3 Best Cat Pheromone Diffusers To Keep Your Cat Chilling

We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission.

If your cat is stressed out, it can totally make everyone else in the home feel stressed, too, so you might be looking for products to help calm her down.

While there are tons of products on the market that help reduce anxiety in cats, from calming sprays to calming treats, pheromone diffusers are a super convenient way to keep your cat calm at all times while at home.

And the best part about diffusers is you can just plug them in and move along, unlike treats or sprays that you need to keep using for them to stay effective.

But what exactly are cat pheromone diffusers — and how do they work?

The Dodo reached out to Dr. Jamie Richardson, medical chief of staff at Small Door Veterinary in New York City, to find out if cat pheromone diffusers work and how to find the best one for your cat.

Pheromones are natural chemicals released by cats (as well as other animals and humans) in response to certain emotions or stimuli. Other cats can smell these pheromones and understand them as messages.

“For example, happy or relaxed cats will release positive pheromones, whereas an anxious or territorial cat may release correspondingly negative pheromones to warn other cats in the vicinity,” Dr. Richardson told The Dodo.

Pheromone diffusers work by mimicking the positive, ‘happy cat’ pheromones, and can help to calm stressed or anxious cats by reassuring them that all’s well in the environment.

According to Dr. Richardson, cat pheromone diffusers can reduce unwanted behaviors, such as urinating outside the litter box, scratching furniture or overgrooming, and can calm tensions in a multi-cat household.

“We recommend choosing a reputable brand with a history of clinical scientific research,” Dr. Richardson said. “It’s also important to select the right type of pheromone product for your situation.”

For example, many brands carry different products where the pheromones are targeted to deal with different issues, like general anxiety, specific unwanted behaviors or tensions between multiple cats in the home.

“As well as diffusers, you may also wish to try pheromone sprays, wipes or collars as your cat may respond better to these formats,” Dr. Richardson said.

So if you’re in the market for a product that will help keep your cat calm, cat pheromone diffusers are a good option to consider trying out.