Dog And Cat Pheromones Aren’t A Magical Solution
While calming pheromones may help with many issues in both dogs and cats, they dont work for every potential issue or behavioral problem your pet might be experiencing. For example, pheromones will not treat underlying medical issues, says Dr. Tynes.
Dr. East agrees and adds that dog and cat pheromones may not work well in moderate to severe cases of anxiety. They can be used in conjunction with a behavioral modification plan and other medical treatments your veterinarian recommends, Dr. East says. It is important to always discuss behavioral concerns with your pets veterinarian, who in some cases, may refer you to a veterinary behaviorist. More powerful anti-anxiety medications for cats are available by prescription.
Cat Calming Pheromone Diffusers
If you like the idea of treating your cats anxiety with pheromones, but you know that wearing anything would stress your cat out, try pheromone diffusers for cats. Cat calming diffusers like the Feliway plug-in diffuser can help with general anxiety in cats by emitting a synthetic version of the feline facial pheromones.
Cat calming diffusers like the Feliway MultiCat diffuser plug-ins are specifically made to help calm multi-cat households and promote harmony amongst cats. These diffusers use a synthetic version of the pheromone given off by mother cats while nursing kittens.
Krieger says that she strongly prefers diffusers to collars. If a cat doesnt like a collar, she cant get away from it. If she doesnt like the pheromones from a diffuser, she can walk into another room. So, if theyre helpful, you get the benefits without causing any undue stress, and if theyre not, you dont cause any harm. she explains.
Thunderessence Dog Calming Spray
ThunderEssences calming spray contains 100% natural essential oils from Lavender, Chamomile and Egyptian Geranium. These are calming to humans as well as animals. Lavender affects the central nervous system, giving it calming and grounding effects.
Chamomile has muscle-relaxing and anti-inflammatory properties, helping dogs to relax the muscles and relieve situational anxiety. Egyptian geranium has been found to have a soothing impact on them, helping to reduce anxiety and mental stress.
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How To Prevent Anxiety In Cats
One of the best ways to help your cat grow up to be well-adjusted and anxiety-free is to ensure theyre well socialized as a kitten.
Expose your cat to a variety of social situations and experiences while they are young to decrease the likelihood of them developing anxiety in the future. This could include being petted by strangers, human visitors coming and going, meeting other cats and dogs, travelling in a car, and hearing a variety of loud noises.
When introducing a new pet to the home, take things slow. If you notice any signs of anxiety or territorial behavior in either pet, separate them and let them live in separate rooms for a while. Reintroduce them slowly, starting with their scents use a common towel, brush, or other item between your pets to help them recognize and get used to each others scents. Next, slowly allow them to spend time together. Gradually increase the duration of their interactions until they have adapted to living in the same space. Continue to introduce and separate your pets until they are coexisting safely.
Natures Miracle Pet Block Repellent Spray To Discourage Scratching
Here is an outdoor repellant that can make your cat avoid specific places outside. This repellant is sprayed outdoors and makes anything that the cat gets in contact with from that sprayed area unpleasant to its sense of smell and taste.
The aversion to the products scent is what causes pets to stay away from treated areas. Apart from outside, it can also be used in the basement of your house.
It does not affect humans and plants and is sold in ready-to-use bottles of any capacity. However, if you want the spray to stay effective, you have to spray the area frequently.
Using this repellant is also an easy, concentrated solution and also odor-free. The spray should be used as directed in the instructions. Not only does the spray work on cats but also on dogs.
You should also caution not to apply it directly to your pet and also keep out of reach of children.
Pros:
- Specially designed to keep away pets from sprayed areas.
- The scents from the repellent are natural.
- The repellant is fit for both outdoor and indoor use.
- The packaging may vary as it is packed in different capacities.
- Has no harm to human beings and plants.
- It is odor-free and stain-free.
- Not limited to use on only one kind of pet.
- It has a long-lasting concentrated formula.
- The ingredients are natural and therefore contain no harmful chemicals.
Cons:
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Pet Calming Sprays: Do They Work
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PET CARE
Best Cat Calming Spray Buying Guide
Now that weve gone through our top picks, youre probably wondering exactly when you should try a spray like this, and how to use them. As any cat owner will tell you, each animal has its own distinct personality, so the way in which you use a cat calming spray will depend very much upon your pets unique behavior patterns.
You may also like our article on Cat Calming Collars.
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Petsafe Ssscat Spray Pet Deterrent Motion Activated Pet Proofing Repellent For Cats And Dogs
The PetSafes SSSCAT Spray Pet Deterrent is an automated mode of controlling your pet on individual habits. It works by sensing your pet within three feet range and starts to automatically spray the area.
This technique saves you the time and effort that you would use with a manual one.
You can use it on furniture, curtains, fabrics, carpets, or even specific rooms of your house. The good thing about it is that it is odor-free, stainless, and harmless and safe.
The sensor used is entirely accurate and reliable by sensing temperature change to detect the pet and release the spray.
This is also a way to train your pet to keep away from specific things and will be adapted to become a habit and, therefore, will be able to avoid the off-limit areas automatically.
The spray should not be used near birds, plants, or directly on the skin. It should not be inserted in water and kept out of reach of children. You should not inhale the contents of the spray.
Pros:
- The cans can be replaced.
- The spray is harmless and does not leave stains on sprayed surfaces.
- Adjustable, therefore, easy to set up.
- Environmentally friendly and does not pollute the ozone.
- Trains pets to adopt habits of avoiding some areas.
Cons:
Q: What Are Pheromones
A: Jacqui Neilson, DVM, DACVB, owner of the Animal Behavior Clinic, a veterinary behavioral referral practice in Portland, Ore., says that pheromones are a type of chemical communication between members of a species. The vomeronasal organ, which is located between the nose and mouth, receives pheromones. Neilson says certain pheromones, called calming or appeasing pheromones, can sometimes help relieve stressed pets. Pet pheromone products are said to mimic natural cat or dog pheromones and come in various forms, including sprays, plug-in diffusers, wipes, and collars.
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How To Treat And Manage Your Cats Anxiety
The best way to treat most cases of anxiety is a multi-modal approach that combines behavioral modification techniques, making changes to your cats environment, natural calming aids, and potentially anti-anxiety medication, depending on the severity of your cats anxiety. Any underlying or linked medical conditions will need to be treated as well.
Successful treatment plans require consistency and commitment, as it may take several months for your cat to overcome their anxiety, or to reduce it to a manageable level. Be patient and remember that even small changes in their behavior and symptoms will have a meaningful and cumulative impact on their wellbeing and quality of life.
Petlinks Scratch Stop Deterrent Training Spray
This is another fantastic product from Petlink that helps discourage your cat from misbehaving and destroying places they shouldnt. Thus, through spraying, they know that a particular surface is out of bounds and look for an alternative.
When they search for an alternative, ensure you have a playing pole that they can scratch as they wish. This will help in their wellbeing and ensuring they stay healthy and remain a great companion.
It will help protect your furniture, carpet, and drapes from any destruction.
For starters, you need to apply a small amount. Then after an approximate of 48 hours, you may add and make a full application.
It is naturally proven to be safe for parts and will ensure 100% satisfaction. You can use it to train a kitten or a full-grown cat.
Pros:
- It can be used on all ages of the cat.
- Safe to use in the house.
- It doesnt use any harsh chemicals.
Cons:
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Q: What Type Of Behaviors Do Pheromone Products Target
A: Neilson says pheromone products were first released for cats and were recommended to help marking or spraying and aggression problems, especially between cats in the same home. But she says cat pheromones also help with problems like scratching and stress while traveling, being boarded or during visits to the veterinarians office, and can ease the stress of a cat moving into a new home. I use it for almost any anxiety-related condition, Neilson says.
Dog pheromone products are used for general stress, separation anxiety, noise phobias, such as those caused by storms or fireworks, and travel, says Wayne Hunthausen, DVM, the director of animal behavior consultations for Westwood Animal Hospital, in Westwood, Kansas.
However, Hunthausen says dog pheromones are not effective for aggression problems in dogs. Veterinarians also caution that behavioral problems can have medical causes, so pets should be thoroughly checked out by their vet before treating a problem as strictly behavioral.
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What Causes Cat Anxiety
According to The Cat Coach, Marilyn Krieger, a certified cat behavior consultant based in Northern California, cat anxiety can stem from many causes. A change in routine can be very jarring for a cat, says Krieger. New situations, an unfamiliar environment or a previously unknown animal can all cause stress. Even a home remodel or a raised voice can cause anxiety, depending on the cat.
Mikel Delgado, a certified cat behavior consultant and cofounder of Feline Minds, a San Francisco Bay area company that offers cat behavior services, adds that anxiety is different from fear in that its a sustained condition. There’s a difference between cats that get scared during fireworks on the 4th of July and cats that spend a lot of their time stressed out or afraid of what may seem like nothing, she says.
If your cat does have anxiety, this can take many forms, from hiding and refusing to eat to urinating and defecating outside of their litter box. On the other hand, cats that are comfortable in their environment will eat, drink and sleep in the open, they’ll interact with their people, they’ll play with toys, and theyll generally be out and aboutnot just hiding and slinking around all the time, Delgado explains.
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Summary Of Anxiety In Cats
Anxiety is a natural response to certain situations and stimuli, but it can become debilitating for your cat, leading to poor quality of life and worsening or causing medical issues, so its important to watch out for the signs of anxiety and consult your veterinarian for treatment as soon as possible. With an approach combining behavioral modification, environmental changes, calming aids and potential medication, most cats can overcome or lessen their anxiety, and be able to lead a much happier life.
How To Use Calming Pheromones
Calming pheromones for cats and dogs come in different formats. Plug-in diffusers are great for use in the home, but if you want similar benefits when youre traveling with your pet, you will need to use collars, sprays or wipes. Collars come in sizes for puppies and adult dogs, and Dr. Tynes says that they should be changed each month.
Dr. Tynes recommends calming pheromone wipes or sprays when transporting your pets, going on trips to the vet or when youre on vacation. For cats, Apply the spray to a blanket, bandana or even your own clothing about 10 minutes before you introduce the cat to the carrier or in the car, Dr. Tynes says. After administration, the pheromone will be present for approximately four hours.
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Q: What About Other Pet Pheromone Products
A: Sergeants Pet Care Products introduced pheromone collars in 2009 for dogs and the only pheromone cat collar on the market.
Sergeants communications manager, Kelly Lytle Baehr, says the collars reproduce the calming pheromones nursing mothers release to soothe their babies. Baehr says Sergeants paid for three studies by independent researches that show the collars work, but she says the results were not published or presented and so are not available for review.
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Other products use herbal blends to simulate pheromones. Jodi Hoefler, vice president of the Garmon Corporation, says their Quiet Moments sprays for dogs and cats use a patented blend of herbs to simulate canine- or feline-appeasing pheromones to give stressed pets a feeling of safety and well being. The company also makes a product called No Mark, which uses an herbal blend that simulates a feline pheromone to stop cats from marking.
Another company, Nutri-Vet, makes sprays and diffusers called Pet-Ease that use essential oils of herbs that simulate pheromones. We use calming oils, says Phil Brown, DVM, vice president of marketing for Nutri-Vet. The effects are similar, its just what is causing the effects that differ.
The Benefits Of Cbd For Dogs With Anxiety
CBD helps dogs with anxiety on several levels. In fact, CBD is popularly described as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders. Below we list the science supporting this description.
CBD Helps Promote Relaxation. The leading theory is that CBD works by modulating the brains response to serotonin and making the receptors in the brain more susceptible to this chemical. Serotonin is the so-called feel-good hormone responsible for happiness and relaxation. In rat models, regular use of CBD has an anti-panic effect, thus promoting relaxation.
CBD Supports Normal Emotional Balance. As mentioned, CBD works through the ECS, which is responsible for balancing the nervous system. During an anxiety attack, the nerve cells are frantically firing out, leading to a chemical disbalance. This is where the ECS steps in it slows down the electrical misfiring and returns the chemicals in the body to baseline. In simple words, supplementing with CBD for dog anxiety, it is like hitting the reset button.
CBD Calms Fears From Environmentally-Induced Stress. Dogs feel scared when there are inexplicable changes in their environment loud noises, house remodeling, moving to a different home, or new family members. CBD helps relieve general anxiety and can help with specific environmental stressors. For example, CBD for dog anxiety may help in the management of noise phobias.
In addition to CBD for dog anxiety, other natural remedies are:
- Dog-appeasing pheromones
- Alpha-casozepine.
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Alternatives To Cat Collars
In an ideal world, you would be able to identify the specific root of your cats anxiety and then remove this trigger. And, also in an ideal world, this would prevent the affected cat from suffering from anxiety in the future. However, it can be difficult to realize, let alone remedy, the cause of anxiety, and some cats suffer anxiety more often and more readily than other cats.
The following products aim to offer respite from anxiety and stress in your cat:
What Are The Symptoms Of Anxiety In Cats
There are a number of different ways that anxiety can manifest, and symptoms may not always be obvious. In general, you should watch out for any changes in behavior, particularly following any changes in your cats environment.
Common cat anxiety symptoms
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Increased vocalization
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Physical signs of anxiety, such as holding their tail tight against their body, holding their ears back and hair standing up
Anxiety can also trigger a number of medical conditions, particularly Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease and Upper Respiratory Infections , so you may also notice related symptoms, such as difficulty urinating and increased frequency of urination for FLUTD, and sneezing, congestion and discharge for URIs.
If your cat frequently suffers from recurrent medical issues, you and your veterinarian should consider the possibility that they are being caused by underlying anxiety.
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Do Not Apply It Directly To Your Dog’s Skin Or Coat
Essential oils that have not been diluted will be much too strong for your dog. Think of how strong these oils smell to you. Your dog’s sense of smell is hundreds of times stronger than yours, so just imagine how powerful the aroma is to him.
Directly applying essential oils to the dog’s skin or coat may also irritate their skin and cause side effects. If you’re applying an essential oil, you’ll need to dilute it with a carrier oil. Or, as in this case, create an aromatherapy spray by adding the oils to water and also spraying around the dog.
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