A pale cat with blue-gray eyes looking out from under the edge of an orange wooden piece of furniture

October 4, 2026 Jessica Northrup

Does Feliway Really Work on Your Cat? What the Studies Show

Studies of Feliway's facial pheromone are mixed. A 28-day trial of 1,060 cats found less scratching with the diffuser, a 22-cat trial found less urine spraying, and a trial of 87 cats found lower stress on a vet's exam table. A trial of 336 shelter cats found no effect, and a review of cat and dog pheromone studies published up to 2008 called most of the evidence insufficient. Below is what each study measured and found.

What Feliway is

Feliway is made by Ceva. Feliway Classic copies the facial pheromone cats leave when they rub their cheeks on things. Cornell's Feline Health Center describes it as "a synthetic pheromone that, when applied to household surfaces, mimics the scent of cat cheek gland secretions." The maker's own page says Feliway Classic "mimics the natural F3 Pheromone."

The AAFP and ISFM environmental needs guidelines say a synthetic feline facial pheromone analog "mimics natural pheromones that are deposited when a cat rubs its face on objects, and can provide a calming effect in unfamiliar or stressful environments or situations." Our guide to how to tell if your cat loves you covers head butting, one way cats rub their faces on people.

The maker's US site lists the Optimum, Classic, and MultiCat diffusers, the Classic spray, and refills. It describes MultiCat as containing "synthetic maternal appeasing pheromones to reduce common signs of tension between cats at home."

What the reviews say

A systematic review in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at pheromone studies in cats and dogs published from January 1998 through December 2008, seven on cats and seven on dogs. It concluded that "11 of the 14 reports reviewed provided insufficient evidence and 1 provided lack of support for effectiveness of pheromones for the treatment of undesirable behavior in cats and dogs." For cats, it found insufficient evidence for idiopathic cystitis and for calming cats during catheterization, and "lack of support for reducing stress in hospitalized cats."

A 2025 systematic review in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal covered 22 studies on recurrent feline idiopathic cystitis. It found "encouraging evidence for multimodal environmental modification but little evidence to support the use of feline facial pheromone."

An evidence summary in Veterinary Evidence reviewed five papers on the F3 facial pheromone in clinics. Its conclusion: "FFPA may reduce signs of acute stress within a clinical veterinary context. Additionally, exposure to FFPA is unlikely to cause patient harm. To optimise patient welfare, FFPA is not recommended as a sole agent for stress mitigation."

A tabby cat with raised fur and bared teeth standing on wood chips

Studies on spraying, scratching, and tension at home

Urine spraying

In a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study by Mills and Mills, 22 cats that sprayed urine at home were given an electrically heated diffuser holding either the pheromone or a placebo. After four weeks, "the mean level of spraying was significantly lower in the treated group," but not in the control group. Cornell adds that "many cats will not spray on areas that have this scent." For why a cat starts spraying in the first place, and why a vet visit comes first, see our guide on neutered cats.

Scratching furniture

A 2023 PLOS ONE trial gave 1,060 cat and caregiver pairs either a Feliway Classic diffuser (546) or a placebo diffuser (514) for 28 days. Caregivers filled in an online questionnaire about how often and how intensely their cat scratched furniture. Scratching frequency fell for 83.5% of cats with the pheromone and 68.5% of cats with the placebo. The placebo group improved a lot too, and the gap between the groups was still significant. Three of the authors work for Ceva, and the others were paid by Ceva for their part in the work.

Tension between housemate cats

A pilot study of 45 multi-cat households used a diffuser called Feliway Friends or a placebo, with 20 households in the pheromone group and 25 in the placebo group. Aggression scores fell over the first 28 days in both groups. The paper gives P = 0.06 for the difference between the groups, and its authors call the pheromone "a promising treatment for the management of aggression between housemate cats in multi-cat households." Ceva paid for the study.

Cystitis

One early study tested a cloned version of the facial pheromone in 12 cats with recurring cystitis. Nine finished the two-month, placebo-controlled crossover study. The authors report "no statistical differences between the two treatment groups," with a trend toward fewer days of cystitis signs on the pheromone. Five of the nine households said their cat's overall health was better with the pheromone.

Studies on vet visits, travel, and shelters

In a trial in a vet's consultation room, one of the clinical settings where cats get stressed, 87 cats were examined on a table sprayed with either Feliway or a placebo. Cats on the Feliway table "showed significantly lower stress levels than those treated with placebo (P = 0.02)." Ceva advised on the design and helped write the paper.

A pilot study of 150 cats sprayed carriers with a synthetic feline facial pheromone product or a placebo, then scored stress during a short trip. Curling, lack of motion, and meowing were significantly lower in the pheromone group. A small 2026 trial of eight cats found that "neither catnip nor pheromone produced significant changes in clinical or behavioral parameters" during an exam.

Before venous catheterization, a trial of 77 cats found that "exposure to FFP did not significantly reduce struggling at catheterization," though the cats looked calmer in other ways. In an Ohio State study, 20 cats (7 healthy, 13 clinically ill) were put in a cage with a towel sprayed with the pheromone or with a vehicle, and "significant increases in grooming and interest in food were found in cats exposed to FFP compared with vehicle."

The shelter result was negative. A trial of 336 cats in two northern California shelters used diffusers for 21 days, then switched them. Its conclusion: "No evidence was found that the evaluated synthetic feline facial pheromone product had any effect on stress scores or URI incidence in shelter-housed cats."

How to use Feliway

The maker's instructions for the diffuser and spray:

A white and gray cat asleep on a gray fabric ottoman with one front leg hanging over the edge

Diffuser: "one FELIWAY diffuser per area up to 700sq ft," plugged into an outlet with at least 4 feet (1.2 m) of clear space above it.
Refill: "One FELIWAY diffuser refill will last up to 30 days." The diffuser lasts six months with continuous use.
Time on: "It is important not to unplug or turn off your FELIWAY diffuser at night." For Optimum, the maker recommends "at least 1 month."
Spray: "Do NOT spray directly on your cat." Wait 15 minutes before the cat goes near a sprayed area, clean marked areas first, and do not spray scratching posts.

The maker says "Many cat parents begin to see results within the first seven days. However, each cat is unique and the timing can vary."

The maker also lists when its product will not help: "If your cat does not have access to a scratching post, they will scratch your walls or furniture (as scratching is a basic need for cats) and FELIWAY Optimum will not help." The AAFP and ISFM guidelines put scent as the fifth of five parts of a healthy cat environment, after a safe place, separate key resources, play, and steady human contact. Our guide to outdoor pet enclosures for cats covers a safe outdoor space.

When to see a vet instead

Sudden changes in behavior, spraying in the house, and a loss of appetite are reasons to call a vet before trying a product. The AAFP and ISFM guidelines say "changes in behavior or interactions may also be associated with an underlying medical problem and, where appropriate, patients should be assessed by a veterinarian." They also say that another feline protective mechanism "is to avoid showing outward signs of weakness, pain or illness."

Cornell's Feline Health Center says that for a cat that is soiling or spraying in the house, "it is wise to take him to your veterinarian for a thorough physical examination and appropriate diagnostic tests to check for underlying medical problems. Cats with medical conditions may not always act sick."

On the Cornell Feline Health Center's page on anorexia, Carolyn McDaniel, VMD, a lecturer in clinical sciences at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, advises about a cat that stops eating: "A cat that is not eating deserves to have a full veterinary workup."

If you are shopping for yourself rather than your cat, there is cat apparel in our store.

FAQ

Should you leave Feliway on all the time?

For the diffuser, the maker says "It is important not to unplug or turn off your FELIWAY diffuser at night." Replace the refill every 30 days.

How long does a Feliway refill last?

The maker says one refill "will last up to 30 days," and a diffuser lasts six months with continuous use.

Is there anything to try besides pheromones?

The AAFP and ISFM guidelines list five parts of a healthy cat environment: a safe place, multiple and separated key resources, opportunity for play and predatory behavior, positive and consistent human contact, and respect for the cat's sense of smell. Pheromone products fall under the last one. The New Zealand cystitis review found "encouraging evidence for multimodal environmental modification."

Sources

Previous article Crazy Dog Facts: Dreams, Noses, Eyes, Ears and Memory