Advice for Veterinary Professionals 173
The F3 fraction can also be used, alongside specific behavioural advice, to help
with behaviour problems such as:
● Any changes in behaviour related to stress.
● Urine marking: use the spray on the areas where the cat is urine marking (see
Appendix 15).
● Furniture scratching: excessive indoor scratching may be due to stress; if so the scent
from a diffuser may help to reduce this. Also applying the spray onto surfaces where
you do not want the cat to scratch can help to relocate the scratching to other areas.
The F4 fraction has been identified as the scent exchanged during allorubbing and
allomarking (rubbing on the same inanimate object) by social group members. The syn-
thetic version, marketed under the name Felifriend, is designed to facilitate handling by
rubbing the product into the handler’s palms and wrists, and to aid introductions or
reintroductions to people or other animals, including other cats. However, there can be a
problem in using this product, due to the fact that feline social interactions are not reliant
on scent alone. It may, therefore, cause frustration and a sense of conflict if the other
signals perceived by the cat do not match the message supplied by the pheromone.
Cat-appeasing pheromone (CAP)
This is a pheromone secreted from the intermammary sulcus of a nursing female that
appears to appease and aid cohesion between individuals in a litter of kittens and
increase bonding to the mother cat. The pheromone is also reported to have a similar
action in adult cats (Cozzi et al., 2010). A synthetic version has been developed and
is commercially available as a plug-in diffuser. Sold as Feliway Friends in the UK and
Feliway Multi-Cat in the USA this may be used to aid introductions and help to
reduce conflict between cats living in the same household. Diffusers should be located
in the house in an area shared by the cats, preferably a shared resting area.
Fig. 11.6. Messages are conveyed from one neuron to another in chemical form via a
small gap known as the synapse. These chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are
released from the presynaptic membrane on the axon terminal but not all cross the synaptic
cleft because some are resorbed back into the axon terminal (known as reuptake). The
neurotransmitter molecules that do cross the synaptic cleft then bind with their specific
receptors in the postsynaptic membrane.