# Feliway - negative effects?



## Pixie_Tinker_Bell

Not sure if I've got this in the right place but here goes.

Prior to bringing home our new kitten I plugged in the feliway diffuser. Not long after it was plugged in my older cat, Tinker Bell, started sitting on top of the new cat tree next to the diffuser - somewhere she had so far refused to go. The first day the kitten arrived she was ok and went to sleep in the bed upstairs, quite normal behaviour for when she's a little unsettled.

However as time went on I found she was spending more time at the cat tree and refused to come for a cuddle at all. I was getting really concerned that she was severely upset about the kitten and was worrying what to do next. Anyway, this morning I decided to switch the diffuser off - just to see what would happen. Within minutes Tinker Bell had jumped down off the tree and has been cosied on my lap ever since! She's completely changed back to her usual chilled out self.

I'm now thinking it was the diffuser having more of an affect than the kitten - who she didn't seem that bothered by when we first brought her home (had a wee sniff then walked away nonchalantly). Has anyone else had a similar experience with feliway? I thought I was doing the right thing by helping her relax but now I think it did more harm than good.

Any thoughts are much appreciated, thanks.


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## lymorelynn

Many cats react differently to Feliway and it doesn't always help them to relax. I had a rather difficult and aggressive breeding girl who would just spray up the plug-in. I used Beaphar calming spot-on in the end which was much better.


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## chillminx

@Pixie_Tinker_Bell - I have had cats in the past who seemed not to react to Feliway, but have never had an experience like yours where a cat has suddenly reverted to their old relaxed self after the Feliway was switched off.

We use Feliway Friends and Pet Remedy a lot in the Shelter when introducing new cats to each other, and it does seem to help relax them a lot. We soon see a negative effect when we run out of the stuff.

I shall be very intrigued to know if Tinker Bell continues to accept little Pixie without any further wariness or hesitation.


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## Pixie_Tinker_Bell

It was fascinating to see the difference in her. I have to put it down to the feliway due to the fact she changed back to her usual self so quickly after I switched it off - there were no other changes at that same time.

Introductions still going slowly, tried the feeding either side of a closed door today but Tinkerbell was having none of it! Although she was quite happy to eat Pixie's leftovers (we gave her a bit of new food to entice her - not that she needs any enticing to food!) And when Pixie managed to escape into the living room Tinkerbell wasn't all that bothered and continued eating.

I must admit I feel a little out of my depth as I've found introducing cats isn't a textbook scenario so I'm trying to follow instinct based on their reactions but also scared to do the wrong thing in case I cause long term animosity between them.

I need to keep reminding myself it's still early days!


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## BandB

I’ve been experimenting with feliway and pet remedy - the latter made no difference but after stopping the Feliway one of my cats got more aggressive. I’ve now put the feliway back in and using Classic and Friends and she’s much better although not perfect. I’m going to have a go with other options too.


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## chillminx

@Pixie_Tinker_Bell -

I am sorry, but there's nothing to be gained from feeding the two cats on either side of a closed door. It is not a natural behaviour for them to eat meals like that. Instead it is best to encourage as much natural behaviour as possible, because that is what will ease the acceptance of Pixie by Tinker Bell.

Cats do not eat their meals ("prey") near a cat who is a stranger to them. Your two cats are in different social groups (albeit groups with only one member per group). They may eventually get along, or Tinker Bell may in time just tolerate Pixie, but it is best to start by giving them their own separate feeding stations out of sight of each other, and make that a permanent arrangement. Certainly it will be a much happier arrangement for Tinker Bell.

It is OK to feed them treats in sight of each other, but not their meals. A few treats will help build positive associations between the two cats.

Food is a major resource to cats, and always the main source of competition between them. Tinker Bell as the resident cat feels a strong instinct to protect her food resources from Pixie. Please do not allow them to eat from each other's bowls. Ideally buy a microchip feeder for Tinker Bell, so she knows her food is always safe from Pixie.

Another major resource for cats is their litter trays. The minimum number of trays for 2 cats is 3 trays but I always provide more than that to help maintain harmony and reduce competition. My two girls (sisters) have 4 trays between them, which seems about right for them. My boys toilet outdoors in the daytime and have their own trays at night when they are shut indoors.


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## lorilu

@Pixie_Tinker_Bell Years and years ago I used the feliway diffuser for a specific situation. Fast forward to a couple of years ago, I gave the diffuser away. then decided maybe I should have a new one in case I ever needed it. I got a new one and a new bottle of fluid. I plugged it in one day before a stressful event and the stressy cat sat and started at it, immovable. With great big saucer eyes. I unplugged it, waited a few days and plugged it back in and the same thing happened. So I stopped using it.

I do use the spray and the wipes, for vet visits. But I won't use the diffuser again.


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## Pixie_Tinker_Bell

chillminx said:


> @Pixie_Tinker_Bell -
> 
> I am sorry, but there's nothing to be gained from feeding the two cats on either side of a closed door. It is not a natural behaviour for them to eat meals like that. Instead it is best to encourage as much natural behaviour as possible, because that is what will ease the acceptance of Pixie by Tinker Bell.
> 
> Cats do not eat their meals ("prey") near a cat who is a stranger to them. Your two cats are in different social groups (albeit groups with only one member per group). They may eventually get along, or Tinker Bell may in time just tolerate Pixie, but it is best to start by giving them their own separate feeding stations out of sight of each other, and make that a permanent arrangement. Certainly it will be a much happier arrangement for Tinker Bell.
> 
> It is OK to feed them treats in sight of each other, but not their meals. A few treats will help build positive associations between the two cats.
> 
> Food is a major resource to cats, and always the main source of competition between them. Tinker Bell as the resident cat feels a strong instinct to protect her food resources from Pixie. Please do not allow them to eat from each other's bowls. Ideally buy a microchip feeder for Tinker Bell, so she knows her food is always safe from Pixie.
> 
> Another major resource for cats is their litter trays. The minimum number of trays for 2 cats is 3 trays but I always provide more than that to help maintain harmony and reduce competition. My two girls (sisters) have 4 trays between them, which seems about right for them. My boys toilet outdoors in the daytime and have their own trays at night when they are shut indoors.


That's really interesting cos everything I read said to do the feeding either side of the door thing. I think Tinker Bell's main issue was that it wasn't where she normally eats! And given that 2 minutes later she wasn't bothered when Pixie came in the room I don't think it was Pixie in particular that upset her so much.

At the moment they both have completely separate eating zones (I plan to keep it that way always so they don't get to each other's food - they are as far apart as they could possibly be!) and litter trays, mainly because we have Pixie mostly in her own room with everything she needs. In the long run we have 3 bathrooms in our house plus 'Pixie's room' so can happily have as many litter trays as needed (although I have had some friends say their cats got confused with more than one :/ - I'm planning on just seeing how it works out for my 2 with an open Mind!).

Have you any advice @chillminx about how to proceed with introductions? We've had Pixie in the same room as Tinker Bell when she's had a nap on my knee, Tinx didn't seem too bothered, a little more alert when Pixie woke up and played a little but went back to snooze when Pixie did. Not sure when to introduce them when they're both up, awake and moving about! So scared of getting it wrong! Also with Pixie going to be post op from Monday I'm not sure how that's going to change things, or even if it will?


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## chillminx

With due respect to your friends, I can't imagine a cat would ever get confused by being given more than one litter tray!  Cats love having plenty of litter trays! At least, I have never met one that didn't in 50 years of having my own cats.

The only way I can think the cats in question may have gotten confused is if their litter trays were often moved around to different spots in the home, or doors were closed sometimes denying them access to trays. Cats like routine and moving their trays could be confusing and result in 'accidents'.

It is a natural instinct for cats to pee and poo in different spots, and even a single cat would need two trays, in different spots. Cats in a multi-cat household need more than 2 trays for the same reason. Without sufficient trays there is a risk a cat might soil the floor, or worse still may concentrate their urine rather than pee in a dirty or smelly tray. Concentrating their urine is hard on their kidneys. Not evacuating their bowel is also something a cat will do if they don't want to use a shared tray that is already soiled. Holding on to poo when they need to go could cause constipation.

Also, some cats will not poo in a tray that has any pee in it, (theirs or another cat's) and some cats won't pee in a tray that has any poo in it (theirs or another cat's)

It may be best to keep Pixie separate from T/Bell for a day after she returns from her op. She may still be a bit woozy from the anaesthetic, and also she will smell different from being at the vet. T/Bell may see her as a new/strange cat until she smells more like herself again.

If T/Bell is not bothered by Pixie being in the same room, then just ensure there is no bullying or chasing from T/Bell and that Pixie does not annoy T/Bell by trying to get her to play when T/Bell does not want to. So....close supervision at all times. I would not leave them alone unsupervised at present.


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## Pixie_Tinker_Bell

chillminx said:


> With due respect to your friends, I can't imagine a cat would ever getting confused by being given more than one litter tray!  Cats love having plenty of litter trays! At least, I have never met one that didn't in 50 years of having my own cats.
> 
> The only way I can think the cats in question may have gotten confused is if their litter trays were often moved around to different spots in the home, or doors were closed sometimes denying them access to trays. Cats like routine and moving their trays could be confusing and result in 'accidents'.
> 
> It is a natural instinct for cats to pee and poo in different spots, and even a single cat would need two trays, in different spots. Cats in a multi-cat household need more than 2 trays for the same reason. Without sufficient trays there is a risk a cat might soil the floor, or worse still may concentrate their urine rather than pee in a dirty or smelly tray. Concentrating their urine is hard on their kidneys. Not evacuating their bowel is also something a cat will do if they don't want to use a shared tray that is already soiled. Holding on to poo when they need to go could cause constipation.
> 
> Also, some cats will not poo in a tray that has any pee in it, (theirs or another cat's) and some cats won't pee in a tray that has any poo in it (theirs or another cat's)
> 
> It may be best to keep Pixie separate from T/Bell for a day after she returns from her op. She may still be a bit woozy from the anaesthetic, and also she will smell different from being at the vet. T/Bell may see her as a new/strange cat until she smells more like herself again.
> 
> If T/Bell is not bothered by Pixie being in the same room, then just ensure there is no bullying or chasing from T/Bell and that Pixie does not annoy T/Bell by trying to get her to play when T/Bell does not want to. So....close supervision at all times. I would not leave them alone unsupervised at present.


Thank you @chillminx for all your advice - it's been so so helpful. I must admit I've never had a problem with single cats only having one tray. My family cat Frosty was fine with one tray as long as we kept it poo free! Tinker Bell is an odd creature who doesn't seem to care what state her tray is in, and Pixie is seemingly the same :/ That said, I will happily instate an extra tray or 2 once doors open more frequently so they can have full choice of what they want to do where as long as it's in a litter tray (I once had a friend who blamed her cat for pooing in the doorway because it wouldn't use a tray soiled by the other cat - wasn't really his fault, and certainly not his fault it wasn't cleaned up!!)

Will definitely keep them separated for a day or 2 during the recovery period but it's good to hear I can try them out together and see how they get on in the same room. Out of interest would a little hiss be considered bullying or more just Tinx showing Pixie who's boss? So far that's all we've had, not a proper hiss with raised fur extra, more like a half hiss.


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## chillminx

A hiss is a cat's way of giving a warning to another cat (or a human) to leave them alone, not to come any closer etc. It is defensive behaviour, and definitely not bullying. Nor is it Tinx showing Pixie who's 'boss' as there is no hierarchy among cats, but a powerful instinct to protect their own resources and territory. 

Hissing is a self-protective mechanism, it is the cat saying "hey you, stop that" or "stay out of my space". The cat is not being aggressive but is warning that she/he might become cross if you don't take notice of the warning. 

I always advise people to treat a cat's hissing with the respect it deserves - and back off. Then the cat has no need to become aggressive to make their point. 

An adult cat would understand the meaning of a hiss and take note, but a kitten does not have full awareness of feline etiquette and may not understand what the hiss means, may think the older cat is playing. But adult cats often have an intrinsic understanding that a kitten lacks social etiquette and are therefor more tolerant with kittens than they would be with another adult cat. 

If Tinx gives the odd hiss at Pixie when Pixie gets close to her I wouldn't be too worried. Pixie may possibly take note and back off. But if it keeps happening then I would intervene and lift Pixie out of Tinx's way, placing Pixie on a different level such as a cat tree, chair, table etc. so the tension is broken. Tinx will appreciate that you have understood she is bothered by Pixie getting too near her, and that you are giving her your support.


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## Pixie_Tinker_Bell

chillminx said:


> A hiss is a cat's way of giving a warning to another cat (or a human) to leave them alone, not to come any closer etc. It is defensive behaviour, and definitely not bullying. Nor is it Tinx showing Pixie who's 'boss' as there is no hierarchy among cats, but a powerful instinct to protect their own resources and territory.
> 
> Hissing is a self-protective mechanism, it is the cat saying "hey you, stop that" or "stay out of my space". The cat is not being aggressive but is warning that she/he might become cross if you don't take notice of the warning.
> 
> I always advise people to treat a cat's hissing with the respect it deserves - and back off. Then the cat has no need to become aggressive to make their point.
> 
> An adult cat would understand the meaning of a hiss and take note, but a kitten does not have full awareness of feline etiquette and may not understand what the hiss means, may think the older cat is playing. But adult cats often have an intrinsic understanding that a kitten lacks social etiquette and are therefor more tolerant with kittens than they would be with another adult cat.
> 
> If Tinx gives the odd hiss at Pixie when Pixie gets close to her I wouldn't be too worried. Pixie may possibly take note and back off. But if it keeps happening then I would intervene and lift Pixie out of Tinx's way, placing Pixie on a different level such as a cat tree, chair, table etc. so the tension is broken. Tinx will appreciate that you have understood she is bothered by Pixie getting too near her, and that you are giving her your support.


That's great info, thanks. That's exactly what we've been doing today - Pixie got a little too close at one point (ignoring the hiss) and got a wee swipe for it. Other than that one incident we've managed to keep Pixie out of Tinker Bell's way and contained her to the sofa after a hiss, which only happens when Pixie gets too close to Tinker Bell's safe corner (it's her go to corner whenever she's unsettled or when the Hoover comes Out!)

Overall it's not gone too badly for such early days. Currently though Tinker Bell has gone outside for a bit of space away from Pixie.


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## chillminx

Well done.  It sounds as though progress is being made. Please let us know how things progress.


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## Pixie_Tinker_Bell

chillminx said:


> Well done.  It sounds as though progress is being made. Please let us know how things progress.


Will do. We had more progress tonight when Tinker Bell came up on the sofa while Pixie was on my knee. Admittedly she only came out her corner because she thought Pixie had gone but she still decided to come up for a short cuddle with her dad once she realised Pixie was there.

She has also come out her corner straight away after Pixie has gone to bed for the night.

Will let you know how we get on over the next wee while. Hoping the op tomorrow won't set us back too much.


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## jomayevans

Omg feliway plug in spray!! This stuff has caused just problems. I only bought it as a treat after seeing so many people recommend it in Persian groups.. my Persian did use to deficate and pee on the floors I spent 3 hard years with ptsd & back problems cleaning it. Before finally this past year he's been great again. My other cat he use hiss at He's been getting on with.. anyway after some stressful home problems beginning of the year ( everything's still been fine with cats) I decided by this as we're in the festive seasons and just had Tomicos birthday. I thought this might make things even more homely for the cats. A nice treat. Day 1 of me plugging this in and even though his tray had fresh litter I got up middle of night to see he had on kitchen floor. In the morning in the bathroom he had pissed on the floor instead of trays. Each day this thing is plugged in he's using his tray less and going all over the floor. He's started hissing at my other cat pixie again. Which he hasn't in over a year and even picked behaviour is becoming brooding. And constantly whining at me. I've changed the tray again just now after cleaning up 3 messes. But I think this thing is going to get binned. A very expensive product that's been backwards for me. So glad I'm not the only one


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