The 8 Best Calming Aids for Cats in 2023

Best Overall

Feliway Classic Cat Calming Diffuser

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Feliway gets high marks across the board, including Dr. Satchu and the veterinarians who care for The Spruce Pets staff's cats. Feliway diffusers emulate cats' naturally-produced pheromones in an effort to reduce stress and anxiety. Your cat has specialized nerves that take in the pheromones, and the pheromones send calming signals to the brain.

Clinically proven to reduce urine spraying and scratching in 90 percent of cats, this diffuser can also help calm your kitty in stressful situations like moving, the introduction of a new baby or pet, and during disruptive events like thunderstorms and fireworks. This starter kit, which includes one diffuser and one refill, lasts for four weeks, but you can purchase additional refills separately.

_{Delivery Method: Diffusion | Key Ingredients: Feline facial pheromone}

Best Spray

Pet MasterMind Cool Kitty Cat Calming Pheromone Spray

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The Pet MasterMind Cool Kitty Calming Spray also utilizes cat pheromones, but unlike a diffuser that’s constantly releasing product into a general area, this one allows you to target and fully control where you spray. In addition to pheromones, it contains passionflower and jasmine, two florals that have additional calming effects. You can use it any time, but it’s especially useful during visits to the vet, while traveling, or when new pets or people come into the house. You can spray it onto your cat's favorite hangout spots, like their bed or carrying case.

_{Delivery Method: Spray | Key Ingredients: Distilled water, proprietary cat pheromone, passion flowers jasmine medley and paraben-free preservative}

Best Wipes

Feliway Animal Health Wipes, 12 Count

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Whether you’re driving down the road to your local vet’s office or taking your kitty on a long car ride, traveling can be stressful for cats. Just like baby wipes, these Feliway Travel Calming Wipes, which rely on pheromones as the active ingredient, are easy to throw into any bag or in your glove compartment. You don’t apply them to your cat directly, but you can wipe down any hard surface, like a cat carrier or the car or plane seat while you travel. When you do, a facial pheromone, similar to the one that cats give off when they rubs his cheek against the furniture (or you), is released to produce a calming effect.

_{Delivery method: Wipes | Key ingredients: Pheromones (F3 Fraction of Feline Facial Pheromone Analogue)}

Best Treat

VetriScience Composure Calming Formula for Cats

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These treats, which combine colostrum, L-theanine, and thiamine (a B vitamin) can start to calm your cat down in as little as 30 minutes. In addition to soothing the nervous system, these ingredients support cognitive function and improve brain health. The dosage, or amount of chews you give, depends on your cat’s weight but if you’re not getting the results you want, you can double or triple the amount with no adverse effects. You can also break a treat into pieces if a smaller bite is more appealing to your cat or you want to offer them a smaller dose.

If you have a cat with an anxious personality, you can give these daily or you can administer them just as needed during particularly stressful times.

_{Delivery Method: Treat (chew) | Key Ingredients: Colostrum calming complex biopeptide blend, L-theanine, thiamine (vitamin B1)}

Best Diffuser

ThunderEase Multicat Calming Pheromone Diffuser

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Another diffuser option, this kit from ThunderEase can help calm down all of the cats in a multi-cat household. This particular diffuser mimics the natural pheromones that are given off by a mother cat as she’s nursing, which helps reduce fighting among cats in the same household, decrease stress and anxiety, and boost resilience, helping your cat better adapt to any changes. Like the Feliway diffuser, this kit covers up to 700 square feet of space but requires refills. You can purchase the 30-day supply, or opt for 60 or 90 days of coverage.

_{Delivery Method: Diffusion | Key Ingredients: Natural nursing pheromones}

Best Drops

Richard's Organics Pet Calm

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Richard’s Organics Pet Calm combines four relaxation-inducing herbs—valerian, chamomile, passionflower, and skullcap extract—that may help alleviate stress, anxiety, excitability, and improve your cat’s sleep. Because it’s a liquid drop, administration can be a challenge, especially since there are no added flavors to entice your cat to consume it. We recommend dropping it onto your cat’s paw and letting him or her lick it off.

_{Delivery Method: Liquid drops | Key Ingredients: Valerian, chamomile, passionflower, skullcap extract}

Best Collar

Sentry Calming Collar for Cats

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Similar to the diffusers and calming sprays, calming collars work by releasing pheromones that ultimately work to help calm your cat’s nervous system. The manufacturer claims this collar has been shown to reduce excessive meowing and fear of loud noises and curb bad behaviors in clinical trials. Satchu notes that having a collar on can stress some cats out, which defeats the purpose of the calming aid. However, if your kitty is used to wearing a collar, this is could be a good option for you.

_{Delivery Method: Collar (inhalation of pheromones) | Key Ingredients: Cat pheromones}