Feliway® Use in Cats - Meet the Test Subjects!

Companion piece to the Veterinary Q & A - Feliway® Use in Cats article.

Meet the feline subjects...

The photos are on the right side of this page. The first photo is Herman. Please click on the photo to see a slide show of the other feline test subjects. If the photos do not appear in your browser, please click here.

Herman Roosevelt Quinn
Male neutered, 12.5 years old, found/adopted after hit by car 12 years ago

Yes, I know -- how can anyone resist that face? Who would ever think that this cat (seen in his "seductive cat pose") could ever have an aggression problem? Yes, it is true... Herman can be a bit fussy with new feline household cat members. He loves dogs, though.

Problem: We recently adopted Katie (see bio below) and to my sad surprise, Herman really doesn't like Katie. This is putting it mildly. He is {ahem} quite a bit bigger than petite Katie, and has cornered her like a wild cat and caused some minor skin injuries. Herman also secretly urine marks when he is upset about the new arrival but is not granted physical access to her. I have to keep them separated.

Katie Gold Precious (kids named this one!)
Female spayed, approximately 1.5 years old

Found in our pasture, emaciated and very hungry, Katie is a relatively new addition to the household. We took Katie in, spayed her, and feed her just about every time we turn around! She is adorable, one of those "purr box" cats, and really seems to appreciate every day.

Problem: Instead of simply out running, out jumping, and possibly outwitting Herman, she puts up her dukes and has gotten into some terrible fights in the house. She doesn't have any other bad habits that I know of. I normally prefer indoor-only cats (as are Herman and Greta), but Katie is most happy when outside in the day and inside at night, so for the safety and sanity of the house, that is the current arrangement.

Greta Louise
Female spayed, 12-13 years old, found/adopted after hit by car 12 years ago

Greta was brought into the clinic where I worked after she had been hit by a car. No owner was found. This was history repeating itself, because Herman had been brought in with similar injuries just 4 months prior! (No owner for him, either). So, I had to take Greta. She attached herself to Herman from the day they met, and are inseparable.

Problem: Greta is what I call a "high stress" cat. She is constantly on edge, worried about who-knows-what. She is fiercely affectionate, but only with her approved human beings. Otherwise, she runs off to her special cat room if company comes over. Being so high stress, she is a compulsive groomer. Note the bare area on her belly. This is simply from overgrooming the area. She doesn't have a skin problem, she doesn't have fleas. Her special cat room is an area for her to de-stress, but I don't know what stresses her, so that is about all that I am capable of fixing. The grooming is annoying, but not a big health problem except for the resultant hair balls! And the vomiting up of said hair balls. Not fun for anyone.

Those are the feline subjects for this Feliway® experience. This is not a scientific study, just me trying the diffuser (and occasionally the spray) out. I'll report my findings in the next installment.