5/17/2011

Feliway 48-Milliliter Plug-In Refills, 6 Refills


Feliway 48-Milliliter Plug-In Refills, 6 Refills




Description:
Feliway reduces or completely stops stress-related behavior including urine marking, vertical scratching, loss of appetite and the reduced desire to play or interact.
Customer review:
To the Feliway product description information above, I would also add, "Aids in calming cats...who manage stressful chronic health conditions."

My 4yr. old neutered male cat manages several chronic health conditions, which at times create seemingly unrelated behavioral issues, when flare ups occur that jangle his nerves. When his IBD is not well controlled, my otherwise angelic cat becomes stressed out & does deadly things - chewing through power cords, consuming inedible objects, eating plants untouched for years, climbing to & jumping/falling from extremely high places aggravating his arthritis, & more. When he's not feeling well, acting-out is his way of externalizing his bad nerves & telling me, "I don't feel well, help me".

So I bought a Feliway Diffuser for him for his birthday a few weeks ago, & the change in my cat's behavior was noticeable within the first few hours after plugging it in. Initially, I noticed a personality change - sort of a mellowing effect, reflecting a more leveled out & increased general sense of well-being. I see less lethargy, & more interest in social interaction, his environment, & play. It's a subtle overall field effect, but his happiness & joy somehow seem happier. I've noticed I've had an easier time with giving him his regular medications & brushing his teeth. It's a synthetic feline facial pheromone, but I call it "the airborne feline prozac"... And without putting more chemicals into his system that don't belong in the body, & their problematic side effects. My cat seems to appreciate the general change in the overall atmosphere of his home, & occasionally, he even sleeps underneath the diffuser.

The benefits my cat experiences also pass on to me - because if he is less stressed & upset, & doing fewer life threatening things in reaction to his nerves - then I'm less stressed out as well. I'd rather buy him Feliway, than spend money on veterinary visits & additional medication to deal with new problems he creates when he's stressed. And there have been a lot of them.

Feliway contains an odorless oil by human standards, & it does not upset my cat's severe asthma or allergies, nor my own more moderate conditions. In fact, I am wondering that if he's less stressed out psychologically - & in turn physiologically - if there might even be less asthma & less digestive upset due to a reduction in the cycle of internalized stress. And if it improves his overall quality of life, I'd much rather buy him peace instead of more doctors...

I live in a small 1 person unit, & 1 diffuser does seem to cover the entire place. I unplug ours when the window is open, & plug it back in when it's closed, while I sleep or am away, & any time I think he might benefit from it. The plastic bottle can be unscrewed from the plug-in unit & recapped to preserve it until your next use. This may help to extend the 6 week life span recommended in the packaging information, we'll find out. I would also add that the diffuser gets warm, but not hot to the touch, & certaintly not hot enough to burn a hand or singe a whisker or fur. I have handled the diffuser many times during use, & I have no fear of allowing my cat to be directly near it.

The only negative aspect of this product so far as I can determine is how much you'll want to kick yourself for waiting to buy it for long as you did... As a pet store employee recently told me, "It is one of the few behavior mod products for cats on the market that actually does work." While there is no substitute for building & maintaining a solid, trusting relationship with your pet - or for seeking competent veterinary care - Feliway does seem like it could be a great adjunct to it.

Feliway gets 2 Thumbs & Paws Up from kitty & me. =^..^=

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