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What is a pheromone? |
| According to Webster's: "A chemical substance that is produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses." |
Who makes Feliway? |
| Feliway was created by Ceva Sante Animale in France where it is manufactured put in spray bottles or bottles for diffusers. It is imported into the US and distributed by Farnam/Central Life Sciences Inc., a leading manufacturer of animal health products. |
I don't like buying things made in China. Where is Feliway made? |
| That's fantastic! The pheromone is manufactured in France by Ceva Sante Animale. The bottles and diffusers are manufacutered either in France or Eastern Europe in sweat shop free settings. |
I see that now the packages say Comfort Zone for Cats with Feliway. What's that about? Is this a better or different product? |
| No, its all the same. A few years ago Farnam/Central felt they needed to market Feliway under the brand name Comfort Zone. They have since also packaged the dog and horse version under the name Comfort Zone. We stick with the brand name Feliway because that's the name of the pheromone we love and believe in, and that's the name most veterinarians and cat magazines have used since it came out in 1997. Note that Feliway sold to veterinarians will have different packaging and will not have the phrase Comfort Zone on the box because it is distributed in the US by another company. Yes, its odd and confusing, but trust us to have the real thing and only the best |
I've seen Comfort Zone for Cats with Feliway at the store in those big chunky and hard to open clamshells. Why is yours in nice cardboard boxes? Is the Feliway any less potent in one of them? |
| Well friends, we'd like to prove that if you complain with good manners and don't give up that you can create change! We were horrified when Farnam/Central came out with the clam shell packaging, and for so many obvious reasons. After much protest and pouring on of the charm we got Farnam/Central to re-package Feliway in cardboard boxes - just for us!
The Feliway is exactly the same no matter the outter packaging is. |
Does Feliway work all the time and for all cats? |
| No. Ceva's research tells us that there is an 86% success rate. We would say that this assertion is pretty accurate. HOWEVER! Cat Faeries customers do even better because they have us for support which helps to increase the effectiveness of the product. We are full of good advice, both practical and behavior oriented! |
How long of a period of time do I need to use Feliway? |
| Two to three months is the norm. If the cat has not been doing this behavior for very long 2 months might take care of it. If the behavior is an old one, or there is more than one cat doing it you'll definitely need to use it for 3 months - perhaps longer. In some cases its needed indefinitely. There are many customers who view Feliway as a forever-thing because their cats like it so much.
Read our section called What Products Do I Need For MY Situation. We outline plans for usage and time frames. |
I saw on an internet bulletin board that some people say to spray it on the cat or rub it on the cat. Should I do this? |
| No! No! No! A thousand times NO!! Needless to say there is a lot of very bad and potentially dangerous misinformation circulating on Internet bulletin boards and on lists. Feliway spray is 90% alcohol. What if some of that alcohol got into a cat's eye? Or on an open wound? Not to mention that spraying the cat is going to terrify a cat who might already be stressed or nervous. The cat would also lick it off and injesting it could cause potentially harmful internal disorders. It is completely ineffective when applied to the cat. Rubbing or spraying it on the cat is not sanctioned by either Ceva Sante Animale, Farnam/Central, or Cat Faeries. |
Once my cat stops spraying can I stop using Feliway |
| Very often, yes. But sometimes its a forever thing. Experiment! See what happens when you either stop completely or use the product a few times a week. Most people use Feliway spray daily and install a few diffusers for back up. When the problem stops you can probably stop using your spray but continue with the diffusers. |
My cat doesn't seem to like using the litter box. Any ideas why? |
| Yes. This is called Litter Box Aversion. And it occurs for many reasons. Cats do not like scented cat litter. Those perfumes insult a cat's sensitive olfactory sensibilities (and many human's as well!) The scent is synthetic, a nasty brew of about 49 petrochemicals which cause headaches and neurological disorders in many individuals. Many cats dislike the hoods on their boxes. Those hoods keep the cat from stretching for proper elimination. They also hold the stench of urine and feces. Would you like going to the bathroom in a gas station men's room with a ceiling so low it touched your head? Yuck! We are shocked by how many people do not remove the urine and feces from their cat's litter boxes twice a day. Cats are very clean little creatures, they do not like a dirty litter box!! A good rule of thumb is 1 litter box per cat, cleaned twice a day. One last thing . . .no animal will, uh. you know - defecate where it eats! Litter boxes should NOT be located near food and water bowls! |
My cat didn't do this behavior until I had him declawed. |
| We are 100% against this cruel, painful, and unnecessary surgery. It leaves a cat defenseless and the cat knows it! Most of the cats who are victims of this surgery become rather neurotic, and often mean. Cats will retaliate by biting, growling, and spraying urine or urinating out side the litter box. We have noticed that roughly 60% of our Feliway customers have declawed cats. Declaw your cat - risk having a spraying problem.
Also, many cats are left with permanent pain in their feet. This can keep them out of litter boxes. If you suspect that's the problem switch from a grainy or rocky litter to something softer and more fine. If you adopted a previously declawed cat do not despair. With love, kindness, and Martha Stewart like attention to litter box duty you'll probably be pee-free! |
Cat Faeries seems really passionate about Feliway, why? |
| That question is music to our ears! We absolutely know that because of our work and our fussy product selection that we are keeping cats in their loving homes. We are keeping cats from being dumped in shelters or on streets. We are keeping thousands of cats from being euthanized. We have heard more times than we can count "If it wasn't for you I think I would have had to put the cat down." |
Is it true that Feliway can deter a cat from scratching at my furniture? |
| YES! There are several reasons why a cat scratches at objects: 1) exercise which feels good, 2) to deposit territory marking scent, and 3) to show off claw marks which tell the world who this territory belongs to. Feliway helps to cover up the territory scent from cat claws with the friendly cheek scent, but it must be used daily. It also works best on vertical surfaces rather than horizontal surfaces. Why is this? No one knows. |
To prevent my cat scratching at my wonderful furniture what should I do? |
| Two things you can do: 1) Spray Feliway on furniture every other day (test fabrics first) 2) Trim cat's nails every 10 -14 days. It's easy, and with a little practice, you'll be a pro at it in no time. Your vet or a vet tech can teach you how. Interestingly, and no one can explain why this is but Feliway also works best on vertical scratching - in other words, the cat is reaching up and scratching, rather than being crouched down and scratching on the carpet. |
My female cat sprays! Isn't this odd? I thought only males sprayed? |
| Oh dear. It is absolutely unbelievable that this question continues to pop up. Since the 1960's the need to spay and neuter has been discussed. The subject has the support of veterinarians, behaviorists, scientists, not to mention the over crowded animal shelters across the US, and anyone with common sense. There are articles everywhere about the importance of spay and neuter. You'd have to be living under a rock to successfully avoid reading articles or having conversations with people know that spay and neuter is important. There is absolutely no reason or any excuse to not do this! No spaying or neutering is shameful. We will not mince words here:
* Every time your female cat cycles and does not concieve its a death sentence. You are setting her up for mammary gland cancer. Most un-spayed female cats develop cancer by age 6. * Un-altered cats spray urine and fight. They are responding to nature - they ARE NOT bad cats, they are awash with hormones and are acting accordingly. * Many things go wrong when cats give birth to kittens. Often the mother cat is too young and doesn't know what to do. Kittens can be born dead. They can be born with their entrails outside their bodies. They can be born with birth defects. * Every time you find a home for one of your kittens you are taking a home away from a shelter cat. * If you want your children to understand the birds and the bees take them to the library. * Millions upon millions of cats and dogs are put to death in the US annually because there simply not enough homes for them all. If your cat is having kittens or impregnating female cats you are responsible for this mass genocide of cats and dogs. Anyone with an unaltered cat should be forced to watch as teary eyed vets or techs euthanize beautiful but unwanted cats - better yet, let the selfish individuals who won't spay or neuter inject the fluid which kills the cat and see how it feels to kill innocent cats and kittens. End of subject. |
Does feliway work when a cat defecates on the floor? |
| Even if a cat is fixed at a young age the instinct can come out when territory is threatened. Nature is pretty remarkable, isn't it? |
How do your flower essence formulas help? |
| Flower essences used in conjunction with Feliway helps boosts effectiveness and in quiet a few cases it was the addition of a flower essence formula that gave the situation near or complete success. Our formulas were very sensitively crafted to address a very wide range of emotions and conditions that face our modern house cats. Territorial Rescue is about possessiveness, anxiety over others trespassing, and territory battles among cats. Multi Cat Household is about making friends, accepting, tolerating, not feeling space encroachment, and bonding. Calm and Serene - self explanatory!
It is not intended that flower essences be added to the Feliway products! |
Does feliway have other benefits for cats and their human housemates? |
| YES! When Feliway is used in a multi-cat household people find their cats get along better. If Feliway is spritzed onto a cat's carrier pad it helps make trips to the vet or any destination outside the home less stressful for both cat and person!
Progressive vet hospitals install the diffusers in exam and waiting rooms. Smart vets and techs will spritz Feliway spray on their hands or uniform before examining a cat, or they might spray a bit on the exam table. Feliway has a very calming effect on cats. |
I'm concerned about animal testing. Were any cats harmed when Feliway was initially created? |
| We love this question. We are 100% against any and all animal testing. Not a single cat was harmed. We know that during the Research and Development phase the pheromone scent was gathered by rubbing a soft cotton ball against the cat's cheek. It was copied synthetically and bottled. |
I'm pregnant, should I avoid using this product? |
| As with any household product you might use during your pregnancy your doctor should be consulted prior to using it. You absolutely do not want to swallow Feliway or any product with a high alcohol content. We have heard of no problems when pregant women used Feliway spray or had the diffusers in their homes. |
This is a bit off topic, but I'm pregant and my doctor is warning me about Toxoplasmosis which he says is in cat feces. He wants me to get rid of the cat! I don't "get rid of cats," I love my cat. |
| Oh dear. Well, doctors love to issue this warning, but since they are not veterinarians, they cannot know for sure if YOUR cat has it! Yes, Toxoplasmosis CAN be in cat feces but its not likely that its in your cat's feces, especially if the cat is an indoor cat. Call your vet and ask for the cat to be tested. You'll feel so much better knowing the truth. In the event that your cat is positive, very easy solution, have someone you live with scoop the litter box! |
I have a dog, will Feliway have any effect on our canine friends? |
| Not at all. This pheromone is "species specific." It will have zero effect on your dog or any other animal - including humans. |
I have a bird, is Feliway safe? |
| We were disappointed to learn that the manufacturer never tested Feliway or Comfort Zone on birds. So we did our own research. We asked Dr. Bridget Ferguson DVM a San Francisco avian veterinarian what she thought. "I have no problem with Feliway spray as long as it's used at least 4 or 5 feet from the bird and not sprayed at the bird. I do have a problem with the diffuser and do not think it should be used in a home with birds." Of course you should consult with your own avian veterinarian first. |
Will Feliway spray harm my furniture? |
| In the years that we have sold Feliway we have kept track of what people tell us. This is the list of surfaces that customers told us have been stained by the spray: vintage linoleum, un-finished wood furniture, some raw silk, some leather. With regard to silk and leather, it depends on how it was made or treated - test first. We have customers who tell us they use Feliway on antiques, Oriental carpets, and a vast array or furniture without any staining. You should test first on an area that can't be seen. |
I have a small child, is Feliway safe for her to be around? |
| Yes it is safe - we would never sell or endorse something not safe. With small children care must be taken when using Feliway spray. Since the product is 90% alcohol and stays wet for a brief period the child might put her hands on it and then put her hands in her mouth. The taste would be terrible. We suggest that when you use Feliway spray in a home with small children that you keep the child in another part of the home. If the child sprays some of the product into its mouth a doctor must be called immediately. |
I have a bit of asthma and some chemical sensitivities. Will Feliway bother me? |
| Anything is possible, but its not likely. We have sold thousands of Feliway spray bottles and thousands of diffusers and we have only heard from a tiny handful of people who objected to it.
Feliway in spray form can smell like alcohol for about 15-20 minutes after use. It takes 15 - 20 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate. What remains is the barely-there pheromone scent which most of our customers cannot smell. Those few who do smell something say it's an odd musk, but it's so faint they are barely aware of it. We are all individuals and whether or not it could trigger an asthma attack is not known. We suggest that when you spray it that you have windows open for a short period of time. Not one customer has said that they can smell the diffusers, nor has anyone said they couldn't tolerate being around them. |
Does the manufacturer provide a "material safety data sheet?" |
| You may obtain a copy of the Feliway MSDS calling 800-234-2269 |
All sales final.
There are no returns on Feliway products the event that they do not work. The manufacturer clearly states that its success is high but not 100%. There are no returns on flower essences or cat toys.
If you have questions which you would like to see answered here please write to us. We want to provide everyone with knowledge and information!
Copyright © 1993 - 2008, Cat Faeries™
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| * Feliway * About Feliway * Feliway FAQ * What Products should I Buy for My Situation? * Flower Essences For Cats * About Flower Essences |
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Cats produce pheromones in three parts of their bodies. The pheromones from their cheeks give the friendly message of "Hi there, I like you, I'm happy." The pheromones that come out with their urine and feces are very different and tell other cats "Hey buddy, this is my territory."