With folks in many ways making a more holistic move towards self-care, many cat owners are looking for the same for their cats. There are so many cat “remedies” on the market, it’s hard to know which ones to try! The good news is that there are many that are highly recommended by veterinarians and behaviorists alike, and although not every approach is going to work for your cat, they’re not going to harm your cat, either. So knowing they can’t hurt, here are just a couple of those holistic offerings.

Probably the best know is Feliway, which can be used for a variety of behavior concerns and for your cat’s general well-being. There is a variety of Feliway to choose from with the Classic and Multi Cat being the most well-known, but there is also a product called Feli-Scratch that can help with cats who are learning to scratch in more appropriate places. There’s a newer Feliway product on the market now, as well, called Feliway Optimum, which has improved science behind it making it their most advanced product. Feliway replicates calming feline pheromones, making it possible to work through stressful events with a lot more ease. It comes in a spray or in diffusers, both are fairly popular with cat owners.

Zylkene is another product that can help with situational stress in your cat. It contains milk proteins, which are known to offer calming properties to both dogs and cats. Unlike Feliway, which is used on a more permanent basis, Zylkene can be used before and/ or during stressful events for your cat, like a vet visit, car ride or during a move. It comes in capsule form and can be mixed in with wet food or administered orally, though your cat will really prefer that you put it in a meal!

Please remember that even though these holistic stress relievers can help, it’s also very important to seek out the source of the stress, and remedy that as much as possible, too. No medication is going to be truly effective if we’re not also looking at the root cause of the issue and working towards some resolution for that, for both you and your cat’s sake.

One thing we know for sure: stress reduction is good. Whether you use medication, behavior modification, holistic products or all of the above, your efforts won’t go unnoticed!

 

Photo by Nadi Whatisdelirium on Unsplash