Cats feel stress and anxiety just like we do. While some triggers are obvious - like a vet visit - others, such as house guests, rearranged furniture, multi-cat households, can also make them uneasy. Stress often shows up in their behaviour - like meowing, hiding, scratching furniture or urinary marking. This is where pheromones can help.

Pheromones are natural chemical signals that trigger instinctive responses between animals of the same species. So cats respond to cat pheromones, dogs to dog pheromones - they don’t affect each other (if both your cat and dog are prone to minor anxiety, you’ll need species-specific products to support each pet).

Pheromones are effective across a wide range of minor stress-related behaviours. Research shows it’s especially effective in certain situations where it can make a real difference:

• Spending time alone (separation anxiety)

• Trips to catteries/kennels

• Visits to the vet

• Moving house / new environments

• New baby, visitors or pet

• Travelling

• Multi-pet households

When Pheromones don’t work: Severe clinical anxiety, pain-based behaviours, learned behaviours. Please seek professional advice if you think your pet has any of these.

The Cat Appeasing Pheromone

Appeasing pheromones are naturally produced by the mother when she nurses her young. These pheromones promote feelings of safety and reassurance, and are a crucial part of the bonding process. In cats, this pheromone is called the Cat Appeasing Pheromone (CAP).

As cats are naturally solitary animals, the CAP can be particularly valuable in multi-cat households, helping to promote harmonious living. Cats and dogs of all breeds and ages can identify their own species' appeasing pheromone, even if they were hand-reared.

The Feline Facial Pheromone

As the name suggests, Feline Facial Pheromones (FFP) are specific to cats, and are used to mark areas as 'safe' and 'familiar'. Many cat owners will have seen their cat rubbing their chin or cheeks on household objects or people. When cats do this, they are releasing the FFP and marking the object/area as a ‘safe space’ to be in, or identifying you as a person they’re comfortable and happy being around.