Go to Feliway Products page >>

Now that I’ve given you some helpful hints about removing urine odor and staining, especially from cat spraying. I thought I would tackle one of the main reasons why humans go searching for ways to deal with the things that we cats sometimes do—our need to express our feelings by urinating on the most inexplicable places like the wall, your laundry, the sofa, your bed—well, you know what I mean or you wouldn’t be reading this. I’m talking about behavioral/territorial marking, not marking that can be our way of telling you that we are sick (The first thing to do if your cat starts marking is to take your pet to the veterinarian to make sure your pet isn’t ill—i.e. a urinary tract infection. If your cat is physically healthy, then please read on).

You have probably seen us rubbing our face against most anything like your leg, or along the corners of furniture or doorways. This is our way of declaring ownership by applying our scent to things, both animate and inanimate. What we are doing is applying our facial pheromones so that we feel at home. When we feel at home, we are comfortable, relaxed and have no desire to mark these areas.

Ah, but when we are stressed, this can spell the kind of trouble that has you reading my article. So how do we spell “stress?” Maybe I am sexually excited. Maybe the neighbor’s cat is coming too close to my home. Maybe you’ve brought a new pet or human being into “my home.” Maybe there have been a lot of changes in the household that have disturbed my time with you. Maybe you have relocated my litter box. Maybe we’ve moved to a new home. These are a lot of “maybes,” but I’ll bet you recognize some similarities to your situation. We cats love the same routine, day in and day out, so even the smallest changes can cause us distress and result in unwanted cat behavior such as cat spraying.

So what can be done to stop or prevent your cat’s need to mark with urine (behavioral marking)? You can help to make your cat feel more at home by using Feliway. Feliway is an analog of synthetic feline facial pheromones that can help control urine marking behavior and to reassure your cat in strange surroundings.

Feliway is a non-staining, colorless and odorless spray that has shown remarkable results in situations where cats, male or female, altered or whole are marking due to worry and distress. In research studies it stopped or greatly reduced marking in 86% of the cases. Additionally, in behavioral studies of normal cats in stressful situations, it reduced the anxiety level by 50%. Essentially, in spraying Feliway on corners of furniture, along doorframes, etc., you are making the area friendly to your cat. This eliminates the need to spray. No more behavioral marking. Hooray!

Here are a few more suggestions:

Do:

1. To stop urine marking: After removing the urine and odor from the soiled area, spray Feliway directly onto the places soiled by the cat and on prominent objects nearby that might be attractive to your cat. One spray, once daily, at about eight inches from the floor, until you see your cat rubbing his/her head in area and marking it with his/her own facial pheromones. Then once a week for about a month to reinforce the friendliness of the environment.
• Sexually excited cats: It isn’t necessary to apply Feliway on all prominent objects. Usually, it is sufficient to apply Feliway only to those places marked, like doorways and windows.
• Multiple cat households: Feliway should be applied two to three times daily on marked sites and once a day on prominent objects that could be attractive to your cat.
• Elderly cats: Application of Feliway may need to be done for up to 45 days in the way described for multiple cat households, then once every two to three days for as long as necessary.
2. To prevent urine marking: Feliway should be sprayed once daily on prominent objects that might be attractive to your cat. After you see your cat rubbing his/her head along side objects, doorways, and so on, you will know that your cat has officially moved in to your new home and made it his or hers.
3. To familiarize your cat to a new environment: You can spray Feliway in your cat’s carrier, in the car, etc. a few minutes before introducing your cat into the area. This will decrease the level of anxiety measurably.

Exhibitors in cat shows have found Feliway to be very helpful, not only in familiarizing their cats to the new surroundings, but also in calming them before entering the show ring. Simply spritz a bit of Feliway on your hands and rub your hands on your clothing. As you hold your show cat close to you on your way to the show ring, your cat will feel less stressed and more comfortable.

SPECIAL NOTES:

1. Be consistent in your usage of Feliway. Remember your cat is used to routine.
2. Spray Feliway on your cat's environment, not directly on him or her! Remember you are using it to make the environment more comfortable.
3. Be patient. Breaking a habit takes time. It took time for the stress to build to the level for the behavior to be demonstrated. It will take time to change the habit.
4. Apply Feliway even after the urine marking stops. Continue to use Feliway for a period of time to reinforce the improved behavior. This may take a couple of months. Each situation is different so you will temper the usage with what works for your cat.

Finally, as with all products, keep Feliway in a place that is room temperature and out of the reach of pet and human children. And, though I have never seen it stain an area, due to the wide variety of materials used in household furnishings, please test Feliway on a sample area that is not easily visible prior to using it.

Go to Feliway Products page >>

I hope that these suggestions are helpful. If you have any questions relating to the use of Feliway, you can contact me at: Rusty@pureproductsinc.com
Sincerely,

Rusty, a.k.a. "Mr.Magnificent"
Special Advisor
Pure Products, Inc.