Efficacy of a pheromone-impregnated collar in controlling feline problem behaviors, and an assessment of adverse events associated with collar use

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess a pheromone complex-impregnated collar in the control of feline problem behaviors, and to assess the ease of use and tolerance of the collar compared with a regular collar. Six hundred and twenty-four cats from 459 households with one or more of four problem behaviors (problem urination, scratching, fear, or inter-cat conflict) were recruited to a 28-day study. Households were randomly assigned so that each cat received either a pheromone-impregnated polymer collar (containing 13% FELIWAY^® Optimum) or a control regular silicone collar. Caregivers completed online questionnaires at recruitment and on days 7, 14, and 28 documenting the frequency and intensity of the problem behavior in the previous 7 days, and documenting any loss, problems and tolerance of the collar (pheromone-impregnated or control). Complete data was available for 491 cats for assessment of efficacy. Compared with the control collar, the pheromone collar produced significantly better improvement in problem urination (P = 0.0172), scratching (P = 0.0013), and inter-cat conflict (P = 0.0029). There was also a greater, but non-significant improvement in problem fear scores (P = 0.063). Collars had been removed definitively or lost from 12.1% of cats, for various reasons, by the end of the study, and potential adverse reactions were reported in 27.2% of cats, but again, with no difference in the overall frequency reported between the two collar groups. In a controlled study, a FELIWAY^® Optimum-impregnated collar was shown to be effective in helping to manage a range of problem feline behaviors. The use of the pheromone collar was not associated with a higher level of adverse reaction reporting, but caregiver removal or loss of collars may present an obstacle for effective therapy through this means.

Keywords: FELIWAY®; cat; collar; pheromone; problem behavior.

Figure 1

Diagrammatic demonstrating the fastening mechanisms in the test and control collars. (A) Diagrammatic representation of the pheromone-impregnated pheromone collar (PC) illustrating the molded notches/ratchet mechanism to hold the collar in place. (B) Diagrammatic representation of the silicone control collar illustrating the buckle (B) adjustment and the quick-opening fastening (Q).

Figure 2

The study populations and reasons for exclusion.

Figure 3

Changes in the Index Scores of problem behaviors over time. (A) Scratching. (B) Urine marking. (C) Fear. (D) Difficulties of cohabitation. Graphs show mean (and SEM) of the index change from baseline. Treatment comparison p-value: *GLMM p-value < 0.05; **GLMM p-value < 0.01.

Figure 4

Percentage of cats that had stopped the problem behavior at the end of the study. (A) Scratching. (B) Urine marking. (C) Fear. (D) Difficulties of cohabitation. Treatment comparison p-value: *χ²-test p-value < 0.05; **χ²-test p-value < 0.01.

Figure 5

Safety. Percentage of adverse event reported on the total population. Behavior disorder includes a large variety of behavior changes, such as a cat's change in routine. Pheromone collar N = 304 and control collar N = 317.