Questions about Feliway

I'm going to try Feliway for a problem we are having, and I was
wondering if I should get the spray or the diffuser. I have allergies,
so I am a bit concerned how it might affect me. Is there any smell to
it? I am allergic to perfumes, and I need to use this in my bedroom.

Here's the situation. Two cats that have lived together for 5 years are
still not in a stable relationship. I'd be happy if they would just
ignore each other, but they are more like the brother and sister who
sit in the back of the car and harras each other for 500 miles ("I'm
not touching you!")

Chase is 5, and he loves to play and chase (hence the name). Most of
the time, he isn't bad, but every now and then he really attacks. Tufts
of hair everywhere and one freaked out Kira.

Kira is 12, and she always been a more stressful cat. Nobody else has
every really bothered her, except Chase. While she doesn't usually do
anything to start it, she does occasionally provoke him, and she growls
at him when he comes near. He then finds it necessary to stare at her,
which makes it worse.

I think the main problem is that she moves and acts like prey. She has
a fluffy tail that never stops moving, and probably gives her the
appearance of a squirrel.

The problem actually decreased a year and a half ago when I got Jay
Jay, who plays with Chase and keeps him a bit more exercised. Chase
does play rough sometimes with him, but not very often.

Kira doesn't get attacked so much these days, but she is 12 now and
seems to be a lot more fragile than she used to be. I fear she is aging
faster than my previous cats. I've always wondered if dominant and high
stress cats live shorter lives. My first two cats were very mild.

Anyway, Kira has been to the vet twice this year already. The first
time, she got her vaccinations, a checkup (I thought she might have a
cold, but she checked out okay), and she got the geriatric blood panel.
It came back fine, though a couple things a little out of the normal
range.

She went back last month for a really goopy, messed up eye. This time,
it was obvious. Something was wrong. She had a fever, and a herpes
infection (which is often brought on by stress). She got meds for the
fever, eye ointment, and a supplement for the herpes. Her eye is
better, but not completely normal yet.

Start a couple weeks ago, she has had bathroom problems. It si
definitely stress. She has done this in the past, when Chase was worse
than normal. If she gets stalked with in the litter box, she will go to
the bed (if I am in it), and hide behind me. She did this 3 times in
two weeks. I have since started escorting her to the box at least 3
times a day so that she can use it while I stand guard. No more peeing
on the bed. And I am keeping Chase locked out of the bedroom when I am
work. The first day, she still held it all day and peed a load when I
got home. But she has been better the last few days, knowing that she
is alone.

So, I want to try the feliway. I would like to see her a bit calmer.
And if possible, help him to attack less. Not sure if it will work for
him, since it is more play than actual agression.

Kira has two places that she spends most of her time. Neither one is
near an outlet. One is the top of the cat tree in my bedroom. And the
other is the top of the book shelf in my bedroom.

Chase wanders the whole house.

Should I spray the spots the Kira sleeps in? Will a diffuser spread out
enough to get to areas where she hangs out. Should I get an extension
cord and mount a diffuser near her favorite spot?

Kira rarely goes upstairs, so the main area to be covered is a large
family room (my bedroom).

For those who have used it, what works best? And do you think it would
help Chase play less rough, or should I just concentrate on Kira.
Should I get both the diffuser and spray?

I'm going to the store Thursday afternoon.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm going to try Feliway for a problem we are having, and I was
wondering if I should get the spray or the diffuser. I have allergies,
so I am a bit concerned how it might affect me. Is there any smell to
it? I am allergic to perfumes, and I need to use this in my bedroom.



I can't really answer your question about allergies. I think you will have
to try it and make your own assessment. However, I do not detect any odor
from the diffusers after the first few minutes; some have written that they
can detect an odor for a short time, but I don't think that lasts long. The
odor from the spray will be much more noticeable shortly after spraying, and
I would think that would be more likely to create a problem for you. When I
used Feliway, I used the diffuser for most purposes because it releases
premeasured (but not annoying) amounts throughout the day. I used the spray
in carriers about 20 minutes before putting the cats in for a trip to the
vet. I also used the spray in doorways when I was first introducing Duffy
into our household. Depending on the size of your home, I would use 2 or 3
diffusers and place them in centrally located places where your cats
frequently spend a lot of time or at least "wander by" frequently. You
could also use the spray in bedding and similar areas, but I would be a bit
more wary of that because of your allergies.

MaryL

I have been using the Feliway diffusers for several years now. When I first
plug them in, I do detect a slight odor but that usually disappears after a
day or so. I notice the odor more with the one diffuser that I have in a
hallway....smaller area. I notice no odor with the one that I keep plugged
in a larger room. To be honest, I don't know how much difference the
Feliway makes with my 2 cats behavior. I think it helps a little,
therefore, I keep using it. But I don't think it's a miracle cure for cats
that don't get along.

Sue
wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm going to try Feliway for a problem we are having, and I was
wondering if I should get the spray or the diffuser. I have allergies,
so I am a bit concerned how it might affect me. Is there any smell to
it? I am allergic to perfumes, and I need to use this in my bedroom.

Here's the situation. Two cats that have lived together for 5 years are
still not in a stable relationship. I'd be happy if they would just
ignore each other, but they are more like the brother and sister who
sit in the back of the car and harras each other for 500 miles ("I'm
not touching you!")

Chase is 5, and he loves to play and chase (hence the name). Most of
the time, he isn't bad, but every now and then he really attacks. Tufts
of hair everywhere and one freaked out Kira.

Kira is 12, and she always been a more stressful cat. Nobody else has
every really bothered her, except Chase. While she doesn't usually do
anything to start it, she does occasionally provoke him, and she growls
at him when he comes near. He then finds it necessary to stare at her,
which makes it worse.

I think the main problem is that she moves and acts like prey. She has
a fluffy tail that never stops moving, and probably gives her the
appearance of a squirrel.

The problem actually decreased a year and a half ago when I got Jay
Jay, who plays with Chase and keeps him a bit more exercised. Chase
does play rough sometimes with him, but not very often.

Kira doesn't get attacked so much these days, but she is 12 now and
seems to be a lot more fragile than she used to be. I fear she is aging
faster than my previous cats. I've always wondered if dominant and high
stress cats live shorter lives. My first two cats were very mild.

Anyway, Kira has been to the vet twice this year already. The first
time, she got her vaccinations, a checkup (I thought she might have a
cold, but she checked out okay), and she got the geriatric blood panel.
It came back fine, though a couple things a little out of the normal
range.

She went back last month for a really goopy, messed up eye. This time,
it was obvious. Something was wrong. She had a fever, and a herpes
infection (which is often brought on by stress). She got meds for the
fever, eye ointment, and a supplement for the herpes. Her eye is
better, but not completely normal yet.

Start a couple weeks ago, she has had bathroom problems. It si
definitely stress. She has done this in the past, when Chase was worse
than normal. If she gets stalked with in the litter box, she will go to
the bed (if I am in it), and hide behind me. She did this 3 times in
two weeks. I have since started escorting her to the box at least 3
times a day so that she can use it while I stand guard. No more peeing
on the bed. And I am keeping Chase locked out of the bedroom when I am
work. The first day, she still held it all day and peed a load when I
got home. But she has been better the last few days, knowing that she
is alone.

So, I want to try the feliway. I would like to see her a bit calmer.
And if possible, help him to attack less. Not sure if it will work for
him, since it is more play than actual agression.

Kira has two places that she spends most of her time. Neither one is
near an outlet. One is the top of the cat tree in my bedroom. And the
other is the top of the book shelf in my bedroom.

Chase wanders the whole house.

Should I spray the spots the Kira sleeps in? Will a diffuser spread out
enough to get to areas where she hangs out. Should I get an extension
cord and mount a diffuser near her favorite spot?

Kira rarely goes upstairs, so the main area to be covered is a large
family room (my bedroom).

For those who have used it, what works best? And do you think it would
help Chase play less rough, or should I just concentrate on Kira.
Should I get both the diffuser and spray?

I'm going to the store Thursday afternoon.

blkcatgal wrote:
I have been using the Feliway diffusers for several years now. When I first
plug them in, I do detect a slight odor but that usually disappears after a
day or so. I notice the odor more with the one diffuser that I have in a
hallway....smaller area. I notice no odor with the one that I keep plugged
in a larger room. To be honest, I don't know how much difference the
Feliway makes with my 2 cats behavior. I think it helps a little,
therefore, I keep using it. But I don't think it's a miracle cure for cats
that don't get along.


Thanks for the replies. I think I will try the diffuser and set it up
right under Kira's cat tree. Chase has to walk by there a lot, but Kira
is the main target. I just want her to relax a bit and not be so
stressed.

Sometimes, she will let him sit on the desk nearby, and other times she
will growl if he is within 10 feet. And once she growls at him, he gets
more interested in her.

He was actually an angel the last two days, and I am wondering who
stole the real Chase. My nephew was out of town Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chase is usually at his worst when Charlie is gone. He gets lonely and
bored and starts looking for more entertainment. I usually have to put
a halter on him for a few hours. We call it the twisted halo since he
goes from devil boy to angel boy. But he was positively good for two
days straight. He stared at her a couple times, but nothing more.

I'll get the diffuser this afternoon and see if it helps over the next
month.

I just got back from Petco. I don't know if it was a sale or what, but
I got a great deal on the diffuser. The price tag said $44.99, and it
came up on the receipt as $32.00. Then, below it, it said elec-coupon
-8.00. Below that regular price $44.99. I added up the receipt. It rang
up $30.00 and then took off the $8.00. And I had a 10% off coupon for
my whole order. They also had a deal for a free 16 lb tub of kitty
litter with my bag of Royal Canin food. That was the 5.5lb bag. I got
Kira's food in that size. They don't carry the Maine Coon in that size,
so I was only able to get the 3 lb bag for him. That will last me til I
can get to the store that carries larger bags.

But I was able to get the feliway diffuser, free tub of kitty litter, 2
bags of my special kitty litter (on sale also), two bags of cat food,
some kitty grass (Chase loves that stuff), and a bottle of water for
me. And between the sales, weird promotion, and my 10% coupon, I saved
$43 and spent only $81.57. I am really thrilled. I expected to spend
about $120, and that was without the extra kitty litter and kitty
grass.

Kira seems a bit perkier today. Chase really has been good the past
couple days. I'm going to set up the diffuser for her and hopefully
that will help too.