,
I've been a bit obsessive about my cats health lately. My older dog has recently been put down due to terminal cancer. I took the cats in for well checks then Oscar had basically a high normal on his ALT. Reference range is 5-65 and his was 67. Hardly something to really worry about since all his other values were perfect. The vet even said they don't worry until the ALT is at least two times normal. She did say to try milk thistle and maybe recheck in a month or two. Oscar is a little overweight though and we have to work on that.
Well I was looking around my house for any toxins and I try not to use harsh chemicals. I then realized I had air wick plugins in three of my rooms in my apartment. The bathroom, bedroom and kitchen next to the letterbox. I read on how bad the air fresheners are and promptly threw them out. We will do safe things like citrus peels and cinnamon to freshen the air.
Anyways, I am getting a puppy at the end of March, both my cats are pretty laid back though I know a puppy is going to add a bit of stress to the household. Are feliway diffusers safe and will they help bring a calm atmosphere to the apartment. I'm pretty sure Oscar will eventually want to play with the puppy as he loved to play with our old dog. Who.knows maybe a young pup will help him lose weight? Here's to hoping all goes well.

smartyfoj · Feb 22, 2014

Feliway diffusers are definitely safe, they are happy cat pheromones as I understand it. I tried one when we had guests coming over, it didn't really work but I have heard that could have been because the room was too open and it diffused all over the place, and also we put it out only a day or two before because we forgot to plug it in sooner. I have heard it works best if the cats have a week or so to adjust to the pheromones and then it calms. I have also heard of calming treats you could try that out. Our scaredy cat wouldn't eat them so I can't say if they actually work.

But I can say they are totally safe for everyone. Also when I first plugged it in the diffuser smelled a bit but within a few hours there was no noticeable scent.

The one thing that I noticed about the diffuser was that all of our cats definitely took interest in it because they would rub up against it.

Also I hope your puppy adoption goes well, I'm sorry about your dog.

micknsnicks2mom · Feb 22, 2014

Kattiekitty said:
Hi all,
I've been a bit obsessive about my cats health lately. My older dog has recently been put down due to terminal cancer. I took the cats in for well checks then Oscar had basically a high normal on his ALT. Reference range is 5-65 and his was 67. Hardly something to really worry about since all his other values were perfect. The vet even said they don't worry until the ALT is at least two times normal. She did say to try milk thistle and maybe recheck in a month or two. Oscar is a little overweight though and we have to work on that.
Well I was looking around my house for any toxins and I try not to use harsh chemicals. I then realized I had air wick plugins in three of my rooms in my apartment. The bathroom, bedroom and kitchen next to the letterbox. I read on how bad the air fresheners are and promptly threw them out. We will do safe things like citrus peels and cinnamon to freshen the air.
Anyways, I am getting a puppy at the end of March, both my cats are pretty laid back though I know a puppy is going to add a bit of stress to the household. Are feliway diffusers safe and will they help bring a calm atmosphere to the apartment. I'm pretty sure Oscar will eventually want to play with the puppy as he loved to play with our old dog. Who.knows maybe a young pup will help him lose weight? Here's to hoping all goes well.

i use feliway diffusers for my snick. i have two diffusers running constantly, one upstairs and one downstairs, that cover the whole house well. we've been running the feliway for 3+ years now.

it can take anywhere from 30-60 days before you start to see positive effects from running the diffusers, though i started to see some positive results in about one weeks time. i'd get the feliway diffusers running at least 30 days (or even up to 60 days) before new puppy arrives. since new puppy will be arriving soon, you might want to get the feliway diffusers running asap -- if you decide to use them. be careful to position them as is suggested in the directions, and make sure you use enough diffusers to cover the area(s) your cats move around in.

something else to consider is making sure kitties have places to go where they're able to take a break from the puppy. like a cat tree(s), or some people use a baby gate that the cats can jump over but the puppy/dog can't.

kattiekitty · Feb 22, 2014

Thanks! I am going to be getting the diffusers today. I also have a cat tree and window perches that the puppy won't have access to. My last dog was a sheperd mix, the new one is going to be a rat terrier mix so much smaller. Heck he may even stay smaller than Oscar his whole life as we are not sure how big he will get . His mom is small but we don't have history on dad. Oscar is a pretty go with the flow cat, but he hasn't been around a rambunctious puppy yet

cprcheetah · Feb 22, 2014

Yes Feliway Diffusers are safe, I have 3 of them in my house and have used them for years without problems.

micknsnicks2mom · Feb 22, 2014

Kattiekitty said:
Thanks! I am going to be getting the diffusers today. I also have a cat tree and window perches that the puppy won't have access to. My last dog was a sheperd mix, the new one is going to be a rat terrier mix so much smaller. Heck he may even stay smaller than Oscar his whole life as we are not sure how big he will get . His mom is small but we don't have history on dad. Oscar is a pretty go with the flow cat, but he hasn't been around a rambunctious puppy yet

it sounds like you'll be all set then, ready for your new puppy to arrive!

i'll be interested to hear how oscar and new puppy react to each other at first, and how their relationship develops!

revenwyn · Mar 25, 2014

I read that sometimes they can smoke and cause a fire hazard?

GemsGem · Mar 25, 2014

Revenwyn said:
I read that sometimes they can smoke and cause a fire hazard?

You could say that about any electrical product that you plug in if it's faulty. Cell phone chargers are one of the biggest causes of house fires

revenwyn · Mar 25, 2014

I have read about five different accounts of this, and I live in an apartment.

stephanietx · Mar 25, 2014

Yep they are safe and they even make one for dogs. I think it's called DAP.

nicpesante · Apr 6, 2016

Both of mine started melting the plastic blades inside. I have heard there was a recall and the new ones are safer but I can not confirm this. I still use mine, broke off the bad bits with pliers so they are not as close to the heating element. Haven't had any problems since.

kikilove · Apr 6, 2016

I've never had any issues with them... but the diffuser feliway does irritate my eyes.

mphscat · Apr 6, 2016

If I'm not mistaken, the box they come in or the instructions inside says not to use the diffuser holder not more than with 3 refills. After 3 it is to be replaced with a new one. V

inanna · Apr 7, 2016

mphscat said:
If I'm not mistaken, the box they come in or the instructions inside says not to use the diffuser holder not more than with 3 refills. After 3 it is to be replaced with a new one. V

Now I am beginning to regret throwing out the box. Really hope this isn't the case! The diffuser is kind of pricey so discarding it after 3 uses seems like a shotty design, wasteful, and too much of a carbon foot print left behind.

Having said that, I must admit I love the impact it's having on my multi cat household.

inanna · Apr 7, 2016

Okay, I just googled it. Comfort Zone recommends changing the plug in every 6 months for optimal effect :-)

stephanietx · Apr 7, 2016

I think it should be every 30 days.

mphscat · Apr 7, 2016

stephanietx said:
I think it should be every 30 days.

That are the refills, the inserts, that are changed every 30 days, not the diffuser (what holds the refill and plugs in to the electrical socket).

JMJimmy · Apr 8, 2016

Inanna said:
Now I am beginning to regret throwing out the box. Really hope this isn't the case! The diffuser is kind of pricey so discarding it after 3 uses seems like a shotty design, wasteful, and too much of a carbon foot print left behind.

Having said that, I must admit I love the impact it's having on my multi cat household.

It is wasteful but that's the design of these products. You're constantly heating & cooling plastic to just below the melting point which degrades the plastic. After a time it'll start gassing off harmful byproducts from the plastic & become more likely to fail as the plastic becomes more brittle. Same problem with the Glade plugins. Ideally they'd switch to ceramics but those are more expensive to produce, aren't as 'sightly', and are apt to crack due to increased handling.

inanna · Apr 8, 2016

Id

JMJimmy said:
It is wasteful but that's the design of these products. You're constantly heating & cooling plastic to just below the melting point which degrades the plastic. After a time it'll start gassing off harmful byproducts from the plastic & become more likely to fail as the plastic becomes more brittle. Same problem with the Glade plugins. Ideally they'd switch to ceramics but those are more expensive to produce, aren't as 'sightly', and are apt to crack due to increased handling.

I'd gladly spend a few extra bucks on a less attractive design if it means the product is a little more environmentally friendly. Some companies understand there is a niche in the market for this type of consumer... I just wish more companies would follow that lead. Especially companies that cater to animals. It's almost an oxymoron when pet companies market products that aren't eco friendly.

captain dave · Apr 8, 2016

JMJimmy said:
It is wasteful but that's the design of these products. You're constantly heating & cooling plastic to just below the melting point which degrades the plastic. After a time it'll start gassing off harmful byproducts from the plastic & become more likely to fail as the plastic becomes more brittle. Same problem with the Glade plugins. Ideally they'd switch to ceramics but those are more expensive to produce, aren't as 'sightly', and are apt to crack due to increased handling.

So from all of the above, I think I, personally, can conclude that the diffusers just aren't worth it in the long run. A) it's potentially a fire hazard - and when one lives on a boat, one tends to be overly cautious about this very thing, B) it leaves a rather large carbon footprint in the long run, and C) it's pricey when you take into consideration needing to swap it out every so often.

Now then...how about the sprays? They make an aerosol as well - has anyone had any luck with these? I'd rather be informed before investing money in something just to help my "grumpy cat" become less of a grump.

Are the feliway diffusers safe

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