Cambridge, ON – November 1, 2016

FELIWAY FRIENDS, a feline appeasing pheromone product, provides veterinarians and cat owners with a new tool to reduce social tension and conflict between cats living in the same home.

The pheromone in FELIWAY FRIENDS specifically works to reduce animosity in social relationships by signaling a sense of calm and harmony in the cat’s social group. By nature, many cats are solitary, independent animals. Using FELIWAY FRIENDS can reduce conflict and aggression, by helping cats feel more comfortable and willing to share their home with other cats.

“During the past 20 years Ceva Animal Health has developed expertise in the category of pheromones used to help combat stressful situations which cause our pets to exhibit unwanted behaviours. The launch of FELIWAY FRIENDS will extend our market leadership in this area.  More importantly FELIWAY FRIENDS will improve the quality of life for cats and their families by reducing tension and conflict among cats sharing a home,” said Brian Thomas, General Manager of Ceva Animal Health in Canada.          

FELIWAY FRIENDS is different than Ceva’s FELIWAY products that have been sold for years. The original FELIWAY (now called FELIWAY CLASSIC) contains a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone cats use to mark their territory as safe and familiar. FELIWAY FRIENDS is a synthetic copy of the pheromone produced by mother cats during lactation. This appeasing pheromone reassures kittens and helps them bond with their mother and litter mates.

Research shows:

• Within one week, FELIWAY FRIENDS users noticed a reduction in conflict behaviours between adult cats, even in households where conflict had been occurring for several years. 
• After one month of continuous use, 84 percent of pet owners report a significant improvement in their cats’ ability to get along.

Different types of pheromones signal different information to cats.

“FELIWAY CLASSIC helps manage stress in homes with multiple cats by signaling to the cat, ‘this is my home, I feel safe here.’ In homes where cats dislike each other or are openly in conflict, the additional support of the synthetic pheromone in FELIWAY FRIENDS may be needed to help diffuse the situation and to repair the relationship between those cats,” said Dr. Valarie V. Tynes, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, Veterinary Services Specialist at Ceva.

Dr. Theresa DePorter, a board certified diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior (ACVB) and the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM) conducted a clinical trial for forty-five families who reported social conflict and aggression amongst housemate cats. FELIWAY FRIENDS reduced the level of conflict between cats even within the first week of use.

“Cats living in a state of conflict suffer. When families used FELIWAY FRIENDS diffusers in their homes they reported a reduction in conflict and aggressive behaviours. FELIWAY FRIENDS will provide hope for families with cats that do not get along: from the most subtle avoidance to even the most extreme conflict” said Dr. DePorter. “Cats that have been in conflict may never come to love each other, but by using FELIWAY FRIENDS, cats may begin to repair or build social relationships. Cats and their owners may enjoy new peace if the stresses of daily conflict are reduced.”

Social tension between cats may impair the cat’s day to day welfare. Conflict between cats can begin when a new cat is introduced into the home or previously amicable relationships may change when an event happens that causes one or more cats to become distressed. The cats may have an aggressive encounter and then fail to mend their relationship. Signs of social tension and conflict between housemate cats may be obvious or quite subtle. Overt aggression may include hissing, growling, screaming, swatting or chasing. Passive or avoidant behaviours are also common, including hiding, fleeing or obstructing access.

FELIWAY FRIENDS is available from veterinarians as a Plug-in Diffuser and 30 Day Refill (each sold separately). It starts working within 24 hours. 

To learn more about FELIWAY brand products, please visit www.feliway.ca