Calming Collars

Not myself no - but do know of quite a few who have - all of which had varying results depending on which brand they used.

However - as these pheromone calming collars are normally only used as a temporary aid for helping to reduce aggression in cats or to alleviate anxiety issues associated with stressful situations such as - traveling, fireworks, storms or when having to visit the vets - rather than to relieve excessive scratching and its is generally advised that - you should always consult with a vet - prior to using any kind of synthetic feline pheromone product on a cat.

I think perhaps - the better alternative and certainly the kindest thing that could be done for an itchy cat - would be to find the cause and hopefully relieve the problem by getting a vet to check the puss out - particularly as continual scratching and itchiness doesn't necessarily always mean that a cat has fleas or that it is stressed out either.

In fact as continual scratching and itchiness in cats can be caused by a variety of things and could be anything from - eczema, dermatitis, environmental factors, food allergies, ear problems, ringworm - to being bathed too often and especially the latter - as bathing strips the natural oils from a cat's fur and causes skin problems - as all of which can not only result in a very uncomfortable distressing experience for a cat - but all can easily be relieved with treatment - the sooner puss can get to the vet the better.

 

I have never heard of this until now! Is it to keep them calm while sick or any time or is it for anything specific? I have 2 cats and could use something to calm the youngest..

 

I know about something similar for dogs. That one is for controlling their barking, and has really split people down the middle. I suppose you won't know until you've tried one yourself. Maybe you could do a Google search of reviews and see what other people are saying about the collar.

 

It seems strange that our pets can have stress in their lives. It might be best to take your pet to a vet to see what is really the cause of the itching. It maybe something more than you are aware of.

 

I totally agree with that, @Pat! It'd probably be the prudent thing to do, to rule out anything sinister before resorting to the calming collar. Then maybe if there's nothing found, you can re-visit the calming collar idea, @Ke Gordon. It's always better to be safe than sorry

 

As calming collars are - as previously mentioned - normally only used as a temporary aid to help alleviate stress in situations that an animal may find distressing and more importantly - a cat continually scratching for more than a few days - is generally a clear sign that something is wrong and can if left for too long - result in long term complications.

If it was a cat making the decision here - I feel more than sure that the cats choice would be to visit the vet for diagnostic tests to identify the underlying cause - in much the same way - that a human suffering with unbearable itching would choose to consult a medical professional - not only to get something to relieve the itching as quickly as possible - but to put an end to the distressing symptoms that they were experiencing.

 

I think those are shock-based, aren't they? I know my landlord was looking into that same thing for his dog, 'cause it used to bark all the time when they weren't home. The pup died of kidney failure shortly after, sadly, so nothing came of it, but I didn't much approve of the thought anyway.

I've honestly never heard of a calming collar in this sense before. That's weird and neat at the same time. I suppose it would work, though, if imbued with the proper pheromones.