When looking for solutions to cat issues such as marking, urinating outside the litter box, aggressiveness, fear or anxiety, we will often recommended Feliway.

Feliway is a liquid product, available as a spray or plug-in diffuser, that contains synthetic copies of feline facial pheromones. This scent produced helps calm anxiety in cats. Cats secrete pheromones from scent glands on different parts of their body, including the face, paw pads and anal glands. Pheromones are chemicals released by an animal that serve to influence the physiology or behavior of that species.

When cats inspect an area, they often rub their facial pheromones on it in order to familiarise themselves with the spot, mark their territory and provide self-comfort. This is like putting a check mark by an area, as if to make a note that the spot was inspected and deemed acceptable. When cats feel stressed or frightened, they often act territorial. They mark by spraying or scratching in an attempt to feel safe and in control. Feliway mimics the pheromone smell produced during marking, and tells the cat that it is safe and secure.

Feliway spray can be applied to a particular problem area after it has been cleaned using a mild cleanser. For the scent to remain present, the spray should be re-applied daily at the site and to nearby objects. Feliway spray is often used as a spot treatment for cat marking, vertical scratching on walls or furniture, or in a pet carrier prior to cat transportation.

The Feliway diffuser can be plugged into an electrical socket to spread the scent throughout a room or open space. The diffuser is helpful following a move to a new home, during a change such as the introduction of a new pet or baby, and during loud events such as construction or fireworks. It can also be used to help cats better get along with each other. Improvement may be noted within a week, but Feliway should be used for at least one month. Some cats will respond faster than others, and some cats will require longer use of Feliway.

The environment we live in today is full of noises and smells that can be disturbing to some dogs who share our homes. It is now appreciated that anxiety is a real and debilitating condition for our dogs as well as for us. One of the most fascinating and ground-breaking developments to materialise against the stress and phobias experienced by our dogs is the identification and use of pheromone therapy. DAP was developed for pet owners by veterinarians, D.A.P. (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) and it mimics the properties of the natural pheromones of the lactating female.

Within three to five days after giving birth, the female generates pheromones that give their puppies a sense of well-being and reassurance, known as appeasing pheromones. While odorless and virtually undetectable by humans, animals are equipped with a special organ specifically crafted for the detection of pheromones. Lined up with special chemical-detection cells, the vomeronasal organ is a receptive olfactory organ responsible for interpreting pheromones. Once they are inhaled, pheromones reach a specific part of the brain that coordinates basic emotions. This organ is located right at the base of the dog’s nasal cavity.

These are the typical types of stress and anxiety in dogs listed below:

• Separation Anxiety: physical separation from the owner/pet guardian to whom it is attached.
• New People/Things: moving or major changes in the household, remodeling or redecorating, new pieces of furniture.
• Fear/Phobias: thunderstorms, lightening, fireworks.
• Temporary changes: being transported, hospitalised or boarded.

D.A.P. is an easy-to-use plug-in diffuser that consists of an electrical plug-in unit and disposable (30-day) bottle that will deliver the pheromone 24 hours a day. It continuously releases the active ingredient into the dog’s environment and allows trouble-free treatment in a 650-square-foot area for approximately four weeks.
Pheromones are picked up and detected by an animal’s sense of smell producing specific responses. By replicating this signal of comfort, D.A.P. helps alleviate fear and stress related signs in the puppy and adult dog.