Feliway

[westerngirl]

not sure if that's the right spelling! but interested in peoples opinions of how well they work. I have ended up with a new kitten, Grub. she was a feral but is very sweet and friendly now after about 4/5 weeks. She gets on ok with my oldest cat Pepper (10) unless she pushes into his face! but the younger one , Bundyberg (4) just hates her. continues to attack her and chase her off or sits and growls. Tbh Grub growls back . When I am not there Grub is shut in one room, but this is not helping her to get used to the whole house. I wondered if a Feliway thingy would help?

 

[JillA]

Could be worth a try. I used the spray when I moved house and wasn't convinced it did much TBH but that was a very stressful few hours in a crate for a cat who hates being confined anyway. All you have to lose is the few ££££s it costs.

 

[FubsyMog]

We got the diffuser a couple of weeks ago as we recently got a new kitten and him and the older cat were coming into conflict. Can't say I've noticed much difference. The kitten's behaviour has been utterly appalling towards her though (hand-reared, no cat-manners and far too confident) so I think we have quite an 'extreme' situation. We've had to manage the behavious in other ways.

 

[Nettle123]

We had a very very nervous feral cat that had to stay in my Sisters spare room for a few days. Normally she would hide under the bed but with the diffuser she was far more relaxed and would even sit looking out of the window.

 

[westerngirl]

Thanks, I think it is probably worth a go then. How else did you manage it FubsyMog?

 

[Jay89]

Feliway is worth a shot. Other products you could try would be Zylkene or a calm food. Other things to try are making sure you have enough resources down. N + 1, so 4 litter trays in total in different locations, 4 separate drinking/feeding stations.

 

[FubsyMog]

Thanks, I think it is probably worth a go then. How else did you manage it FubsyMog?

Thanks, I think it is probably worth a go then. How else did you manage it FubsyMog?

We've actually had to instigate a programme of confinement to de-escalate situations. Kitten is prone to frenzy - not normal 'mad-half-hour' kitten excitement, a type of manic behaviour I've never seen before. During this, he is very destructive and antagonistic towards the other cat. I should note that at other times, the two have lain on the same bed happily. Initially I thought he was frustrated at not having enough freedom - we didn't let him outside before he was neutered. It seems, however, that the more freedom he has, the worse he gets and I now think the frenzy is actually a stress response. You can see him 'change' into this mode, before he's even started galloping round.

We now take him back to his room (where his food/bed etc are) at the first sign of it and he settles quickly. He's usually resting, content and purry when I go up to get him again. He's brought out again after a period of cooling-off, and goes back in the room if he acts up again. Before, we put him in his room as a last resort, whereupon he would bounce off the walls, literally, sometimes for over an hour.

It seems so counter-intuitive - I always endorsed freedom for cats and liberty to do as they please, but this one seems unable to cope with it, at least at the minute (he's 6 months old). He is more settled and content with stricter boundaries in place so I've had to take the attitude of "it works for him". Not sure if it is something to do with being abandoned by the mother and lack of cat role model. He seems unable to self-regulate - most cats will remove themselves from stress if they have access to do so, which he does, but this kitten does not take this option. Instead, he stays in the situation, getting more and more wound up. he is similar with food - he has free access, but often won't just go and eat, but cries and gets stressed until we lift him and shut him in the room to eat. If he can get out of the room, it seems too distracting for him and it fries his tiny mind...

I hope he will improve as he gets older and with us regulating him until he learns better.

 

[westerngirl]

The other 2 have free access to the outside and are feed on the stairs which has never changed. Grub is feed and has a litter tray in my lounge and this is where I shut her when not around. I have just moved a scratch post and toys upstairs as well. they have always slept on my bed ( or should I say , on me!) Middle cat was found in a field when young and will not leave the garden and has a nervous temperament and talks constantly. She is a Tortie so I guess I should have known lol.
Jay89 ,what is a calm food?

 

[Jay89]

Royal canin do a calm food, not sure if anyone else does anything similar. I know of severak people who really rate the diet.
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/royal-canin-vet-diet-calm-cat-(online-only)

 

[westerngirl]

well the Feliway doesn't seem to be working...: ( middle cat came harring down stairs and into lounge and chased kitten round when she heard me open the door.