a.albertine

30 de agosto de 2025

Yes it works, Optimum v. Happy Cats, range, etc.

Was recommended this product by a volunteer when adopting a feral kitten. I knew I’d have my work cut out for me and figured every little bit helped. So I got this ahead of time so it would be set when she came home.Fast forward a month. This little gem of a kitten is bopping around the home with my resident cat, pleased they were fast friends. And then out of the blue they began having some hissing squabbles turned physical fights over the course of a few days in the play area. This hadn’t happened since they first met. What the heck??Then I realized the plug was empty. I put in the refill and by the afternoon and thereafter that behavior hasn’t surfaced again.I share this story because for this house, this product didn’t work miracles when I plugged it in. It still took a lot of patience and slow integration to bring these kitties together and for the kitten to feel confident in her new space. But it IS objectively a product that is noticed in its absence. The behavior was there when this plug was out, non-fighting kitties when in use 🙌 this is worth it.A couple things I wish I knew to begin with when deciding whether to jump on train feliway:1.) the range of each plug extends up to 700 ft. I ended up ordering a second one and put them on opposite ends of the house. If your cat(s) have an isolated ‘hot button’ room or situation where they regularly have issues (like the master bedroom, at meal time in kitchen ie) you would likely be fine plugging the one in right in that area. If your kitties/cat has an overarching behavior/pattern you’re trying to manage, keep a close eye on that range to see how many you may actually need.2.) After also trying Feliway’s ‘Happy Cats’ Multicat refill, this Optimum formula performed better here (optimum: 1-2x play fighting-turned-real fighting per month, whereas with the Happy Cats this was still happened 1-2x a week.)3.) these plugs don’t last forever and will begin not putting product in the air. Instructions say these need to be replaced every 6 months. This is one of the few things I have on auto-ship to remind me to change the unit bc I will undoubtedly forget when I changed it last.4.) I’ve had no issues with the plugs up to 6 months of use. They are super consistent at running out between 29-31 days.Ver más

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Nicole Holm

11 de enero de 2026

I Think This Actually Works!

I am extremely optimistic that this is working, and it is such a relief! At the end of September, 2025 my five-year-old cat had a tumor removed with her spleen and a kidney, additionally she spent 2 nights in the critical care unit of a pet hospital. A month later (end of October), after a full recovery from her life saving surgery, we took her to an oncologist where they did an ultrasound and x-ray to check for regrowth of the tumor, no signs of regrowth, they suggested another ultrasound in a month. We took her for another ultrasound at the end of November, no signs of regrowth.About three weeks later (mid-December) we took her to the vet again because she was licking and chewing her fur off on one side of her body. The vet did a thorough exam and gave her a flea treatment (even though she is 100% indoor but may have been bit at one of her vet appointments) and she was prescribed a short round of prednisolone to help with her inflamed and itchy skin in the area she was licking and chewing.Immediately following that last appointment, she started hiding from us and would not let us approach her. She went from being a very confident, happy, social kitty who followed us around and loved to be pet and snuggled to not wanting anything to do with us, like she didn't trust us. My immediate reaction was to take her back to the vet but I suspected her sudden change in behavior may be anxiety brought on by going to the vet so many times in a short period of time and was associating us coming close to her to getting picked up and going to the vet. I was concerned that taking her to the vet again after just going two weeks prior would potentially exacerbate her anxiety. I spoke with my vet and we started giving her gabapentin to help relax her. After a few days, she still was not acting like herself and would move away from us if we got too close, she acted very timid in general, but was not hiding any longer, it was a small improvement, but still concerning because it is not her normal behavior.The vet hospital where she stayed after surgery used pheromone diffusers in the critical care unit for cats, and although I was a little skeptical, I started to read reviews and saw enough positive reviews that made me decide to order one. That was Wednesday night, it arrived first thing Thursday and I immediately plugged it in. I don't know if it is a combination of time, the gabapentin, and the pheromones, but the noticeable difference in her after the first day was undeniable - she was more relaxed and would let us come close to her, sometimes we could even briefly pet her. I ordered just one diffuser and moved it to whatever room she was in. Because I could see an improvement, I ordered two more the next day (Friday) and they were delivered the same day - I immediately put them in each of the rooms she primarily spends most of her time.By Saturday, she started letting us pet her and give her snuggles, she still has moments where she does not want to be pet, but a huge difference. It is now Sunday, she is clearly more relaxed and she is letting us pet her give her lots of snuggles, and she is purring again. She is not 100% herself yet and we still approach her cautiously, but she is visibly much happier, relaxed, and friendlier. Based on her sudden improvement after using the diffusers, I am confident that these have worked, and it feels like a miracle. If you have a stressed or anxious cat, I highly recommend trying it. It may not have an immediate effect like it did for my sweet girl, but I would give it time, it is absolutely worth giving a try.

L. E. E. Family

The Pascal's Wager of carpet peeing

Look, I'm not the type to leave a positive review on something that I can't prove is working, but in this case, it's a likely enough candidate to give credit where credit is (possibly) due.Our beloved eldest is perhaps the most anxious cat in existence. Before he came to live with us, he spent his youngest years being terrorized by an older, aggressive cat who would often ambush him in the litter box. He developed a lifelong fear of using it to pee (weirdly not for #2), and would try to pee literally anywhere else, be it on rugs, clothes that had fallen out of laundry baskets, hardwood, tile, cement, you name it. Any surface other than his actual box.Here's a truncated list of things we have tried to calm his anxiety/keep up with his peeing:- Different types of litters- Different styles of litter boxes- Different locations for the litter box- Litter attractants- Diet changes- Deterrent in his favorite floor spots- Enzymatic cleaners to try to remove any lingering scent- Extensive veterinary testing- Consults with behaviorists- Rewarding him when he uses the litter box (recommended by behaviorist)- Retraining in a large kennel with a litter box (recommended by behaviorist)- Calming collars- Other Feliway products- Prozac (prescribed by the vet)- Gabapentin (prescribed by the vet)Nothing worked, other than an elaborate and not entirely foolproof routine of taking him to the box personally and guarding him while he was in there. We had to do this multiple times a day, and he would still sometimes try to sneak off to do his business elsewhere.So, when we moved to a one-bedroom apartment with a lot of carpet, we were prepared to immediately lose our security deposit to his anxious peeing. We were convinced the move alone would leave him emotionally shaken to his core. We armed ourselves with some of the most highly-recommended enzyme cleaners (Rocco & Roxie), and were looking into expensive waterproof covers to put on approximately 600 sq ft worth of carpet, and then cover those with washable rugs. We were ready for battle.I called our vet to ask for a light sedative for both him and his younger brother, to make the moving day less stressful, and the tech suggested that we also get these specific Feliway diffusers. Although we hadn't had any luck with Feliway in the past, we were throwing absolutely everything we could at this, so we figured the worst they could was not work.Cut to moving day. We put both our groggy cats into the new bathroom with their litter box while the movers stomp around bringing in boxes and furniture. The second they're gone, we plug in the diffusers, let them run for an hour, and then cautiously let the cats out. Both of them are low to the ground, skittering from one room to the next in utter confusion. Eventually Anxious Cat finds a window to plop his butt in and doesn't move until dinner, but we spend the entire time watching him while we unpack, ready to jump up if he seems like he's scoping out new pee spots.By the end of the day, he hasn't used the litter box yet, and we're starting to wonder if maybe we should close him up with it in the bathroom for the night. At least there's no carpet in there. And then we realize ... we've lost sight of him. We bolt up and start canvasing the apartment, only to hear the digging of little paws in litter. Slowly, we creep to the bathroom door and peer in just in time to see him hop out of the box, giving us both a look of mild confusion as he sprints off to the window.But we weren't sure what he did. If he pooped, well, that's nothing out of the ordinary, and there was some in the box, so it could've been him or his brother. We decide to lock them in the bathroom for the night, but eventually succumbed to their piteous sobbing and let them out. Come morning, there's still no pee, but Anxious Cat is a champion at holding it until he finds the perfect spot to unleash. But finally, come afternoon, we actually manage to catch him in the act of peeing IN THE LITTER BOX. It's a monumentous occasion, and we shower him in catnip, treats and lots of play. He's delighted, and no longer slinking around with his belly to the floor. He's acting like a normal cat, cautious of his new space, but enjoying the comfort of his familiar beds and toys.It's now been two weeks, and he has done all of his business in the box, and NOWHERE ELSE in the apartment. We haven't even taken the plastic off of all of our enzyme cleaners! His anxiety is way down in general, and so is ours. We can let him out of our sight for hours at a time without worrying that soon we'll smell cat pee. This has been life-changing for him, and for us. I've never seen my little old man happier than he is now. And maybe it was just the change of scenery, the smaller space, not being able to smell the neighborhood cats who used to hang around our old house. Or maybe it's these Feliway diffusers. I honestly have no idea. But, I'm going to keep believing in their possibly magical power and keep buying the refills if that's what it takes to keep him happy, and keep our security deposit.So, why four stars instead of five, if this is (maybe) such a miracle product that has so improved the quality of life of both our cat and his human parents? Because it had ZERO effect on our younger cat. Usually, he's incredibly easygoing and adapts well to change. We weren't worried about him at all when planning the move, we figured he'd be as chill as he always is. Instead, he's been terrified and although he has no issues with using the litter box, he's spent most of these last two weeks hiding, jumping at every sound and refusing to play like he usually does. It's extremely unlike him, and it's pretty clear that the Feliway is doing nothing to help him. Which makes me think this product is very hit or miss, if it's doing anything at all.But rather than risk eternal damnation, I choose to believe in the power of Feliway, at least when it comes to our Anxious Cat (pictured above, with the carpet he has yet to ruin).

Steve

9 de marzo de 2025

Not Working

HIstory: I have a 7 month old female who, her and 3 siblings were rescued by a friend at 4 weeks. Mom was nowhere to be found and all four were in rough shape. A plea for help went out to help foster the kits until a home could be found. I agreed to foster one, became attached and decided to keep her. She needed to be bottle fed with KMR formula, had worms and severe diarrhea. Off to the VET we went and is in perfect health today. She has been spoiled with attention, toys, love and was a very loving cat who curled up around my neck when she napped. At 4 months she started becoming aggressive by attacking my face in the middle of the night for whatever reasons and drew blood. This aggression has increased to the point where it impossible to touch her. She will launch and latch onto my hand, growling, kicking & biting as if it was prey, not let go and draw blood. When she does this it is very painful and difficult to get her loose. So now I just respect her space and still show her affection but it has to be on her terms.Calming: A friend had purchased some calming collars for their cats and gave me one. That was nothing more than a Lavender walking air freshener. The only benefit it had is that I knew what room she was hiding in because the scent was very overpowering. Into the trash that went.Feliway: Researched their website, saw that is VET approved but I had a gut feeling and I was very hesitant to purchase this for $30. But, I thought I would give this a try and perhaps it will prove me wrong. My gut feeling turned out to be correct. I have been using the diffuser for 5 days now and there has been absolutely no change with her aggression.I understand that, like human beings, all cats are different and by no means am I discrediting Feliway. Perhaps 5 days isn't enough time for her?My advice, this is a 50/50. Use your judgement or go with your gut feeling. There is no guarantee that this product will work for all cats. For the cost of refills, I will not be ordering any in the future.There is a good article to read about the product on Cats.com. One paragraph states"To make it even more complicated, most of the research showing the supposed positive benefits of Feliway products was funded by Ceva Animal Health. This is the company that produces Feliway. Whilst scientific studies are bound by strict ethical rules, the results are still harder to trust."

heathera

17 de julio de 2026

Too expensive for what they are

Very expensive for what it is. My new cat doesn’t seem any calmer yet after 3 weeks and the diffusers are already empty! Did not last 30 days! They also leak which isn’t good especially for the price. I will give them another 30 days to see if it makes any difference on my cat or not.Ver más

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Gabrby Smith

23 de febrero de 2026

A literal miracle worker!

I apologize in advance for the long review but if you have an anxious cat(s) or are introducing new cats to each other, these are the way to go! This was my experience:)My fiance and I adopted two older cats from the shelter. They were both a few years old and we were slightly worried about our first two cats getting along. Our main concern was my cat Leon. He is the definition of anxiety. This cat will hide inside of my box spring for hours, throw up from anxiety, puffed tail, flinching, and running and hiding. Before you guys say "Why would you get more cats knowing how anxious your cat is," he has met other animals and done okay before. So, when we brought these new cats home and he wasn't doing well, I went online and saw people recommending this specific diffuser and how it worked wonders. Therefore, I bought enough to have one for each room in our house.The first two days I saw nothing change. Although, on day 3 I saw the craziest improvement from Leon. He went from hiding in my box spring and refusing to eat, to now he is able to eat on the other side of the door of the new cats and today he actually saw them face to face and didn't run away or hiss!!! Leon has been doing incredible, we are going at his own pace and taking things slow but for such an anxious cat, I expected a lot worse. These diffusers are working literal miracles! In addition to Leon and his anxiety, all of the other cats have been doing incredibly well. They aren't hissing at each other, they are approaching each other and getting towards each others faces without issues, and are calm and relaxed. Even the sweet girl we adopted has come out of hiding and has started playing with toys and other cats.Of course, keep in mind that every cat is different and reacts differently to things like this. Although, on my end, this product gets a solid 10/10. I will definitely keep these for my sweet little Leon's anxiety as well. Product wise, there is no smell, it lasts 30 days and you can buy refills (score!) and are perfect for people who need their cats to take a chill pill. Just give it a few days to start working and badda boom, badda bang, everyone is happy! :)Ver más

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