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Comfort Zone and Feliway are both synthetic cat pheromone products designed to help reduce certain stress-related behaviors like urine spraying, scratching, and tension between cats. While both products are backed by scientific research, pheromone products don’t work for every cat, but they’re often worth a try in cases of mild anxiety and stress.
It’s worth knowing that when comparing Feliway and Comfort Zone, the two brands do offer different products, and in the case of Feliway the products all do something differently.
If you’re ready to jump into shopping, then we’ll list the products for each brand below, including what they’re used for. They’re Amazon Affiliate links, which means we may make a small fee if you make a purchase.
| 🐈 Sprays | ||
| Comfort Zone Spray | A spray to help reduce urine marking, furniture scratching, and anxiety when traveling. | Price on Amazon US |
| Feliway Classic Spray | Also helps reduce urine marking, furniture scratching, and anxiety when traveling. | Price on Amazon US Price on Amazon UK |
| 🐈 Plug-In Diffusers | ||
| Comfort Zone Diffuser | A plug-in diffuser with 2 refills for longer-term use in the home. | Price on Amazon US |
| Feliway Optimum Diffuser | The plug-in version of the spray for reducing anxiety in the house | Price on Amazon US Price on Amazon UK |
| Feliway Multi Cat | A plug-in diffuser to help reduce fighting and tension in multi-cat households | Price on Amazon US Price on Amazon UK |
How Do Comfort Zone and Feliway Work?
Cats use pheromones for several reasons, but as this post is about stress and anxiety, we’ll focus on why brands create synthetic versions of these pheromones and how they may be able to help your cat.
Cats use pheromones as chemical markers to create familiarity and security in their environment. Cats rub their heads and faces against people and objects to declare them safe. Humans can’t smell these pheromones, but other cats can, and it’s one way they’re able to communicate with each other.
Brands like Comfort Zone and Feliway make synthetic pheromones that mimic this scenting process helping stressed, anxious, and aggressive cats read their environment more effectively and to feel safer and happier in their home or during times of stress, like traveling or getting into a carrier.
Do Cat Calming Pheromones Work?
Yes and no.
For some cats, they are an absolute game-changer. People have reported a significant reduction in anxiety following the use of either a spray or plug-in diffuser. For some cats, it makes traveling or sharing a house with other pets so much easier and calmer.
For other cats, there’s little to no difference.
It’s similar to medication or cat nip. You can’t always predict how effective something will be based on reviews alone.
There is quite a bit of research that backs up artificial pheromones though, so it’s probably worth trying. Feliway is often recommended by vets and has been around for a long time. While Comfort Zone has been proven to be effective in 95% of urine marking cases, 93% of scratching cases and 88% of cases of multi-cat tension, with results seen in as little as 7 days.
Back in 2018, the Winn Feline Foundation did a study and concluded that there was evidence to suggest that synthetic feline pheromones can help to reduce aggression in multi-cat households.
Some behaviors like urinating outside the litter box could be a sign of another underlying issue, like a urinary tract infection. Sudden behavior changes should always be reported to the vet.
Pheromones aren’t super expensive and they’re low-risk as well, which is why we think they’re worth a shot. Just bear in mind that while sprays are fast-acting for short-term anxiety, plug-in diffusers take time to take effect.
Spray or Diffuser?
| Traveling or anxiety inside cat carriers | Spray for short-term anxiety |
| Going to veterinary appointment | Spray |
| Moving into a new home | Diffuser for long-term help |
| Tension in multi-cat households | Multi-cat diffuser |
Why Would My Cat Need Feliway or Comfort Zone Products?
Cats are pretty good at telling us when they’re not happy. If you have a cat that is:
- Spraying around the house
- Urinating outside its litter box
- Hiding from its cat carrier
- Acting aggressively towards another cat
- Tearing strips out of your wallpaper or furniture
- Uneasy about traveling in cars or planes
- Having trouble adjusting to its new home
Feliway Vs Comfort Zone
Feliway covers a room up to 70m² (750 sq ft).
Feliway recommends changing the diffuser every 6 months. Comfort Zone recommends changing it every 12 months.
Comfort Zone represents better value for money on the diffuser.
Both Feliway and Comfort Zone recommend changing the refill every 30 days.
Both sprays last for several hours.
Feliway or Comfort Zone: Which Should You Choose?
Overall, Feliway Classic Diffuser has the strongest body of research, is widely recommended by veterinarians, covers a larger area, provides longer-term support, and helps on-going issues like general anxiety.
If your cat has ongoing stress, then we’d pick a diffuser and we’d probably go for Feliway.
A spray is better for temporary situations like vet visits, car journeys, airline travel, introduction to a carrier, hotel stays, cattery visits, fireworks or loud noises.
Comfort Zone is a very reasonable option, especially if it’s listed at a lower price (as it often is). Many owners say it works for their pets, but Feliway does have a stronger reputation. Feliway also has a wider range of products.
For a rough guide:
General stress at home: Feliway Classic Diffuser
Multi-cat tensions: Feliway Friends / Multi-Cat Diffuser
Travel or carrier training: Feliway Classic Spray or Comfort Zone Spray
On a budget: Comfort Zone Diffuser
One final tip is to give it enough time to work. Diffusers don’t work immediately, and it can take up to 4-weeks to notice a difference.
| 🐈 Sprays | ||
| Comfort Zone Spray | A spray to help reduce urine marking, furniture scratching, and anxiety when traveling. | Price on Amazon US |
| Feliway Classic Spray | Also helps reduce urine marking, furniture scratching, and anxiety when traveling. | Price on Amazon US Price on Amazon UK |
| 🐈 Plug-In Diffusers | ||
| Comfort Zone Diffuser | A plug-in diffuser with 2 refills for longer-term use in the home. | Price on Amazon US |
| Feliway Optimum Diffuser | The plug-in version of the spray for reducing anxiety in the house | Price on Amazon US Price on Amazon UK |
| Feliway Multi Cat | A plug-in diffuser to help reduce fighting and tension in multi-cat households | Price on Amazon US Price on Amazon UK |
Thank you for the information. Question: I have 3 cats. One is easily frightened. I cannot find a calming collar for the scaredy cat that does not have essential oils (bad for cats) so I am thinking of a spray for a few areas of the house where she can fee secure. By water bowls, cat tree, food dishes, window. Sounds like either the Feliway or Comfort Zone spray would work equally well. Or do you know of a calming collar without essential oils that works?
Also, another question: I’ve read the reviews on Amazon. You say Feliway has more positive reviews. Is that by percentage of reviews? Or just by the number of reviews.I believed there are more positive reviews for Feliway because it is better known and has more total reviews than Comfort Zone. Am I wrong?
thanks
Hi Pat!
Thanks for the message 🙂
I’ve just written a post about collars for cats. As far as I can tell the Comfort Zone Calming Collar doesn’t have essential oils. Try this link to take a look on Amazon – https://amzn.to/2zdNdFk
It might be worth double checking but someone in the Q&A section said that it doesn’t smell of anything and there’s no mention of any other ingredients so I’d take it that it’s a pheromone collar rather than ones with essential oils.
Using a spray is a good idea on bedding and around the house etc and should help her feel more secure. The plug-in diffuser has quite a good range if there are particular spots that she’s bothered by but the spray will be cheaper and a good way of testing whether she responds to pheromones or not.
Feliway seems to be the more popular but you could be right in that it’s probably a more well known name. I wrote this post a while back and will probably update it as I think Comfort Zone is equally as good. It’ll just depend on your preference for the brand.
Hope that helps and good luck with it 🙂 x