Is Feliway safe?

[SereneCapybara]

Hi

My adult son is coming to us for Christmas with his girlfriend and their cat. They are moving into a flat together just before Christmas and then coming to us, so the cat will be moved around three times in a few weeks. I am concerned that with all the bustle of Christmas, it might get a bit stressed, so was wondering if Feliway would help.

I've heard horror stories of it being really bad for dogs and making them sick, so I am nervous of using it without getting advice from real cat lovers.

There won't be any dogs around - we have no other pets, unless you count a fox that comes from breakfast most days. (Fox is very cat friendly - it curls up with next door's cat and they snooze in our garden.)

bump - anyone used Feliway? How did your cat respond?

It's fine for cats, definitely destresses my weird little one.

Feliway is fine for cats, but moving 3 times in a short period plus the bustle of Christmas? That’s way too much stress and not fair on the cat. I think they’d be better off paying a cat sitter to go round to the flat, or rethinking their plans. I would never do this to my cat. It’s just too much, sorry.

I have used Feliway on occasion for my cats, there were no side effects that I noticed.

The problem is that they are moving to a new area. Don't know anyone and don't necessarily trust a stranger - also who would want to feed a new neighbour's cat on Christmas Day? The cat will have been in the new flat for about four weeks, then with us for a few days then back in the new flat. It really isn't ideal but it's that or a cattery and imo, they are way more stressful than being around owners who the cat knows.

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely get some feliway and the cat's favourite brand of food.

Speaking as a long-term (50 years+ experience) cat owner, my suggestion would be that the cat goes to a cattery immediately before the move, and stays there until after Christmas.

That would honestly be the kindest and least stressful option for the animal, as they will leave their old home, spend a couple of weeks in the cattery, then move to their new permanent home.

In answer to your Feliway question, it is great for cats.

Could they just come to you for the day instead?

It depends on the cat if it finds it stressful or not. Ours used to go on weekends away to other peoples’ houses with us ( I sometimes thought they were the reason we were invited). As long as they have their usual bed/ litter tray/ scratch post etc so it’s not all new, they should be fine. Let them be quiet if they want to be

If you have an accessible airing cupboard, you may find it hard to send them ‘home’

This is what I am hoping. They say the cat is very chilled and it will have all its familiar things - bed, litter tray etc. I'll suggest they bring the scratching post too. There will definitely be a quiet place the cat can retreat to - there's a spare room we could make the cat's HQ with all its stuff so it can have a calm place.

Really glad that everyone has had a positive experience of feliway. I will get one.

Sadly the other options are not viable - they can't come for the day - they don't drive, so it would be impossible for them to get there and back on Christmas day. And imo, weeks in a cattery cage with strangers is way more stressful than three days in a new place with your familiars.

Personally I'd have also gone for the cattery, although my cat is very much not chill. She's upset when we sit in the wrong chairs FFS so spending time in cattery rather than moving about is a lot less confusing for her.

Not every cat responds to Feliway but for those that do it is awesome.

What breed of cat is it? Some cats are more attached to people but most cats are very much attached to their territory.

By all means they can use feliway when they move the cat into their new flat. But for visiting you over Christmas they should leave the cat at home and pay a professional cat-sitter to go in to feed it each day. You can also buy automatic cat feeder devices that release more food each day, so for example if they wanted to go to yours from 24th to 26th, they could feed the cat in the morning of the 24th, set the automatic feeder for meals for the next 36h, and feed it again when they return in the evening of the 26th.

I've had two cats for 10 years now, we haven't moved house in that time but both get stressed out about any disruption in their territory - not just changes at home (arrival of a baby, decorating works) but also neighbouring cats coming into the garden, etc. The fox that you mention may be friendly but the cat will see it as a threat and might be very stressed out by it. If you absolutely insist on hosting the cat, you should try and deter the fox from approaching your home from now on.

It works brilliantly for some cats but not others. Didn't work for mine at all. I found Zylkene to be excellent. It's a natural calming pill (very safe, made from milk protein). You can get it from Amazon, Pets at Home etc. It tastes of milk so easy to mix with their food and they'll eat it. It really calmed down my very nervous cat when we moved house. I also know other cats who benefitted greatly from it.