What is Feliway & How can it help your kitty cat?

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New situations can be stressful for cats. If you’ve ever moved, gone to the vets office, or introduced your cat to a new member of the family (whether it had two or more legs), you’ll know how sensitive your cat can be whenever it comes to change.

Cats are very instinctual, can be rather territorial and tend to like their solitude.  Over time the way we live has interrupted these instincts that come natural to our pets. 

So, you may ask then how can I keep my cat calm and help prevent them from becoming stressed?  Our best answer is Feliway.  The Feliway diffuser is a game changer.

What is Feliway?

Feliway is a unique product that provides a sense of comfort and reassures your cats by reducing signs of stress.  Some of these include urine spraying, scratching, fighting or even hiding.

Feliway can be purchased in a spray bottle or as a plug-in diffuser, so pick whichever one suits your lifestyle best.  At Brook Farm Veterinary Center we have diffuser style Feliways around the office to help limit stress when your cat or kitten comes in for their appointment.

Feliway for cats actually works by imitating the natural pheromones which are released by a mother cat and are known to calm her kittens. It is similar to the substance that cats sometimes rub onto your leg or on your furniture.

When they mark their territory with this natural pheromone, they are marking it as a safe place.. Feliway has done an amazing job recreating a man-made version of this, and luckily, through instincts your cat will smell it and it will signal to them that they are in a safe place.

Times you should use Feliway?

• When you are moving to a new home.
• When you get a new pet.
• When you have guests over and your cat seems to get nervous / uncomfortable.
• When you take your cat to the vet.
• When you take your cat to the groomers.

Any time you feel your cat’s routine or environment is going to be disrupted or changed in any way, is a great time to try out Feliway.

Also, if your cat is displaying common symptoms of being unhappy or stressed like hissing, urinating outside the litter box, hiding, fighting, change in appetite or over-grooming, you should consider using Feliway.  Another use for this product is if your cat is displaying signs of being unhappy or stressed. For example this can look like a lot of hissing, urinating outside of their litter box, hiding out of sight, fighting you or another pet, sudden changes in appetite or over-grooming themselves. If your cat or kitten shows any of these signs, we recommend you try Feliway.

What are the benefits of Feliway for cats? 

Feliway helps to reduce signs of unhappiness in cats and can help them stay calm in stressful environments.  

At Brook Farm Veterinary Center, we understand how stressful a visit to the vets office can be. This is why we have chosen to use Feliway diffusers throughout our clinic.  If you’re interested in purchasing a Feliway spray bottle or Feliway diffuser for your home, talk to your veterinarian and they can help determine the best fit.

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