stress or anxiety felt by cats and kittens. Stress and anxiety levels in cats and kittens are particularly increased in unfamiliar environments, or in stressful situations such as meeting new people and animals.
What are pheromones?
Cats naturally rub their faces on familiar objects in their territory, leaving their
pheromones. These pheromones are used to mark their territory as safe and secure.
What is Feliway®?
Feliway® is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone. Working as a natural way to
mimic feline pheromones, the use of Feliway® creates a safe and familiar environment for
cats or kittens. This works as a convenient and effective method to help reduce stress and
anxiety levels in your cat or kitten. It can be used in many stressful situations, even for
travelling, or at the vet clinic.
Feliway® is available in two formulations: Feliway® Diffuser and Feliway® Spray
Where can I purchase Feliway?
You can buy Feliway online from leading online pet health stores like VetShopAustralia.com.auRecognising Problem Behaviours
Feliway® helps to reduce the signs of anxiety in cats. It can also be used when treating the
underlying causes of anxiety.
There are many ways cats show their anxiety, both through obvious signs and discrete
symptoms. It is important to recognise these signs. Although they may simply appear to
be problem behaviours, or cats misbehaving, these problem behaviours may be a sign of
an underlying anxiety problem that could directly impact the cat’s long term health.
Obvious signs
• Scratching
• Urine marking or spraying
• House soiling
• Aggression towards other cats
• Aggression towards other pets
Recognising one or more of these problem behaviours is an indicator that your customer’s
cat may be stressed or anxious. If this is the case, Feliway® can help to stop unwanted cat
behaviours.
To address various problem behaviours, follow the cheat sheet to determine which
formulation of Feliway® would be most appropriate to recommend to your customer.
More discrete signs
• Reduced food intake
• Over grooming
• Lack of grooming
• Hiding
• Appearing withdrawn
• Decreased level of activity
• Decreased level of play
• Depression
Why do cats get anxious?
Not only is it important to recognise feline problem behaviours, but also to recognise the
underlying causes of a cat’s fear and anxiety. The ability to identify factors that may be
contributing to a cat’s fear and anxiety levels allows you to provide greater insight and
better assist your customers.
Stressful situations?
• Going on a road trip
• Visiting the vet
• When friends and visitors come over
• Going to the cattery
• When a new pet is introduced to the household
• When the home is being renovated
• When furniture is rearranged
• When a new family member (baby) arrives
• During thunderstorms or fireworks
Feliway® best practice
Feliway® can be used to address many various problem behaviours, but for overall use,
here are some quick and simple guidelines to follow.
How?
• Use the Diffuser for a minimum of one month
• Each refill lasts for a month, but many owners have reported results in as fast as a week
• You can use the Spray alongside the Diffuser
• Stop using when your cat starts rubbing up against the ‘problem object’, such as the furniture
• Do not spray Feliway® Spray on any animals
What, where and when?
In the home
• Plug in the Diffuser in the room where your cat spends the majority of its time
• Use the Spray on unfamiliar or ‘problem’ objects, e.g. where your cat may constantly spray or mark
• Plug in the Diffuser during stressful times such as thunderstorms or fireworks
• Plug in the Diffuser when you are introducing new people or animals
• Plug in the Diffuser when you will be having a lot of guests over, or during parties
When travelling
• Use the Spray in the cat carrier before travelling
• Apply 15 minutes before putting your cat in its carrier
• Spray in each corner of the carrier
• Reapply every 4-5 hours on longer journeys
At the vet
• Use the Spray in the cat carrier before travelling
• Apply 15 minutes before putting your cat in its carrier
• Spray in each corner of the carrier
• Spray Feliway® on a towel where your cat will be sitting
Different situations call for different forms
Preferred = The Feliway® product most suited for the situation
Supplement = Additional Feliway® product which can be combined
for added support
How long should I use Feliway®?
Feliway® should always be used for at least four (4) weeks. The Diffuser should remain switched on
continuously and the refill replaced as required. If you are using the Spray, it should be applied daily
for at least one month, even if you see an improvement. Please be aware that some situations may
require longer use.
How long should it take before I see an effect?
This depends on the nature and extent of the cat’s problem. Some cats show signs of
improvement in less than a week, however Feliway® should be used for at least 4 weeks before any
assessment is made of its effectiveness.
What should I do if the problem is not solved after a month?
Some cases do take longer to respond. Check the Diffuser has been plugged in a place where
the pheromone can diffuse without restriction and that it has been left switched on 24 hours
a day for 4 weeks. For best results, you may wish to use the Spray in conjunction with the
Diffuser. If you are concerned, please speak to your veterinarian to obtain further advice.
Should I switch the Diffuser off at night?
No, the Diffuser should be left on continuously, due to the structure of the device and time taken to
reach maxmum diffusing capacity.
Is the Feliway® device safe?
The Feliway® Diffuser device is extremely safe and meets electrical and New Zealand safety
standards, approval no CS8117N.
Should I use the Diffuser if I suffer from asthma?
The Diffuser contains a paraffin-type mineral oil of a kind common to other air freshener devices. If
you consider yourself to be particularly sensitive, or have had problems when using similar devices
in the past, we advise you to use the device only after consulting your GP, or use the Feliway® Spray
as an alternative.
Is Feliway® safe to use if you are pregnant?
Yes, Feliway® Diffuser and Spray are safe to use if you are pregnant.
Should I use the Feliway® Diffuser and Feliway® Spray together?
In multi-cat households the Feliway® Diffuser will reduce the general levels of anxiety, while the
Spray can be applied to specific areas or objects. The use of both may help to maximise the result
in any situation.
Can I use the Feliway® Refill in the Adaptil® Diffuser device?
Yes, the device is the same, although they should never be used in any other plug-in
device such as an air freshener.
How many refills can be used before replacing the electrical device?
It is recommended to replace the plug-in unit every 6-12 months. Diffusers can accumulate
dust and debris which can compromise their diffusing capacity and give rise to
unpleasant smells.
Can a Feliway® and Adaptil® Diffuser be used in the same room?
Yes, the pheromones in each product are species specific, therefore, each product will only affect
either cats or dogs.
The Diffuser smells of burning - is it safe?
New Diffusers may smell slightly for the first 24 hours of use, just as an electrical heater might when
dust has collected on it. Diffuser in a very dusty environment may smell more persistently.
Be sure that a dog or cat has not urinated on the device. If the device is used continuously for long
periods of time, we recommend that it is changed every 6-12 months.
The level of liquid in the Diffuser appears not to be going down?
The diffusion of the liquid from the Feliway® Diffuser is a very slow process. As such, it can be very
difficult to see any change to the level in the device over the first week of use. Slight variations will
also occur, depending on air turnover.
Check that the wick is not broken (the wick should extend from the bottom of the liquid to a level
flush with the top of the heated ceramic plate). Check the device is turned on all the time. Finally, try
the device in a different electrical socket.
The cat sprays or urinates on electrical items frequently. Where should the Diffuser be plugged in?
Locate the device out of reach or consider using the Feliway® Spray.
Can I use the Diffuser with a bird or aquarium?
Some birds are known to have sensitive respiratory systems, therefore it is recommended not to
plug in the Diffuser in the same room. Similarly, it is advised not to plug it in a room containing an
aquarium as a precaution to avoid oily, diffused active ingredients settling on the surface of the
water.
Where can I find more information on Feliway®?
Check out the website: www.feliway.com/au
For any questions or queries, you can contact Ceva on: Ph 02 9652 7000
