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Can FELIWAY Be Used For Dogs?

Have you heard of FELIWAY and wondered if it would have the same benefits for your doggo as it would for a cat?

Although FELIWAY® and ADAPTIL® can be used in the same household at the same time, the pheromones in each product are species-specific. This means FELIWAY contains the feline facial pheromone which only affects cats, and ADAPTIL contains the dog appeasing pheromone that will only affect puppies and dogs.


How Pheromone Products Can Help Your Pet

How Do Feliway And Adaptil Work?

Using synthetic calming pheromones for cats and dogs can help comfort an animal by sending reassuring messages. In situations that can cause pets stress, pheromones can help to reduce the uncertainty they feel. For example, situations such as moving home or introducing changes to the home, learning new things or conflict with other pets in the home can be stressful for your pets.

Pheromones are odourless and colourless chemical signals which send a specific comforting message to the pet, helping them feel more safe and secure. ADAPTIL is a scientifically proven pheromone product to help calm dogs; it’s a copy of the mother pheromone given off to puppies.

How Do Pheromones Calm Your Pet?

Both FELIWAY FRIENDS and ADAPTIL replicate the appeasing pheromones[1] produced by nursing females which create a sense of belonging for newborn puppies and kittens. FELIWAY CLASSIC is an exact copy of the feline facial familiarisation pheromone that is common to all cats. The feline facial pheromone originates in the cheek glands. These are deposited on surfaces around the cat’s environment by facial rubbing. It is thought that these chemical markers indicate known places, and lead to a decrease in anxiety for the cat.

Conversely, if the cat is placed in an environment with no familiar marking odours, there can be an increase in anxiety. FELIWAY CLASSIC Spray, is used to provide comfort on the go which can help reduce travel stress at or on the way to the vets, and FELIWAY CLASSIC Diffuser provides reassurance around the home.

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Will One Set of Pheromones Affect Other Pets?

FELIWAY is safe for use around dogs when used as recommended. However, dogs will not receive any calming effects from FELIWAY, unlike any cats in the household. FELIWAY products created for use with cats will not work on dogs and vice-versa. As pheromones are species-specific, they won’t impact other pets or humans - only the species that gives off that specific pheromone. Both FELIWAY and ADAPTIL can be safely used in a multi-pet household - pawsome!

When Should You Use Feliway?

Both FELIWAY and ADAPTIL are scientifically proven and can help reduce anxiety and promote a feeling of calmness; this can help behavioural issues stemming from increased anxiety and stress. For example, FELIWAY has been scientifically proven to be useful in the treatment of urine spraying and vertical marking.

Anxiety and stress are often seen in crowded environments such as multi-cat households. However, covert aggression can be hard to detect as there is no hissing, spitting or fur flying! FELIWAY FRIENDS Diffuser has published scientific studies to support its use in reducing conflicts and tension between cats, to help them live in harmony within the home. FELIWAY FRIENDS acts just like the appeasing pheromones given from mother cats creating harmony amongst her kittens.

A cat that becomes stressed may respond by communicating their worries, for example urine spraying or scratching. When cats are introduced into a new environment or there is a change to their current one - such as new furniture, a new partner or a new baby - cats may feel anxious and urine mark or scratch. FELIWAY CLASSIC has been shown to decrease these signs of stress when used in conjunction with behaviour modification.

Cats that have to travel or that are hospitalised can also become stressed. Using FELIWAY CLASSIC in a veterinary hospital has proven helpful, as studies have shown that kitties in this situation eat more, play more and settle into grooming more easily. FELIWAY CLASSIC sprayed on the examination room table can help calm cats and make them easier to handle. Using FELIWAY CLASSIC Diffuser in the waiting room of the vets and the cattery room has also proven to helphelps cats to settle.

Tips for Using Feliway and Adaptil

For FELIWAY and ADAPTIL Diffusers to work effectively, they should be plugged in where your pets spend most of their time. The Diffusers last about 1 month, depending on the location in the house, so should be replaced accordingly. Factors such as open doors as well as windows and air conditioning will also affect diffusion rates. The Diffusers must be left on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and not just switched on when the pet is in the house.

Provide Your Pawsome Pals With A Calming Environment

Pheromones can help your pet deal with some of the challenges of modern life by sending them the comforting message that “you are safe here.” This is exactly how a FELIWAY CLASSIC Diffuser works for cats and an ADAPTIL Calm Home Diffuser works for dogs - creating a relaxing and supportive environment for your pawsome pal - to help them deal with new challenges or changes in their environment!

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