If you are struggling with the behavior your cat is exhibiting either when you’re gone or with you right there, there may be an easy fix. Spraying a cat pheromone spray can calm or deter your cat into a being well-behaved one. Cat pheromones are a prime example of a one-step fix; should they work. It is incredibly vital that before making a purchase, you understand that cat pheromones may not work for your cat.
Pheromones aren’t always a one-step solution and in fact, some cats barely register their presence in their lives at all. You’ll often find that reflected in the product reviews, too. You’ll need to bear that in mind while reading ratings: if a cat does not respond to pheromones, it in all likelihood, has nothing to do with the quality of the product but rather the personality of the cat. Barring that in mind, it can be tricky to find the best product for your cat, so we found some of the best quality cat pheromones for you to make your shopping a bit easier.
We reviewed dozens of cat pheromone sprays to identify the best of the best. We looked at pheromones that will prevent scratching and those to calm your cat. We found those sprays that have other scents that will relax your cat and those that will put them off the places they ought not be. No matter the behavior of your cat you’re trying to thwart, we have a spray that could possibly fix your problems on our list below.
Early in our research, we determined the clear winner of our top pick had to be Beloved Pets Pheromone Calming Spray. It is formulated to provide your kitty with a long-lasting feeling of calmness that can take effect in just 15 minutes. This can help to ease your cat’s anxiety and help to deter them from the worst of your their behaviors.
The 5 Top-Rated Cat Pheromone Sprays
Editor’s Picks | Brand | Rating |
---|---|---|
Best Overall | Beloved Pets Pheromone Calming Spray | 4.0 |
Runner Up | Sentry Stop That! for Cats | 3.9 |
Best Budget Buy | Feliway Travel Spray On The Go Management Behavior Modifier Spray | 3.9 |
Best Cat Pheromone Spray for Stress | LEGITPET Calming Hemp Pheromone Spray | 4.0 |
Best Cat Pheromone Spray for Urine Marking | Comfort Zone Spray & Scratch Control Spray for Cat Calming | 4.1 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change
Our Top Pick: Beloved Pets Pheromone Calming Spray
The Beloved Pets Pheromone Calming Spray is particularly effective at helping reduce your cat’s stress as well as aggressive behavior. This makes it a multifunctional product to have on hand whenever your cat is acting up or feeling anxious. It’s tested by veterinarians, which is good news if you’re conscious about the quality of your cat’s products.
The formula only contains natural ingredients, such as essential oils, rosemary, geranium, and catnip. That means you can give your kitty a dose of pheromones with the peace of mind that it’s safe for them. The calming effects work in as little as 15 minutes and last up to 6 hours. It also couldn’t be easier to use: simply spray it in any places your kitty feels uneasy.
There are over 400 customer reviews on this product, and it has an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars. And for such a quality product, you may be surprised to find it will only set you back about $15.
Beloved Pets Pheromone Calming Spray Key Features:
- Works in as little as 15 mins
- Only natural ingredients
- Veterinarian-tested
Our Runner Up Pick: Sentry Stop That! for Cats
The Sentry Stop That! for Cats is another deterrent spray of aggressive pheromones that will keep your cat from anything he’s prone to tearing and scratching up, but also anything you want to make sure is protected. So if you get a new couch that you’re afraid may just have too tempting legs for your cat, then it’s a good idea to spray this before your cat even sees it.
This is also a great pheromone spray if you want to use it as a behavior corrector. You can spray your cat when you catch him in the act to let him know that behavior isn’t okay and the pheromones will be a warning to him, as well as the unpleasant spray sound. (Just don’t spray him in the face, of course.) We love the idea of placing a few of these bottles all over the house or just one in an area that your fur baby is prone to misbehavior. For example, if he loves going after a potted plant, keep the spray near it so you can catch him in the act a few times.
With well over 800 customer reviews on Amazon, it’s reasonable to expect the product has worked out it’s kinks by now and it has a 3.9 star rating. (And for a cat pheromone spray that’s not bad at all!)
Sentry Stop That! for Cats Key Features:
- Aggressive pheromone to deter
- Lavender chamomile fragrance
- Uses noise and pheromone technology to stop bad behaviors in cats
Best Budget Pick: Feliway Travel Spray On The Go Management Behavior Modifier Spray
The Feliway Travel Spray On The Go Management Behavior Modifier Spray is wonderful for taking your cat with you when you travel. You can use this spray in his kennel to signal to him this is not for him to mark and in areas that are off limits once you get to your destination, too. And that is definitely something any friends and family you stay with will appreciate (and your wallet will appreciate not needing to pay those steep hotel bills!)
The primary goal of this spray is to deter urine spraying and scratching for your cat, so if those are the behaviors you want to work on, you can start with this pheromone spray. After all, it is clinically-proven to show results in 9 out of 10 cats. The Feliway brand is also a highly-recommended brand by vets.
With a respectable overall rating of 3.9 stars and nearly 6,400 customer reviews, there is plenty to tempt you towards purchase. But even if that weren’t the case, it’s still pretty tempting because you can pick it up for under $21!
Feliway Travel Spray On The Go Management Behavior Modifier Spray Key Features:
- Aggressive pheromone to deter
- Clinically
- Repeat sprays daily
Best Cat Pheromone Spray for Stress: LEGITPET Calming Hemp Pheromone Spray
The LEGITPET Calming Hemp Pheromone Spray stands out from the competition for a number of reasons—not least because it harnesses the calming effects of hemp. Made with a powerful combination of organic hemp seed oil, pheromones, and high-quality natural oils such as lavender oil, this pheromone spray claims to eliminate kitty stress within just 15 minutes. It has been tested by veterinarians and should work for up to 5 hours. Another great thing about this option is that the company proudly only uses sustainably sourced USA ingredients to make the spray and thoroughly tests all batches.
So if you’re struggling with your cat’s anxiety (and that tends to look like urine marking, scratching, skittishness and an overall uncomfortable cat), then spraying this spray on places like bedding, their carrier, and furniture may go a long way to making your cat more comfortable. A possible result of this is that your home will no longer smell of urine and your furniture won’t be torn up on a regular basis… and those are results we can get behind!
You can pick this pheromone spray up for only $13 and while it may not have a huge number of reviews on Amazon (under 50), the reviews are relatively more positive than many other options (4 stars).
LEGITPET Calming Hemp Pheromone Spray Key Features:
- Made with organic hemp seed oil, pheromones, and natural oils
- Sustainably sourced USA ingredients
- Tested by veterinarians
Best Cat Pheromone Spray for Urine Marking: Comfort Zone Spray & Scratch Control Spray for Cat Calming
The Comfort Zone Spray & Scratch Control Spray for Cat Calming is a perfect match for any cat that needs a little bit of help understanding his limits and modifying a few behaviors; namely urine marking. If your cat is marking with urine due to anxiousness (as is often the case) there’s a good chance this spray will help calm his anxieties for certain areas. If he has marked repeatedly in a place, you can bet that’s now “his spot;” but should you clean thoroughly and spray this at the location, he may begin to identify that place as safe and not needing his mark established any longer.
This spray will emit a calming pheromone that will allow him to find a bit of comfort where he used to find stress and will have a likely positive impact on your relationship as well as your home. Not only will he be less likely to scratch and mark, a comfortable cat is a happier one who will bond better with his human parent. You can safely spray it on a variety of surfaces including fabrics, upholstery, hardwoods, and door frames.
There is an impressive number of customer reviews on Amazon for this spray (over 500!) and it has a good overall rating 4.1 stars. You can pick it up for around $16 and for a bit of help in training your cat to stop mark your home with something that you find disgusting, it’s well worth the cost.
Comfort Zone Spray & Scratch Control Spray for Cat Calming Key Features:
- Calming pheromone to ease anxiety
- Can spray on a variety of surfaces
- Money-back guarantee
Who Should Buy a Cat Pheromone Spray
If your cat isn’t behaving as you’d like, don’t give up. Between scratching, urine marking, climbing on furniture and eating plants, there are a lot of common cat behaviors that you’ll want to discourage in your home. There’s a good chance that with some work, you’ll be able to modify his behavior without drastic measures. There are training tactics and classes you can do to help your fur baby, but even if you don’t have the time for all those methods, a cat pheromone may just be the equivalent of an “easy” button for you. It won’t work for all cats – that’s entirely up to their personality, not the pheromones – but if it does work? Oh, how simple a behavior fix this can be!
Even if your cat is well-behaved and needs no such coaxing to good behavior, no cat is 100% well behaved, 100% of the time (how boring a personality that would be, anyways). When something changes, like the introduction of another pet or even the introduction of a new chair, depending on how sensitive your cat is, problems in your cats behavior can happen. If something bigger happens, like travel or a move, then you can take the time to be prepared for these lapses. And for those rare occasions where an issue arises unexpectedly, it’s a good idea to have a pheromone spray handy.
Important Features to Consider
A cat pheromone sprays should do several things well. Here’s what to consider when selecting a cat pheromone sprays:
- Aggressive pheromones vs. calming pheromones. There are two primary types of cat pheromones for you to use on your home: Aggressive and Calming. Aggressive is a pheromone that is sprayed by cats to keep other cats away and, if your cats are amenable to giving other cats their space, it should keep them away from wherever you spray that pheromone. Calming pheromones are those that cats release when they’re happy or comfortable in order to signal a safe spot that they like. It will help your cat feel more at ease believing another cat has, essentially, vouched for an area. It’s a pretty simple formula: You want the cat to be comfortable in a place, spray the calming spray. If you’d like the cat to steer clear of an area, spray the aggressive pheromone.
- Targeted areas. Sprays are ideal for targeted areas; you’ll be able to directly effect a specific spot that you either want them to avoid or you want them to embrace, depending on the type of spray you use. A spray could, theoretically, be used for a whole room, but it won’t be as effective, just spraying it in the air. After all, these sprays aren’t typically aerosol and they don’t have a long range. A diffuser will be better suited for whole-room coverage. If you want to make sure your cat knows a bed is his or a couch is off-limits, though a targeted approach will be most effective with a pheromone spray.
- Travel. Cats aren’t exactly well-known for traveling well. In fact, any change to their routine can be a traumatic one for them. For that reason, you may opt to leave them behind and have them cat-sat for shorter periods of time. This could be an excellent time to use your cat pheromones to calm them and keep them from acting out with your more precious furniture and rugs. Conversely, should you choose to take your cat with you on the trip you take, a thorough spray of a calming spray in the cat kennel may go along way towards keeping him relaxed. And packing a deterrent travel spray will probably go a long way towards keeping your home away from home less terrorized, too.
- Catnip. If a calming spray includes catnip, there’s a greatly increased chance it will have the desired effect. Be careful, of course, not to build a tolerance of the catnip. And, of course bear in mind that some cats respond differently to catnip; some may be more relaxed while others will be excited. If you’re just trying to keep her from feeling stressed and anxious, catnip is probably the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to calm an easily excited and anxious cat, you may want to think twice before adding a stimulant into their system.
- “Pheromone similar” sprays. You may think that as long as you’re getting a spray for your cat, you should get a spray with actual pheromones in them, right? Well, that may be an answer to your problem but it may also not be the only answer. Consider that the true pheromone sprays may actually cost more money than those sprays without. And, more importantly, cats respond to pheromones differently based on their personalities. One cat may act as you intend; backing away from aggressive pheromones and snuggling in to calming ones while another may not even act as if they notice the pheromones at all. However, personalities are irrelevant when you spray something that is displeasing or comforting to all cats. That is, lavender is just as likely to calm a cat that responds to pheromones as it is to those who care nothing of them. So if you’ve tried pheromone sprays and not had luck, a pheromone similar spray may still be able to help you out.
- Urine marking. By and large, the cause of a cat marking with urine is an overwhelming anxiety of some kind. You can often stop the urine marking by giving your cat a spot in your home where they feel comfortable. And, should they have made too much of a habit of urine marking one specific area, a good cleaning is probably needed (we cover the best cat urine odor removers in a separate review). Beyond that, a deterrent (or aggressive pheromone) spray will help prevent that marking from reoccurring. If there is something in that area causing them anxiety, a calming spray may be more effective.
- “Water bottle” approach. If you’re around your cat often, then you can use the deterrent sprays as an immediate feedback for bad behavior; just like you would a water spray bottle in training the word “no!” to a pet. Not only will the pheromone scare them off (or at least make them less pleased to be in that specific area), but they’re also more likely to be displeased with the actual act of you spraying them. Catching them in the act with a deterrent spray bottle of aggressive pheromones is the probably most successful way to stop a bad behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cat pheromone spray and how does it work?
Pheromones are a chemical that animals release in order to affect other animals of the same species in their area. Cats have different types of pheromones that signal different thing. For example there are aggressive pheromones that will signal a cat to stay away from an area. Other cats will use this to “mark their territory” and as such, putting that kind of pheromone on, say a couch you don’t want your cat on, may go a long way towards protecting your furniture from scratches and hair. If it smells like another cat has claimed it as theirs, they may steer clear of it. Other pheromones that a cat can release include calming ones that will signify a “safe” zone that your cat will release when near a place he is comfortable in. (Or a person he is comfortable with.) These pheromone glands are located on the face and if your cat is rubbing his face on you or an object, he’s marking it safe. However, if your cats are an anxious sort, you can replicate those pheromones in an effort to coax them into thinking a certain place is safe and specifically intended for them. A spray is an easy solution if you want to show your cat one part of the room is theirs; simply spray the calming pheromone onto the bed, scratching post or whatever you choose to help them associate that place with peace.
Does cat calming spray work?
The truth is that pheromones in cats are similar to that of humans: they will effect everyone differently. Just because the pheromones your spouse puts off reminds you of home doesn’t mean that they have that effect on everyone (thank goodness). And, even more so, cats have a reputation for simply not caring about other people, or other cats. So just because they smell a calming pheromone doesn’t mean they’ll trust it. Or that they’ll even care it’s present. The chances are, if your cat doesn’t care about aggressive pheromones that should have them warned off, the calming pheromones won’t work either. However, if your cat is a skittish sort, the aggressive pheromones may work wonderfully while the calming ones are simply not enough. Sometimes cats just don’t respond to pheromones; there is no absolute answer as to whether it will work until you’ve tried it.
If you’re not noticing a difference after the pheromones have been introduced into your home, all may not be lost, though. You should talk to your vet to rule out any medical issues that may be causing the stress, or preventing the pheromones from doing their job. (Particularly if the problem is urine marking). But again, you’ll need to go into this course of action with open eyes: Pheromones is not an absolute blanket-fix for all cat issues.
Will cat pheromone spray make my cat sleepy?
The effect of a pheromone is, of course, dependent on the type of pheromone. If it is an aggressive pheromone, your cat won’t be calmed or sleepy around them at all. Calming cat pheromones should also not make your cat sleepy. However, you may notice a big difference in your cat’s level of “calm;” which may appear to be sleepiness compared to the ball of anxiety she has been previously. Pheromones should make your cat calm; not sleepy. If you notice your cat acting lethargic; tripping or stumbling to get around, not eating or not drinking – that’s a reason to worry and you’ll need to check with your vet immediately. You’ll most likely just notice a bit more snuggling and, in her more relaxed state, more likely to a healthy amount of cat naps. It won’t knock them out like a sleeping aide, though, so you should be able to rouse her easily and if she has a history of sleeping concerns, she may not sleep any more often than normal.
Does cat pheromone spray affect humans?
Because a cat’s sense of smell is so much more developed than ours, we likely can’t even tell when cat pheromones are released in the air. We can typically only smell strong scents a cat releases: urine being the most common. However, even if you could smell the pheromones, they’re still, by and large, species specific. Dog pheromones won’t effect cats, cat pheromones won’t effect you. We don’t even have the proper receptors to detect a cat’s pheromones, though. There’s a small chance your pheromones can be determined by your cat, but they won’t have a dramatic impact on them, by any means.
We should mention, cat pheromone diffusers can cause headaches if you are sensitive to the paraffin oil that the pheromones are cut with, but sprays do not run that same risk. And even if you are, if you can handle a candle burning then you’ll likely be able to handle a cat pheromone diffuser, as well.