# Feliway Diffuser?



## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

I'm wondering if anyone here has tried the Feliway Diffuser? I thought about trying one but not sure if they work or are worth their money? They cost clost to 30.00 I believe. 

I thought maybe it would help Satin relax a little bit in her new home. She is still very skittish. She plays with Tuffy but around us humans she is very very leary. 

For the first time last night she came up to me while I was eating and begged for some of my food. Her previous owner had told me she does this. It was rather cute but I suppose could get annoying if she does this every time I eat. I was just so happy that she was interacting with me. She walked up to my chair (I was sitting on chair in LR watching TV while I ate - I know - BAD habit -ha!) sat down, looked at me and meowed, then paced around the chair all the while meowing and looking at my plate of food, it was very obvious what she wanted. Just to award her for interacting with me abit I gave her the tiniest little peice of ham which she gobbled down and asked for more. I know I should not have given it to her because now she will expect it but like I said I was just so happy she was actually making some noise and to me !!!!! 

My boss was asking me about her yesterday and I was telling him some of her actions - he said she sounds like a feral cat. I know she's not because the previous owner said she raised her from a kitten. But I guess I am wondering why she has never allowed anyone to lift her - the girl that had her before said they could never lift her to hold her or anything like that - she likes to be petted (not since she's with us however) but never lifted or held. 

She is so different from my Tuffy that is for sure - he lives to be carried around, petted, hugged, kissed (ok sometimes he grumbles about the hugging bit but deep down I know he loves it -LoL) he loves to sleep with me and cuddle, watch TV with me etc - she prefers to be by herself. At three years old - is there any hope of her changing? Or this is just the way she is?

Ok sorry for rambling LoL - I got going and couldn't stop ....


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

Feliway can work, but it is really expensive, and the one I had left a nasty, oily residue on my wall above the outlet (fortunately, it was a bathroom wall with a gloss paint so it wiped off easily enough)

My Teddy didn't like being picked up at all when I got him, but I gave him some tough love by picking him up all the time and giving him kisses and only letting go when he stopped wriggling. He now tolerates being held, he still complains about it though. Sometimes he is just content to be held, but most of the time he is just content to sit next to me or in my lap but always with at least one foo touching me. The only thing though, is Teddy an outgoing, friendly cat.

Leo on the other hand, is really skittish and jumpy (sounds a lot like satin). When I first got him he was 2.5 and had been with the breeder his entire life. He was really leary of me and would hide in the smallest space he could find. In order to acclimate him to being touched by me, I made being pet a condition of getting his food. At first I would sit there with the food in front of me and wait for him to come toward the food. I would extend my hand so he could see what I was doing and slowly pet him on the head and I slowly made my way down his back and to his tail. This took about a week to get him used to that. Then the next step was to let him take a couple bites of the food and then I would pick him up hold him a few seconds and kiss him on the head before I put him back down infront of his food and walked away. I gradually increased the time I would hold him before putting him down. I accomplished this in... I would say about 2-3 months of getting him. But then I got pretty sick and I barely had the energy to get to work and do the basic care for the cats. I also had a sudden and unexpected move thrown in there. So yeah, I only really got better when I changed my diet 2 months ago. 

Over the last few weeks I've been working with Leo again and it is getting so I can handle him even if food isn't involved. He has started to sleep at the foot of my bed and he walks up my bed meowing and purring his head off when he gets hungry. He has been giving me more eye kisses recently and I can pick him up and hold him for 30 seconds or so before he says "ok enough" and walks off and he is usually back on the foot of the bed within 5 mins of the huggings and kisses. He is also beginning to relax when I hold him rather than being a tense ball of nerves when I hold him. He has also taken to just causally hanging out about 5 ft from me just watching what I'm doing while giving me eye kisses.

He still doesn't like to be approached from a standing position. I guess having a 6'1" redhead towering over him is un-nerving. I have to usually sit next to him very carefully in order to pet him. 

Even given all this trouble, I wouldn't trade him for the world. He and Teddy are joined at the hip and make each other's lives so much better. My mom often jokes that Leo is more Teddy's pet than mine  but I'm working to change that.

I hope this helps. I know how much you want to stroke and snorggle that silky Bengal coat. From the sound of things she has made Tuffy very happy. If you work with her, I'm sure you can get her to come around  (at least a little  )


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Muffs is a very skittish cat. I used Feliway when I adopted Abby, because Muffs was terrified of Abby at first. I had a lot of success with Feliway, although I know many other members here have not had success. I initially bought the spray, and I thought if I saw a positive reaction to the spray, I would then invest in some plug-ins. I sprayed one of Muffin's toys and gave it to her. She started sniffing the toy and you could instantly see the stress drain out of her. She then just relaxed with the toy. It made such a huge difference in Muffs' stress levels...so, I then went out and bought the plug-ins and used them for about three months (which is how long it took me to introduce Muffin and Abby). 

Muffin also does not like to be picked up or held, and she refuses to sit on my lap. She will tolerate being petted, but only around her ears...if I try to pet her anywhere else, she tenses up and runs away. When she was a baby, I tried various things to change her, with some (but limited) success. She will now let me pick her up for maybe 10 seconds, but that's about it. She still won't sit on my lap (and never has). I've since decided to just love her for who she is. Perhaps someday she will sit on my lap or enjoy being petted, but if she doesn't, that's ok. She has many other endearing qualities and I adore her.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I used Feliway diffusers when I introduced Holly into the house. It worked OK, I noticed the difference more when it wasn't there, than when it was...I would notice some increased tension and skirmishes amongst them and then realize the diffuser was empty...replace it and things were OK again. I say OK because it didn't completely eliminate the tension, but it did reduce it. I stopped using them (about 4 months) when I realized the diffusers were empty but I hadn't noticed a change in the cats. 

Regarding not wanting to be picked up...some cats are just that way. Kobi will not tolerate being held at all, yet once I put the recliner foot rest up, he's up there pushing my legs apart so he can lie between them on the foot rest. You can try working with her (Merry or Heidi may have some suggestions for you), but you may never change her.


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## lovetimesfour (Dec 1, 2010)

I love feliway plug in diffusers! I use them when there are going to be times of stress in my household. New cat integrations, surgeries, company, if I'm going to be away for a longer than usual day and such like that.

Feliway plug ins make a big difference for my catties.

You can find them for very reasonable price on amazon.


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