Help my cat get through some stressful times.

August 15, 2011 7:17 AM

My cat will be going through some life transitions soon and I have a couple of quick questions about using Feliway.

My Henry is about to undergo a series of stressful situations: a two-day car ride, a new living environment, and, a couple of weeks later, the introduction of three other cats to the same household. I have been looking for ways to minimize his distress during this time and I have a couple of questions for anyone who has used Feliway before.

The Feliway site says that cats can take from a week to a month to see benefits from the diffuser. Does this mean it takes time for the Feliway to permeate the environment, or that it takes time for an individual cat to be affected/change behavior? In other words, would it be beneficial for me to have the diffuser plugged in at the new house for a while before we arrive?

In addition, is it worth it to also buy the spray to use in his carrier for the car trip? He's been very distressed on previous trips of 2-3 hours (meowing, panting, occasionally peeing) so I'm really concerned about reducing his travel stress for this longer journey. The website says it can be used in this way, but if it takes a while to work, is it worth it? Should I spray his carrier and leave it out for a few days in advance? (Am I really overthinking this because I'm worried about my baby? Probably.)

In short, I would love to hear advice on using the Feliway diffuser most effectively, travel success stories, and any other tips related to not traumatizing my kitty forever.

posted by in a dark glassly to Pets & Animals (15 answers total)

Best answer: Is his carrier out and available to him currently? Like, can he jump in there at will? You might put a towel he's laid on in there with some feliway and just let him go in there when he wants, until the "transition". Our cats don't like car trips, but they sometimes go in their "dens" to get away from it all.
posted by notsnot at 7:23 AM on August 15, 2011

I've used the feliway diffuser because my cat, Sydney, decided that everytime we clean the house it is stressful and she pees on the floor to tell us something is wrong :) The vet wanted to use kitty vailum but first suggested to try the diffuser. It works well and I would say it took about 3-4 days for her to calm down, although the first day she peed right in front of it. I have used the wipes in the carrier before and nothing happened. Maybe they were old?

You could also talk to your vet about a mild tranquilzer to give to Henry for the trip, that would certainly help. He is a very handsome boy and I hope all of these changes will make him (and you!) very happy!
posted by ForeverDcember at 7:34 AM on August 15, 2011

I recently saw our new vet use the spray in my very very skittish cat's carrier - worked wonder! One or two squirts made her super duper relaxed for hours.

I keep meaning to get the spray so I can give her a much needed grooming.

YMMV.
posted by jbenben at 7:36 AM on August 15, 2011

We got a new kitten last week, and my elder cat is mad...three days of Feliway diffuser and she's a LOT more calm. I think it'a exposure over time to the chemical, so leaving it in the room longer might not have an effect...but start now!
posted by agregoli at 8:03 AM on August 15, 2011

You can start feliway diffusing at home, now, and a few days before you get to the new place, have the people there start a diffuser as well, in whatever room your cat will be "quarantined" while getting to know the other cats. Can't hurt to put a diffuser somewhere else for the other cats, too -- this is going to be stressful for them, as well.

Feliway in the carrier is a good idea, but if your cat especially hates car trips, some kind of mild sedative might be in order (our vet used to give us Ace).
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:05 AM on August 15, 2011

For the record, my experience with Feliway was not all that great — the problematic behaviour didn't really stop until I put up some stick-on window coverings for privacy. It sounds like your situation is more the type that Feliway is designed for, but just be aware that it's not a panacea.
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:48 AM on August 15, 2011

Best answer: I handled one of these staggered-move-in cat introductions by establishing my bedroom as my cat's "safe place" and absolutely forbidding the new cat from coming in. She had her food and litter box in there, and it was where I hung out with all my familiar-smelling stuff. That seemed to work fairly well - she didn't need to defend "her" turf from strange cats and the other one likewise had his own territory and then the rest of the house was neutral ground. They ended up getting along remarkably well with no major fights even right at the start.
posted by restless_nomad at 8:49 AM on August 15, 2011 [3 favorites]

I used a Feliway diffuser and collars for two angry cats. We did not have the ability to introduce them properly which really stressed them out, but Feliway helped calm things down. Our expectations for Feliway were probably a little high, but we kept up with it for a few months, and it seems to have taken. A year later, the cats aren't friends, but they hardly ever quarrel any more and seem to have sorted things out, and we've been able to discontinue the Feliway without major incident.

I definitely recommend the quarantine method to introduce the new cat to the others, with Feliway as a facilitator for the process, rather than a substitute.
posted by Hylas at 11:57 AM on August 15, 2011

Best answer: Henry is so cute!

I just returned from an all day ferry/car/plane/plane/car trip with my cat and I find what helps is leaving the carrier out and putting cat treats in it, my Max is crazy for treats, so he gets used to it a bit.

Then when we arrive at my moms he stays in my room with food/box for a day or so then slowly introduced to the other cats and the rest of the house. I think he gets a bit of sensory overload so being in a smaller place helps.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 12:08 PM on August 15, 2011

Henry is a very handsome kitty. When my 2 old cats did a 4 day cross country trip we put a tarp over the back seat and put them in a huge folding dog crate. It filled filled up the whole back seat and didn't move around. The pluses were that the cats could be together, it was easy to see them and get them a/c and that it fit a small plastic tray for a litter pan. One cat had an iron kitty bladder and one was not able to hold it all day. To him the carrier = vet trip and he'd pee in it from stress half the time we put him in it. We had harnesses on them to help handle the transfers into and out of the car. They seemed to be themselves every night when we'd stop and stay at a hotel.

If you could give your cat access to a small litter pan it might help prevent accidents.

We didn't use Feliway with those two but it seemed to help calm our newer cats when they were being introduced to our home.
posted by oneear at 1:02 PM on August 15, 2011

Best answer: Feliway didn't work for us.

But, a suggestion for the car trip: get some pee pads and put them in the bottom of his carrier. If he does pee it will be soaked up, and he won't be as covered in it, and it will be easier for you to clean.

He is very cute!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 2:09 PM on August 15, 2011

A few other ideas: I just did a cross-country move (Minnesota to Maine) with my cat - she historically has hated any kind of car ride. Friends suggested that harnessing her into the back seat (harness and leash) but letting her be able to see/move around would help a lot, and she was awesome. (She spent most of the trip curled on her back with her feet in the air up the back seat of the chair, but hey, whatever works.)

I put a small travel litter box within reach, and you can also make sure that whatever's under the cat is covered with towels/plastic bags/peepads/whatever layers make sense.

The one I've had great luck with, for cat stress, is Rescue Remedy, which is a flower essence that's designed for stress. It's safe for cats, and you can either put a few drops in food or water (or on a treat) or you can just apply it to the skin right in front of their ear (so you get skin, not fur.) It's worked very well every time I've had to use it. Woo in theory, but effective in practice.
posted by modernhypatia at 2:18 PM on August 15, 2011

An alternative to the Feliway is to use a collar version - it travels with them and is released by body heat. It works so well, we call it a "sanity collar" for my spasticat.
posted by bookdragoness at 2:49 PM on August 15, 2011

Best answer: Just as a related note, I used the Feliway spray this week to ease my kitty's trip to the vet, and it really seemed to work. He cried a LOT less in the car, and his usual signs of distress were much less over all.
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:20 PM on August 17, 2011

Response by poster: Thank you, everyone; I'm so grateful for the advice! I'll be keeping all of this in mind as I move.

I have introduced cats before and I plan to use the quarantine/gradual introduction method, with the diffuser just as possible extra insurance. In my experience, all the cats involved have been reasonably laid-back around new animals, and I'm hoping that after a week or two as sole cat in his new home Henry will be back to his usual relaxed self when that process starts.

Thanks especially for the answers that have eased my worries about the travel. My vet was reluctant to prescribe a tranquilizer when I asked about it, so I think it'll be a combination of Feliway, having his carrier available to him ahead of time (with treats!), pee pads, and whatever amount of attention he wants. (I LOVE the ideas that involve giving him more room to move than his carrier will, but unfortunately we'll be in the cab of a moving truck so I don't think the space will allow it. I'll be keeping these ideas in mind for the future.)
posted by in a dark glassly at 11:08 AM on August 22, 2011