Feline Pheromones for Fear
By: Stacy Whalen
Tags: Cats, Natural Pet Products, Fear, Stray Cat Rescue

Fear of the unknown and the insecurity of one’s welfare can be terrifying for anyone, be it animal or human. By the time a cat or dog helplessly watches the cage door close within the confines of a shelter, the fight or flight impulse combined with no means for escape must be paralyzing. Only after any of us can feel safe do we then seek to satisfy other basic needs such as rest and hunger. Only after those needs are met can we rise to the next level and come out of our protective shell in search of trust and desire for love.

Depending on the nature of the animal and the physical or psychological trauma he or she went through, this process may be deep seated and take a lot of patience on the part of the caretakers. When people go to a shelter in search of a new pet up for adoption, they usually notice the ones that put themselves in the “notice me” category. The fearful ones hiding in the back of the cage are often summed up as feral or not the lap cat so desired.

Little Bella was such a case.

Her background was unknown to us and all we knew was that she was pregnant when she was picked up, estimated to be around 4 years of age, and needed to be spayed before she was put up for adoption.

She wasn’t feral, rather she was very quiet and timid. She was so quiet during the car ride home that we kept checking on her to make sure she was alright. Some cats go ballistic inside the confines of the cat carrier, cry and even mess themselves. Little Bella just crouched silently.

The use of Rescue Remedy, a blend of five different Bach’s Flower Remedies, for shock, stress and fear, did wonders to help with her adjustment to her new home and other pets. But fast forward six months and she still wanted nothing to do with my husband. We’ll never know what experiences she had with men, but it was obvious she had some negative association with their size, deep voice and approach.

I discovered Feliway during a veterinarian visit for one of our other cats. The office had just hired a new veterinarian who turned out to be a dream of an animal doctor. Her approach to her new patient was calm and slow, a soft, soothing voice, surrounded by calm music and a hand offering little cat treats. Her methods worked like a charm and my cat melted to her touch. My admiration turned to amazement when she showed me her secret, a bottle of feline pheromone spray called Feliway.

Feliway

Pheromones are a type of chemical communication between members of a species. They are produced from glands located around the mouth, nose, forehead and cheeks. Cats mark familiar objects, people and other pets by rubbing their face against these surfaces. It is a way of sending messages. So when your cat rubs against you, take it as a sign that he trusts and adores you and is telling you he feels safe and secure.

Feliway mimics a cat’s F3 facial pheromones. These synthetic pheromone products are ideal alternatives for pet owners and veterinarians who would rather not use drugs to treat a stressed animal. The stress of traveling in a car, trips to the veterinarian and meeting new faces, can all be relieved with a spritz of a pheromones spray. Pheromones are also recommended to help with marking or spraying and aggression problems between cats in the same home. Even behavior problems like scratching on furniture can be helped. Anxiety is often the root cause of behavior issues with our pets and a help to relieve that is the place to start. But we also have to understand that when there is more involved with underlying problems, those issues need to be addressed. Behavior modification may still be needed.

Feliway can be used as a periodic spritz onto your hands or clothes when handling a cat or the cat carrier when traveling. Don’t spray right onto the animal itself. However, for situations such as tension between the pets in the household or adjusting to a new environment, the diffusor method is best. This is a device that gets plugged into the wall and uses cartridges that stay in 24/7 and get changed monthly. There are no reports of any side effects and is safe to use however long it is needed. The pheromones are species specific, so they don’t affect people or other types of pets in the home. If anything, the other cats will benefit as well. The Feliway site has more information and a video on how to use the diffuser.

There is also a pheromone product made for dogs called D.A.P (Dog Appeasing Pheromone). This mimics the pheromone nursing dogs release to comfort their puppies.

Amazing that we have gone from this timid, skittish little cat…..

…….to this…..with a little help from Feliway