Calming collar?

[lovecat]

Anyone used these sold @ Petsmart? It's cheaper than Getting a ton of Feliways for the house. Reviews said it makes the cats drool though?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...at+Health+Care

 

[strange_wings]

I wouldn't feel secure enough to use something like that. 1) it's a collar, even breakaways aren't 100% safe. (see a recent thread of a cat that got out in a collar

)

And 2) I've read reviews for a few of these collars. A lot of people complain of cats drooling, losing fur (this can simply be from a reaction to plastic that some cats have), and some cats acting "stoned" and lethargic from the stuff they imbed in the collar.
Other people complain about how strongly scented the collars are and that it bothers them.


IMO, go with the feliway diffusers and spray.

 

[taryn]

We used one on Maude when Attitude and Nuts first moved in permanently and it helped immensely. However Maude would never go outside so she was always in the house with us watching her. She was afraid to go outside after the dog went out the door and never came back. She also had it on for at most 1 or 2 weeks, it was just enough to let her destress about it. She physically attacked me the first time I brought Attitude in. I had already put her back outside but Maude straight up attacked me and left me bleeding. This time she was a lot calmer and this was with 2 kittens not just 1. She was slightly stoned but she was still her usual crabby self, just less crabby than usual.

Unless you have a cat you know 100% will not go outside(I don't know about Attitude and Nuts, they mostly don't but once in a blue moon they will so I wouldn't put one on them.) I also wouldn't use it long term. Also unless you can supervise her a majority of the time when she wears the collar I wouldn't do it.

It's cheaper and it honestly works better because unlike the diffusers it goes with the cat.

It depends on the cat, yours might be fine or she might react not too good, but that can happen even with Feli-way(I know of cats that get violent when exposed to it.)

I would try it first and if it doesn't work move on, but only if this is a short term stress issue, if long term get the feli-way.

Taryn

 

[pookie-poo]

I tried it with Lola, this past spring. I didn't notice much difference in her behavior. I went back to the Feliway diffuser, and her 'terrorist' behavior improved. I also was worried about being away during the day, and her wearing the collar. Lola never drooled, but she was constantly kicking at the collar. I felt that the diffuser was much less stressful for both of us.

 

[stephanietx]

My hairdresser swears by one of these for her cat who eliminates inappropriately. She said it's made a humongous difference in her cat. However, he cats never go outside so there's not the concern of the collar causing a problem. (I realize that cats can have issues with collars inside, too.)

 

[3catsn1dog]

Hmm maybe Ill have to look at one of those tonight when I go to Petsmart. Fatman stress pees (no UTI hes been checked..again...

) The last time about a week and half ago he peed right on BFs arm, however since we took the babygate down he has been calmer and coming out more rather than with the gate up. I think he secretly likes Max lol

 

[scarecrow5]

This post is a little old, but has anyone had luck with these collars?  I have struggled with cat intros and tried everything except these.  Intros are going much better...the only thing they do now...is the old cat chases the newbie away (and not in a playful way, in a imgonnagetyouman way).  If we holler out att attt at him, he stops.  So I picked up one of these and tried it on the new cat and he has had it on for two days, so I went and bought existing cat one tonight.  I just hate the fact that they are not break away collars and that worries me a lot.  Just wondered if anyone has had luck with these.....what you said about drooling worries me.  (we did feliway diffusers in the beginning)

 

[lucylittlekitty]

Scarecrow5, have you tried play therapy with them? Play with them both at the same time but separately (need a friend for this) and they learn to associate the other one with positive things, also feed them together, if you can't have them near each other for feeding then do it on opposite sides of a door so they have the sent of the other associated with food. You can also switch their bedding or things that have their sent on it to get them used to the sent. The best thing to do when the older one chases the new one is try to distract him with play, try to get him distracted the moment he locks eyes on the new guy before he goes for the chase.

As for the collar, it didn't work for my cats when I was doing introductions to one another and I was super paranoid about it not being a break away collar with them being so young. If your cats are older it might work? I think it's really different among different cats. Talk to the pet store and see if they will allow you to return it if it doesn't work (most will) and then give it a try, you got nothing to lose. Just keep an eye on them so they don't get choked or stuck.

 

[imbri]

I've never seen a "calming" collar actually work.  The drooling seen is from the cat shewing or licking the collar and then reacting to the chemicals in it, just another reason I don't like them.

Just a thought on the breakaway issue, since they are made from soft plastic you can score the plastic deeply with a sharp knife to create a weak point.  Instant breakaway feature.

I'd use feliway diffusers, expensive, but so helpful for many cats. Also, as Lucy mentioned, play therapy.  Play with them separately until they are all worn out, then feed them on opposite sides of the room.  The idea is to wear out the energy, give them a meal, and then when they are all tired and contentedly full of food they'll be less likely to want to chase/fight, and it will help them establish that they don't need to interact with violence. 

Good luck!

 

[scarecrow5]

Lucy and Imbre....we have tried everything!  We did play therapy almost daily both with just me and the two, and with a friend separate.  We used feliway diffusers in Harleys (the new cats) :"room" and in the other two rooms where Milo (the existing cats) hangs out the most.  I started off slow, feeding outside the room, then advanced to eating in same room, I have went into the bathroom, a neutral place and took them both in there with me, closed the door and let them hang out while I read, or I would play with them etc.  LOL I have tried it all! 

  Its to the point now, where they can be in same room, or lay on the bed together, but one gets to close to the other, they hiss and growl at each other.  Or if Harley is walking across the living room floor to go to his room, Milo will see him and chase after him.  Milo will stop tho if we say aaaaattttt Milo!  SO maybe we are getting there....sloooooowwwwwly.  We are now leaving them both out all the time unless we are gone from the house for long periods at a time.  So far, its manageable, they stay in their own yard at least for now.  Keeping fingers crossed

As for the collars....it didn't go well. Harley is super quiet and laid back, just super mellow.  I got the calming collar originally for Milo, I slipped it on Harley just to see if he would wear it and he did, so I left it.  Harley...now he seems alert, more playful and has even played and chased our 2 yr old cat Abby  who he likes and he has NEVER chased anything, not even a food dish lol.  He comes out of his room a lot now and just is a new cat in general.  He went from shy to outgoing, very nice change.  So I got Milo one.

Well, I put Milos on Tuesday night around 7 pm.  Her seemed ok, so I left it.  I work nights...I got home at 730 am on Wed morning.  I came home, and Milo who falls all over himself greeting me at the door wasn't there.  He was on the back of a chair upstairs, he refused to follow me downstairs, and usually when I come in, he rolls at my feet and acts all happy.  Nothing, still upstairs.  I feed them can food for breakfast which he loves, nothing.  He finally came downstairs after I called him several times, and he got to bottom of stairs and laid down, like he was exhausted.  He usually goes to the window and sits n looks out, he walked 5 feed and laid back down. I figured it had to be the collar.  I looked it up online, and the reviews on Amazon , com a lot of them were bad saying how the collar made their cats sick, and some lethargic to the point they couldn't even get up and walk.   I started to panic.  I called the vet and asked if anyone knew "OF" the collars, and they didn't, however, the vet tech told me when she found a kitten, she took it in and they did blood work and she was told not to ever put a flea collar on the cat because something about the levels of something in the cats liver and kidneys, a flea collar would kill the cat or do some severe damage if it came in contact with something on the flea color. 

I immediately got some warm soapy water and washed his neck down and rinsed it, this cat is a cat that never sits still and doesn't like to be wet, he's a very clean cat and hates icky on him, he laid there and didn't move a muscle while I washed his neck and dried it. At a couple points I had to hold his head up to wash his neck because he was so limp.   I put him in bed with me and got up several times during the day to check on him and he still laid around but a little more alert.  When I got up around 3, he was back to himself.  It just seemed like it made him completely exhausted, drained. 

So I see it works and doesn't work.  Its perked Harley up where Milo it took every bit of him out, definitely a scary site with Milo, I never want to see again. 

Imbri...that's a good idea with the collar, slicing it a bit so it can break if need be.  Harley is pretty lazy, but I have seen him try and lick and bite at it a time or two, don't want it caught in his mouth and choke him.   That's a great idea.  Its made out of material like a flea collar. 

 

[lucylittlekitty]

It sounds like your making progress if they are on the same bed or coexisting. It's a long process.