Pheromones might soothe cat’s stress during visits

Dear Cathy: I have an 8-year-old female gray tabby named Beckett. She is an adorable and lovable cat except when my daughter comes to visit.

My daughter has many dogs; most are rescued Chihuahuas and yorkies. Beckett must pick up on some smell because she just goes crazy, growling, hissing and attacking.

This is our only problem with her, she has yearly check-ups, shots, etc., and is healthy. Please help. — Carol, Roseville, Minnesota

Dear Carol: Beckett is likely reacting to the scent of the dogs on your daughter’s clothes and belongings. Ask her to buy a feline pheromone spray to put on her clothes, purse, carry bag and anything else she might bring into your house about 15 minutes before she arrives.

If this alone doesn’t calm Beckett down, then use a few plug-in feline pheromones around your home, spray her cat bed with pheromones or put a feline pheromone collar on her, if she will allow it. Pheromones often soothe stressed felines.

Even if Beckett appears to calm down, don’t let your daughter pick up or pet her. Trust is built by cats coming to us, not us going to them.

Dear Cathy: I read your column about Monty the picky terrier mix and have a few suggestions.

I also had trouble getting my mixed breed pup to eat. I have found two products that worked great. One is Stewart Flavor Enhancer food topping. It comes in a shaker bottle and you sprinkle some on top of the dog’s food. You can also add a little water to make it like a gravy. The second is Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Mixers. These are little dried bits that come in several flavors, such as chicken, lamb, beef and other varieties that include dried pieces of vegetables and fruit.

I mixed a tiny bit in with her food and it worked. She no longer uses either of them and eats everything. — Lois, Bethpage, NY

Dear Lois: When I searched on the internet for flavor enhanced topping for dogs, I was surprised at the number of products available. These products are definitely worth a try. Thanks for sharing.