How long to give feliway to work?

[hugoagogo]

Our puss overgrooms and has done for a while.
We tried a feliway diffuser about a year ago and it didn't make any difference. The vet suggested using two as we have high ceilings: we have had them for nearly a month.
I can't see any difference in her fur, but is it too soon to give up?
Feliway isn't cheap, but I would do anything for the little furball if I thought it would help.

We moved house our feral cat, ran away twice to our old home, I was so worried she would be killed on a dual carriage way then friends recommended Zylkene. Well what a difference, I swear she was stoned she was so laid back. We kept her on them for two months, now she is a happy home loving cat.

www.amazon.co.uk/Zylkene-75mg-20-Capsules/dp/B00K06MAK2/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1487281905&sr=1-1&keywords=zylkene+for+cats&tag=mumsnetforum-21

It's something to think about, but I am not really convinced that it's a stress/nervous problem, but I want to give the diffusers a proper chance.

If you read the comments on the link it does talk about cats over grooming being helped. I was going to get the feliway as well but the shop was out of stock so I went with the tablets.

Might be worth asking the vets about antihistamines, human ones can be given in smaller quantities
Also steroid injections

Last time we were at the vet he gave her a long lasting steroid injection and we saw an improvement for a week or two. I suspect she is itchy for whatever reason and might benefit from steroids/antihistamines, but I am not an expert and I want to give everything the vet has recommended a proper try before going back. ( hypoallergenic food, microchip flap, quiet peaceful house)

Ours did that with a flea allergy. What flea treatment do you use?

Aha that was the other thing she has activyl once a month, and I haven't found any sign of fleas on her for years.

The fact that people are offering alternative treatments makes me think you all think a month is long enough!?

I've been sneaking peaks at her tum this morning and now wonder if it is beginning to grow, she won't let me have a proper look.
The price of the feliway is putting me off somewhat, pet planet have them at half price, but that is still nearly £30 a month for god knows how long.
I suppose insurance wouldn't cover it?

I've never found that Feliway does anything for my cats over the years. I've had more success with zylkene. If you've not already I would try a grain free wet food or raw as both can help reduce itching which can be a factor with over grooming

Zykelene was much better for my cats and also pet remedy was more effective.

I used jojoba oil on my itchy overgroomer and it seems to have helped. I've been trying to get supplements in him but he's not the most cooperative cat. I gave him 1/4 of a piriton and it did stop the scratching but he was so dopey. I've not tried it again.

The other one's had zylkene to help her over Christmas, but I didn't really like the effect it had on her. She wasn't herself at all. I know that's kind of the point but it put me about.

Oh and feliway made my boy worse. Really stressed him out, contrary bugger.

I never got around to trying zylkene for my two cats' stress, had had Feliway (one upstairs and one down) for two months and it made no difference to the stress levels whatsoever. One continued to overgroom and the other remained withdrawn and itchy.

Rehoming one of them was the answer Imo the best way to destress cats is to resolve what's causing the stress.

I really am not altogether convinced about the stress theory, as her only symptom as far as I know is the overgrooming.
Anyway I talked to the vet nurse today who thought that another month was worth a go and seeing as I'm not buying it through then I am willing to try it.

Hugoagogo - oh gosh, I feel for you I really do, I have gone through the same thing with my cat and it is draining! The vet tried steroids, flea treatments, antihistamines, antibiotics, feliway.... the list goes on and on he was in a buster collar for a whole year!!!! Awful, just awful. My vet bills came to almost £1000 for nothing because the vets seemed to give us the same old thing over and over even though there was no improvement.

My cat went from over grooming (much like your cat from the sounds of it) to full on pulling his fur out with his teeth. He could make himself red raw and weeping within an hour (hence the buster collar being a necessity rather than a decoy). I'd love to say the vets helped but honestly, I could be wrong, but it felt like they didn't have a clue what was going on so kept palming me off with treatments they knew from the history didn't work and perhaps trying to squeeze a lot of pennies from me

On the bright side my cat is now so so much better!!

Do you have insurance OP? And if so, what policy are you on?

She is insured with john lewis.
confused I am glad your cat is better- what did the trick for him?

Does she have lifetime cover or per condition cover OP? Erm... well it was simply a miracle, we went away for a few days, came back and he's been fine since! Crazy! He had the condition for over a year and it was getting to the point that we literally didn't know what to do anymore, he was in such a bad way bless him

I have extremely mixed feelings about Feliway et al. I suspect that they may be good for short term stress alleviation but that, in the long term, you likely need to address deeper issues. Have you tried to groom her yourself so that she associates the act more with you? (Flanks and neck only.) and how does she occupy her time otherwise? Does she have lots of games to play for example?

I suspect mine does it as habit/comfort then it gets sore or itchy so he does it more
I take him for a steroid jab as mentioned when v bad otherwise antihistamines seem to help a bit
Constant distraction too, I physically stop him doing it (usually saying "no groom belly! Poor belly!") and then fuss him until he sort of relaxes and starts purring. He usually lies down then so I know he's stopped

She sleeps a lot, she likes to go out when the weather is nice and tries to face off the neighbourhood cats who are all twice her size.
This time of year she stares out the window and licks the bath taps, but mostly she sleeps.
John Lewis insurance includes something they call lifetime cover that pays out for conditions year after year. I haven't tested it to see how it works, but our previous cat got cancer and they were very good to us, so it was an obvious choice for us.
As for feliway, I am by no means convinced, but I want to give it a proper chance so I can rule it out, I am determined to sort this for her.

Naughty kitty

That's brill if you've got lifetime cover then, we made the mistake of per condition insurance which very nearly screwed us over as it only lasted a year before it was renewed and then that condition was no longer covered. I'd ask for blood tests and a small biopsy of her skin if your covered with your insurance and have a good limit as that will rule out any medical/allergy problems that may be causing it and if not, you can start to look at behavioural therapies etc... bless her! She's so cute!

I've never found Feliway any use for any condition. Current cat pulls out fur obsessively and nothing has helped. I think it's simply a habit, it does no harm to her so I try to ignore the scruffy appearance.