Majority of the behavioral consults I receive for cats are usually for cats that are stressed, anxious, or have some sort of separation anxiety.
My cat has stopped using the litterbox
My cat keeps meowing
My cat seems depressed or bored
My cat acts up when we go on holiday
My cat is overgrooming and becoming bald
Let's discuss whether these calming aids are a hit or a miss (or both)!
My first and most important advice is - RULE OUT ANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS.
Picture this.
You feel tired all the time and you keep drinking coffee thinking it will perk you up, but in fact, you feel tired all the time because you have low iron. Drinking coffee may provide temporary relief, but it will not address the underlying cause of the tiredness, which in this case is an iron deficiency. It's important to identify and address the root cause of any health issues rather than just treating the symptoms.
Similarly, there is no point to use calming agents for your cat's litterbox issues if the cat has, say, a UTI issue.
With that said, let's analyze the different calming "agent" I have personally used.
Feliway
Ah yes, almost every cat owner knows of Feliway.
HOW does it work?
To put it simply - cats give out pheromones. This is a natual scent cats produce when they rub against something, e.g. when they keep brushing their body on your leg - they are marking their territory to create a sense of familiarity. In short, they are marking you.
Feliway is meant to mimic / replicate the natural feline facial pheromone, creating a sense of familiarity and comfort in cats, which can help to reduce anxiety and stress-related behaviors. It comes in a spray bottle, or a wall plug in, which can be left on 24/7 and lasts 1-1.5 months at best. There is another version called Feliway Friends, which is meant to replicate the CAP (Cat Appeasing Pheromones) i.e. produced by mother cat to make kittens feel safe - suitable for multi cat households / cat integration / cat conflicts.
But, DOES it work?
Feliway has been a Hit and Miss in my experience.
It works for some cats, it doesn't work for others. Just like how some cats are resilient to catnip, some just do not get affected by Feliway.
What I do not like about the spray is that you can actually smell it, and it hits hard after a couple of sprays. I recommend the wall diffuser; just ensure to replace when it is almost finishing and do not switch it off. It needs to be plugged in an area frequented by the cat, and you may need more than 1.
However, since it is not a medication and does not harm the cat(s) in any way, I always recommend it nonetheless, especially in a situation of relocation / moving house.
2. Rescue Remedy
HOW does it work?
To put it simply - it is a natural blend of a combo of 5 different flower essences, known as Bach Flowers, curated by Dr Edward Bach, a medical doctor and homeopath in the early 1900s. It is diluted by alcohol - so very, very important, always remember to get the Pet Friendly version as it is non-alcoholic. Alcohol can KILL your pets.
The thing with homeopathic products is that claims are based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence.
But, DOES it work?
In my personal opinion and usage, the answer is YES.
It works, but slowly, so you have to be patient.
This is my go to recommendation for my clients, and also when I am rehoming. It can be slow to work, as you may need to keep at it for months, but Yes, it works.
My recommended dosage : 3-4 drops of non-alcoholic pet friendly version into wet food twice a day.
It tastes abit sweet (yes, I have tried it) but once you mix it in the food, or some Ciao paste, the cats will eat it.
I have used this on Kitten, the tuxedo female that couldn't adjust to being in her foster's home and adopter's home, I have used this on the cattery cats that came into my home. I have experimented using it vs stopping it, and I do notice a difference.
This is my favourite, so far.
3. Dermoscent Aromacalm Collar
HOW does it work?
To put it simply - it is a cat safe (with breakaway) collar, designed to provide continuous calming and soothing benefits to cats with skin irritations or anxiety. The collar contains a blend of essential oils, including hemp oil and lavender oil. It smells pretty strongly of lavender when you take it out of the package, and it should be replaced every 4 weeks - you can tell as the smell wears off.
But, DOES it work?
In my personal opinion and usage, it's really a mixed review.
Initially when I tried it on Ellie (the tortie modelling the collar above), she felt warmer than usual. I actually removed it and put it back on days later. I rather enjoyed the smell of lavender in my bed too. Ellie is a very needy cat and overgrooms. It seems to make her less needy during the night, but does not make much of a difference in regards to the overgrooming.
Their own study only comprised of 11 dogs and 11 cats, with a 70% success rate.
I recommended it to an adopter of mine, who also felt that it made a difference to a certain extent but wasn't too sure about it. However, I am always a fan of anything that's au naturel , so there is no harm to use it.
4. Royal Canin Calm - i.e. L-tryptophan (vet prescribed)
HOW does it work?
To put it simply - Royal Canin Calm is a veterinary prescribed line designed to help dogs and cats manage stress and anxiety. From their website, it includes cat calming nutrients like hydrolyzed milk protein and L-tryptophan to help calm your cat’s fearful behaviors in stressful environments or situations.
The key here is L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is involved in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and behavior. I.e. the "happy" hormone.
But, DOES it work?
In my personal opinion and usage, not really.
Kiki was on this in the vet, and she seemed to be calmer at the clinic. However, when she returned to the cattery, it didn't seem to make much of a difference.
However, I did not put her on the diet long enough to see the effects, if any, as I wasn't keen to continue due to the ingredients.
Let's take the first 3 ingredients: Chicken by-product meal, corn, brewers rice. Chicken by-product meal is made from the non-meat parts of the chicken, such as organs and other tissues, but may also include bones. The nutritional quality of by-product meal can vary widely depending on the specific ingredients and processing methods used.
Chicken meal, on the other hand, is made by cooking, drying, and grinding whole chicken carcasses, including meat, bones, and sometimes organs.
There is always a huge debate on whether by product is a villian or not, but seeing as the main ingredients are also corn and rice, not that great in this case.
But there are many pet owners who don't find it a big deal, so it's a debate for another day.
5. Zylkene - i.e. L-tryptophan (vet prescribed)
HOW does it work?
To put it simply - it is a calming supplement that contains a natural milk protein called alpha-casozepine, which is derived from casein.
It is supposed to have a calming effect on the central nervous system by acting on certain receptors in the brain, and is sometimes used as a supplement to help manage stress and anxiety in cats and dogs.
But, DOES it work?
In my personal opinion and usage, it did not really work for Harbie.
However, I believe she is an anomaly as everything is rather slow to work for her. However, there have been many reviews of it working for other cats, so I would advise you to try.
6. Clomicalm - i.e. clomipramine (vet prescribed medication)
To put it simply - it works by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that are associated with regulating mood and anxiety.
Now bear with me as we go a little deeper.
It is an antidepressant medication used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorders and may also be used for separation anxiety or aggression.
Clomipramine inhibits (i.e. prevents) the removal of serotonin (the "happy" hormone) in the brain so that the serotonin is present for a longer time.
Clomipramine has potential to produce anticholinergic side effects - what does this mean?
It tends to block the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in muscle contraction, heart rate, and memory, so your pet may experience difficulty in passing urine, vomiting, dilated pupils, etc.
It also tends to have an effect on the liver.
Clomicalm should only be used under the guidance of a veterinarian and should not be given to cats with certain medical conditions, may interact with other medication and should not be given long term.
But, DOES it work?
In my personal opinion and usage, it works by sedation but it doesn't really address the problem and I did not use it long enough to even find out.
Why? Because I used it on 2 cats and it totally knocked them out.
KO. Sedated. Poked and didn't move. Knocked.them.out.
I was told to reduce the dosage, I did, still a sedative.
Now, one may argue, all medications have side effects.
But the question is - are you REALLY addressing the problem?
Or are you just sedating them so that they would be so sleepy that they wouldn't do what they usually do?
If someone is aggressive, and you sedate them, are you really addressing the aggression's root cause and working on it, or are you just sedating them so they wouldn't be of proper mind to be aggressive?
What is the solution here - keep sedating to prevent the aggression?
Is that even a solution?
It's a hard no for me.
In a nutshell, I will always recommend natural, homeopathic remedies with a whole lot of patience, before delving into actual medication.
7. Gabapentin - i.e. L-tryptophan (vet prescribed medication)
To put it simply - it is used to treat chronic pain, anxiety, and seizures in cats. It is an anticonvulsant medication that works by inhibiting the release of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. However, it also helps to reduce anxiety and stress in cats.
But, DOES it work?
In my personal opinion and usage, yes.
However, it should only be used when vet prescribed, e.g. in cases of cats who get anxious during transportation, cats who need to remain calm during tests, and basically to kinda make them a little groggy so they are cooperative at the vet.
I have used this a number of times, especially for procedures such as echocardiogram, where the cat needs to be conscious for the exam but may not fully cooperative, or may move a lot or become feisty.
To summarize, my recommended Holy Trinity is
Feliway + Rescue Remedy Pet + Aromacalm collar.
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