Feliway - how long does it take to work?

[KitKatCustard]

How long before a Feliway plug in takes effect?

We have got one for our nervous girlcat (who hates visitors with a vengeance and will hide under the bed for ages!). Think it is a combination of being a nervy rescue kitty and a long distance move. When we're on our own she is the most affectionate and playful kitty.

So anyway, we got her (and her brother) a Feliway and wondered when she'll start feeling those happy pheromones?

Other people probably have better experience on this one. How long have you had it running for?

PS - is it that important that she cones out to see visitors? My memory of my own boy's youth was seeing a pale backside whipping down the hall as he ran away to a safe place. We all just left him to it because he was perfectly happy on his own with his people. Some cats just aren't too sociable.

We only got it yesterday!

No, I don't mind a bit if she stays away from visitors (she has a "safe place" in a box under our bed. I just don't like to think of her feeling stressed. She is happy as larry when it's just DH, me and her furry kitty sibling.

I've always thought of Feliway as a shorter-term 'assist' to cats in coping with some difficulty so I'm not convinced that long term use will be beneficial if there's some sort of continuing issue which you can't resolve. (Pax to the views of more experienced users.) Personally, I'd just leave her to it - as long as you don't have visitors every 10 minutes so that she's spending all her time under the bed and as long as she has a comfy place there.

If it's any consolation, Seniorboy has become markedly more sociable as he's aged - assuming the siren call of his electric blanket is not too loud - and we've had good success with use of the 'A-Gawn' phrase to indicate that things are 'back to normal'. (He's got a big vocabulary though and is very verbal. I don't know how your girl is on communication.)

We used a Feliway in the run up to bonfire night, it was suggested by the vet but was advised it can take up to a month to start seeing any results. We tried it, and saw nothing for at least a month. The pheromones given off though are the same one the cat gives off itself when washing themselves. We saw more immediate results by tricking them into washing, put a bit of butter their feet, worked a treat, and so much cheaper!

The only "instant" result was when I sprayed the cat carrier after a vet visit. Both cats appeared happier with it as the nice pheromones mixed with all other other smells, I think.