Pheromones are compounds that are naturally secreted by animals so that they can communicate with members of the same species.
During lactation, for example, female dogs secrete a pheromone that reassures their pups when they are close to them. Similarly, cats secrete facial pheromones which they deposit in known places in order to mark a familiar territory.
Synthetic analogues of some of these natural pheromones have been developed to assist management of stress-related problems in pets.
Pheromone products for cats
Synthetic feline pheromone products are designed to give your cat its ‘bearings’ and make it feel safe and secure, helping to reduce stress-related problems such as inappropriate marking, clawing and anti-social or destructive behavior. They can also help alleviate problem behaviours triggered by travelling, loud noises such as thunderstorms or fireworks, or new social situations.
Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone, used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure. By mimicking the cat’s natural facial pheromones, Feliway creates a state of familiarity and security in the cat’s local environment.
Feliway is available from your veterinarian as a spray or a plug-in diffuser. The spray can be applied to specific areas of the house where the cat has been scratching or urine marking and is also useful for your cat’s carrier to reduce transport stress.
The plug-in diffuser is placed in the room or rooms most occupied by the cat and is useful for relocating a cat to a new home, settling in a new kitten or cat or other changes in the cat’s environment. In multicat households the Feliway Diffuser helps to reduce the general level of stress in all cats. The diffuser lasts for 30 days and should be left on continuously. It can be used alone or in combination with Feliway Spray.
The Sentry Calming Collar slowly releases a pheromone that mimics the one a mother cat produces to calm her kittens. The collar lasts for up to 30 days and can be worn by kittens or cats.
Pheromone products for dogs
For dogs, there is Adaptil (formerly known as Dog Appeasing Pheromone or DAP). As the name sugests, Adaptil helps dogs to ‘adapt’ to various situations. Adaptil is the synthetic equivalent of the pheromone secreted by bitches to reassure their pups on contact. It helps dogs to handle stressful situations better or to adapt to new situations.
Adaptil is available from your veterinarian in spray form, as a diffuser and two sizes of collar – one for puppies/small dogs and another for medium/large dogs.
Puppies can benefit greatly from Adaptil, especially during the important socialisation period (3-12 weeks of age). This is when they have many first-time experiences and it is vital that these introductions be positive.
Adult and senior dogs also benefit from Adaptil in situations such as visiting the vet, recovery after hospitalisation, dealing with separation-related behaviours (during a boarding stay or house-sitting), rehoming rescue dogs or dealing with fear of travel, visitors, loud noises (fireworks and thunderstorms) or other dogs.
Using pheromones in the long term
Pheromones will affect every pet differently and are designed for temporary and transitional situations. They do not address the root cause of undesirable behaviour, so if your pet’s behaviours continue to cause concern then you should consult your veterinarian or an accredited animal trainer or behaviourist.
