It’s an awful process when you have to take your cat to the vet – for both parties. As your cat shakes in horror at the prospect of being examined by an unknown human, you feel guilt as you attempt to coax them into their cat carrier. Yet for owners who own cats who suffer from anxiety, the overwhelming guilt of feeling as if you can’t do anything to calm down your cat is often difficult to manage.
However, calming aid for cats provides owners with a viable and inexpensive solution for minimizing their cat’s stress-induced behaviors. These effective supplements are easy to introduce to your cat due to their palatability and will help them control their stress. We’ve compiled what we regard as the top six cat calming treats, all specially designed to help your pet combat stress. Let’s take a look below.
Quick Overview of the 10 Best Cat Calming Treats
1 Pet Naturals Calming Behavioral Soft Chews For Cats
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1): 65 mg
- Colostrum Calming Complex: 9 mg
- L-Theanine: 8.5 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Brewers Yeast, Calcium Sulfate, Canola Oil
Pet Naturals of Vermont’s Calming Chews for cats provide the most delicious solution for stressed cats. Its delectable chicken liver flavor sets it apart from the masses – your pet will wolf it down, just like any other chew. Each delicious chew isn’t a sedative, so if fed to your cat during the day, will prevent them from suffering from side effects such as mood changes or drowsiness.
This proprietary blend comprises of premium ingredients renowned for their calming effects, such as Thiamine, Colostrum Calming Complex, and L-Theanine to ensure your cat can reap the benefits of undisturbed sleep. On a similar note, the inactive ingredients present in these soft chews contain no wheat, corn, or artificial ingredients to speak of. Undoubtedly, they’re a fantastic calming product geared towards making the lives of both you and your cat plagued by stress that bit easier.
Brewers Yeast, Canola Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Mixed Tocopherols, Propionic Acid, Proprietary Blend (Maltodextrin, Sodium Alginate and Calcium Sulfate), Rosemary Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Oil, Whey.
- Helps to significantly reduce hyperactive night-time behavior
- Ideal for cats that don’t like to travel
- Not all cats take well to the flavor or these chews
2 VetriScience Laboratories Calming Formula For Cats
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1): 67 mg
- Colostrum Calming Complex): 11 mg
- L-Theanine: 10.5 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Brewer’s Yeast, Canola Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor
Delighted buyers everywhere are keen to promote VetriScience’s “Composure” – that is, bite-sized cat chews that will make both owner and cat feel calm once more. Thanks to acclaimed ingredients Thiamine, L-Theanine, and Colostrum and their positive effect on the nervous system, you’ll find your feline to be less irritable and stressed out as a result. Plus, weight-based dosages guarantee that your cat receives the correct level of stress support.
A Composure chews’ calming effect will become evident after a mere thirty minutes and last for four hours. What we love about VetriScience’s cat calming products, in particular, is that when your pet finds themselves more anxious than usual in a stressful situation, Composure’s calming cat treats are safe to double or triple the recommended dose.
Active Ingredients: (Per 1 Chew) Thiamine (Vitamin B1), C3 Tm (Colostrum Calming Complex), L-Theanine.
Inactive Ingredients: Brewer’s Yeast, Canola Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Mixed Tocopherols, Propionic Acid, Proprietary Blend (Maltodextrin, Sodium Alginate and Calcium Sulfate), Rosemary Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Oil.
- Begins to work within half an hour of being ingested
- The soft chews are easy for all cats to eat
- Not all cats are receptive to calming effects of these treats
3 NaturVet Quiet Moments Calming Aid For Cats
- L-Tryptophan: 50 mg
- Chamomile: 6 mg
- Thiamine Mononitrate: 6 mg
- Ginger: 1 mg
- Melatonin: 0.01 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Brewers Dried Yeast, Canola Oil, Dried Potato Product
NatureVet’s calming cat treats will do exactly what it says in the name – to provide “quiet moments” in the lives of anxious cats. One glance at the back of the tin is all it takes to discern that these soft cat chews have been designed with the utmost care and precision; the comprehensive breakdown of active and inactive ingredients speaks for itself.
Not only does this calming product contain recommended calming ingredients L-Tryptophan and Thiamine Mononitrate, but each chew also contains natural anxiety alleviators chamomile and ginger. The latter ingredient even supports sensitive stomachs, which is crucial if the situation that freaks out your feline the most is traveling to the vet.
Active Ingredients: (Per 2 Soft Chews) L-Tryptophan, Chamomile, Thiamine, Ginger, Melatonin.
Inactive Ingredients: Brewer’s Yeast, Cod Liver Oil, Flaxseed Meal, Glycerin, Lecithin, Natural Flavoring, Oat Groats, Rice Flour, Sorbic Acid, Vegetable Oil and Wheat Germ.
- The use of melatonin helps to calm cats down when stressed
- Added ginger helps to ease digestion and settle an upset stomach
- Not proven to be a safe product for use with pregnant cats
4 TOMLYN Relax And Calm Chews For Cats
- L-Tryptophan: 122 mg
- Chamomile Flower: 79.2 mg
- Ginger Root: 13.2 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Arabic Gum, Brewers Yeast, Calcium Sulfate
If you own a stressed-out small dog as well as a cat, Tomlyn’s calming cat treats are recommended for your multi-pet household. Your pet will keep coming back for more of these chews by virtue of their incredible chicken flavoring and soft texture. One chew per day will help your distressed kitty relax to the point that they’ll be less keen to hide in a corner and more interested in snuggles.
Containing a commendable sixty-six milligrams of L-Tryptophan to naturally calm down your cat, manufacturers astute decision to include ginger and chamomile is another reason why these chews are sought-after amongst pet owners. Both ingredients calm a cat’s upset stomach, which is a typical symptom of stress.
- Works effectively within 2 hours of consumption
- Contains ginger and chamomile to help soothe an upset stomach
- Can be difficult for some cats to chew as they’re not very soft
5 Ark Naturals Happy Traveler Chews
- Calorie content: 3,017 kcal/kg (226 kcal/per chew)
- Valerian: 40 mg
- German Chamomile: 40 mg
- L-Tryptophan: 40 mg
- St. John’s Wort: 20 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Black malt extract, Dry Poultry Liver Flavor, Flaxseed Oil
Since 1996, Ark Naturals has continued to succeed in their mission to produce exceptional pet supplements, and their Happy Traveler Bite Size Soft Chews feature as one of the company’s many accomplishments. Curated to curb the stress levels of senior dogs, these chews are bite-sized, meaning that they’re easy to digest and chew. As older dogs require an abundance of nutrients in everything they eat, Ark Naturals don’t disappoint in this respect, as the soft chews are packed full of natural prebiotics and probiotics.
An analysis of the ingredient list positions Arks Naturals as a company that isn’t afraid to feature herbal ingredients not usually found in cat stress supplements. As well as the usual L-Tryptophan featuring in these chews, St John’s Wort – an unusually-named herbal remedy that has been used for hundreds of years – is included in this formula to treat mild anxiety.
Valerian, German Chamomile, L-Tryptophan, St. Johns Wort.
Other Ingredients: Black Malt Extract, Dry Poultry Liver Flavor, Flaxseed Oil, Gelatin, Glycerin, Natural Flavors, Salt, Whey.
- Specifically designed to reduce nervous behavior whilst traveling
- Small soft chews that are easy to chew and digest
- Can need re-administering after an hour for especially anxious cats
6 ThunderWunders Cat Calming Chews
- L-Tryptophan: 25 mg
- Chamomile Flower: 6 mg
- Thiamine Mononitrate: 6 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Brewers Dried Yeast, Calcium Propionate, Canola Oil
Proudly made in the USA, ThunderWunders’ Calming Chews are the anxiety supplement that alleviates pets’ stress, one bite at a time. Cats everywhere will be delighted by the heavenly chicken flavor of these chews. And with around 100 vet-recommended chews in each packet, they’ll be able to tear through a maximum of four chews a day to curb their stress levels.
Containing all the right ingredients to cater towards soaring anxiety levels – that is, a proprietary blend of L-Tryptophan, Chamomile, and Thiamine – these calming chews are drug-free and easy to work with. Plus, if these calming cat chews, unfortunately, don’t work as they’re supposed to for your anxious pet, the company urges owners to return this product to them to obtain a full refund that can be spent on other calming products. ThunderWunders aren’t in the business for profit; the company’s principal goal is to stop stress from running your cat’s life.
L-Tryptophan, Chamomile Flower, Thiamine Mononitrate, Brews Dried Yeast, Calcium Propionate, Canola Oil, Citric Acid, Corn Starch, Disodium Phosphate, Dried Cheese, Dried Chicken Liver, Green Tea Extract, Mixed Tocopherols, Natural Flavors, Rosemary Extract, Salmon Oil, Silicon Dioxide, Sorbic Acid, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Glycerin, Vegetable Oil, Water.
- The drug-free formula is appropriate for any cat
- Chamomile flower helps to holistically soothe separation anxiety
- Not suitable for regular use as can lead to digestive distress
7 Nutri-Vet Pet-Ease Paw-Gel for Cats
- Oat Extract: 75 mg
- Passion Flower: 30 mg
- Chamomile Extract: 30 mg
- Catnip Extract: 15 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Water, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
The Nutri-Vet gen calming agent has made its way onto our list owing to the convenience of having a gel product. If your cat is particularly picky and refuses to take treats from you, something like this can be the perfect alternative. With a rich salmon flavor, it can be added to their food or smeared onto your cat’s paw and licked off (combining a calming agent with a soothing action).
The active, all-natural ingredients of this calming gel are oat extract, chamomile, passionflower, and catnip. Catnip, as well all know, can have a profound effect on your cat’s level of stress as it can immediately soothe and distract them from a stressful event. However, seeing as this is not a guaranteed ingredient, Nutri-Vet have placed their faith in the proven calming effects of chamomile and passionflower. Just be mindful that this is not proven to be safe for pregnant cats, so caution is advised.
Cetyl alcohol, hydrogenated vegetable oil, lecithin, methylcellulose, natural fish flavor (salmon), potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, soybean oil, stearic acid, water, and xanthan gum.
- The gel form is easy to administer and can be mixed with food
- Can be used to help a cat settle down at night time
- Not proven to be a safe product for use with pregnant cats
8 Licks Pill-Free Zen Cat Calming LiquiPaks
- Tryptophan: 75 mg
- L-Theanine: 35 mg
- Organic Eleuthero Root: 25 mg
- Organic Ashwagandha Root: 15 mg
- First three ingredients (inactive): All Natural Roasted Chicken Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Rosemary Flavor
The Licks Pill-Free Liquikpaks, much like the Nutri-Vet gel relies on a liquid form to more quickly administer the calming agent throughout your cat’s system. The liquid texture makes it quick to digest and provides versatility wherein a cat parent can mix the liquid with food, apply it to the cat’s paw or even squeeze it directly into the cat’s mouth. Furthermore, thanks to the rich chicken flavor, it is a palatable alternative to calming tablets or chews.
These LiquiPaks are safe to be used in double, or even triple doses for especially stressed or anxious kitties thanks to the gentle but effective formula. Furthermore, the easy digestibility of these pouches can help to better your cat’s digestion, which can often become backed up as a result of stress. But be aware that some cats do not like to be fed the liquid directly as it is quite a strong flavor, so still to mixing it with their food first.
Organic Chamomile Tryptophan L-Theanine Organic Eleuthero Root Organic Ashwagandha Root All-Natural Savory flavor
- Safe to use in double or triple doses if required
- The liquid formula is easy to administer and can be added to food
- Some cats can be put off by the powerful meat scent
9 Meowijuana Crunchie Munchie Catnip Calming Cat Treats
- Crude Protein: 26% min
- Crude Fat: 15% min
- Crude Fiber: 4% max
- Moisture: 12% max
- First three ingredients: Chicken Meal, Tapioca Starch, Barley Flour
With soft chewy centers and all-natural ingredients, the Meowijuana catnip calming treats focus on the utilization of catnip and valerian root to create a natural, and powerful calming effect. The high moisture content makes them easy to digest as well as the fiber provided by the barley flour. Additionally, these chews are made as extra-small bite-sized chunks, meaning they’re suitable for cats of all sizes to enjoy.
For cat owners that worry about the additional calories and the possibility of unhealthy weight gain, these treats are only two calories per treat. Two calories can be burned off in no time, meaning these treats have a negligible effect on your cat’s overall consumption (assuming they are used correctly). Though the one major downfall with this product is whether your cat is the type to respond to catnip, as the average rate of positive reactions is around 50-70%.
Chicken Meal, Barley Flour, Tapioca Starch, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Tuna Meal, Natural Pork Liver Flavor, Pork Fat, Dried Whey, Brewers Dried Yeast, Phosphoric Acid, Salt, Canola Lecithin, Dried Ground Catnip, Taurine, Valerian Root Powder, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative).
- Extra-small easy-to-chew treats with a soft center
- Only two calories in each treat meaning a minimal risk of weight gain
- Formula may not be as effective as other calming treats
10 Vet Classics Stress Away Calming Soft Chew Anxiety Aid for Cat
- Chamomile Flower: 150 mg
- Passion Flower: 100 mg
- Thiamine Mononitrate: 100 mg
- Ginger: 100 mg
- L-Tryptophan: 30 mg
- Melatonin: 120 mcg
- First three ingredients (inactive): Brewers Dried Yeast, Canola Oil, Dried Potato Product
Vet Classics’ Stress Away calming chews contain a carefully balanced formula of chamomile, passionflower, and ginger as the key natural active ingredients to help pet parents soothe their feline friends in the most effective way possible. The additional active ingredients in this anxiety aid are proven to promote rest, ease nervousness, and generally help a cat to regain it’s equilibrium.
This is a great product not only for general household stress but for car rides, loud noises such as fireworks, dealing with other cats, vet visits, and grooming. Furthermore, Vet Classics offers a 100% moneyback guarantee for customers that are not completely satisfied with the results of this product. The only real downside is that these chews are not recommended for cats under 12 weeks of age due to being a choking hazard.
Active Ingredients per 2 chews: chamomile: 150 mg, thiamine mononitrate: 100 mg, passion flower: 100 mg, ginger: 100 mg, L-tryptophan: 30 mg, melatonin: 120 mcg. Inactive ingredients: brewer’s dried yeast, canola oil, citric acid, deionized water, flaxseed, glycerin, lecithin, natural flavoring, natural mixed tocopherols, potato starch, rosemary, sorbic acid, and tapioca starch.
- Great for vet visits, traveling, grooming, and fireworks
- Vet Classics offers a 100% moneyback satisfaction guarantee
- Can’t be used with kittens under the age of 12 weeks
Best Cat Calming Treats Buying Guide & FAQ
Things to Look for in Cat Calming Treats
As cat calming treats feature a different ingredient list in comparison to ordinary cat kibble, even seasoned cat owners don’t know where to start when scrutinizing the label for signs that the cat calming treats they’ve set their eyes on is of high caliber. Detailed below, we’ve formulated two questions to ask yourself when in this very situation.
What are the Active Ingredients Included in Your Prospective Cat Calming Treats?
For cats, in particular, the best active ingredients that set cat calming products apart from the rest are described below.
L-Tryptophan: This amino acid naturally occurs in many proteins. Its greatest benefit for cats is its role in creating neurotransmitter serotonin. Although buyers may be perplexed when D-Tryptophan appears on the label, the only real difference between both forms of this amino acid is the orientation of the molecule. Put simply, the D at the front of D-Tryptophan is derived from the Greek prefix Dextro, meaning “right”. Surprisingly enough, the L at the beginning of L-Tryptophan doesn’t actually mean “left” – it’s similarly derived from the Greek prefix Levo which, of course, means left. Anyway, both forms of the essential amino acid are fantastic for cats and even create vitamin B6, which is essential for energy metabolism.
L-Theanine: This fantastic amino acid has a fast calming effect on cats. Thankfully, all chewable tablets containing this amino acid have presented themselves as a palatable option for cats who need it.
How Often Can you Feed These Cat Calming Treats to Your Stressed-out Kitty?
For cats who spend their entire day impacted by anxiety, only feeding cat calming treats to them at night won’t be enough to calm them down. Accordingly, it’s essential to check the frequency to which these tablets can be administered to your cat.
Benefits of Using Calming Treats for Cats
They Have Been Scientifically Proven to Calm Down Kitties
Cat calming treats aren’t another one of those marketing products that were advertised so hard buyers started to believe that they worked. These products actually work when your cat finds itself in a stressful situation or suffers from chronic anxiety. The overwhelming amount of evidence speaks for itself. One prominent 2018 study published by the Irish Veterinary Journal found that administrating amino acid L-Theanine to thirty-three stressed-out cats for a month dramatically improved undesirable manifestations of stress in cats, of which shaking, inappropriate elimination, and overall mood were among them.
Treats Can be Used as a Positive Reinforcement Technique
All cats – stressed-out or not – love when their owner gives them human attention, despite what most people think! Giving them treats won’t only help them combat stressful situations, you’ll simultaneously be able to demonstrate to your feline that you care.
Ways to Keep a Cat Calm at Night
In no way should you punish your cat for being anxious. This certainly won’t help them and, most likely, will exasperate their anxiety. Therefore, throughout every stage of the process, be kind and treat your kitty with the utmost kindness.
Create a cozy spot for your stressed-out kitty to relax in: As many breeds of cats are tree-dwellers, being elevated at night may help them relax. To this end, buying your feline a cat tree or elevated bed may make them feel more in control. Your cat’s brand-new elevated bed should be tucked away someplace in your home that doesn’t see much footfall.
Streamline the positioning of your cat’s essentials: If your anxious cat’s litter tray is all the way down in the basement and their cat food in the kitchen, the thought of making their way to each corner of the house is enough to trigger chronic stress. Although placing a litter tray in your bedroom is a horrifying thought, it’s a small sacrifice to ensure your cat becomes less anxious and sleeps through the night.
Calming essential oils induce sweet dreams: If your anxious cat struggles to calm down at night, there are natural cat calming products out there to help them, such as calming essential oils. Honeysuckle and lavender oil in particular has been renowned for making stressful situations a little less nerve-racking. In fact, vets even state that when they’re dealing with an aggressive cat in the examination room, they often put a few drops of lavender oil on a paper towel to calm the cat down.
Give your cat calming products: We wish to finish off our buying guide by reiterating the power of the cat calming products displayed in our product selection. Just one chew a night will allow your beloved feline to relax and transform back into the cat you know and love.
How To Recognise When a Cat is Stressed
We’ve highlighted a number of symptoms of anxiety below, as well as including other possible causes for these symptoms to have arisen. Our intention isn’t to suggest that the diagnosis of your cat may be incorrect; we simply don’t want you to jump to conclusions when there may be other reasons why your cat isn’t themselves.
- Physically shaking: If your cat physically shakes at times, this does indeed point towards the fact they’re stressed out. This is one of the easiest anxiety signs to spot.
- Constantly biting itself: An anxious cat has a tendency to scratch and bite out of itself out of stress, much like a human scratching or biting its nails. This can lead to irritated areas of skin and sores.
- Failure to produce solid stools: If a cat isn’t mentally or physically healthy, its poop should be one of the first indicators that something isn’t quite right. Other reasons for loose stools can be a change to a cat’s diet or even Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
- Not using their litter box: If your cat’s failure to use their litter box is the only symptom, remember that cats are clean animals and hate to be amongst mess – even if that mess is their own!
- Loss of appetite: Anxiety has a habit of playing tricks on the stomach and can lead to a loss of appetite. This is often seen when cats move house as they’re not comfortable eating in the new environment until they adapt to it.
If your cat is displaying the vast majority of these symptoms, chances are they’re stressed out. However, due to the plethora of illnesses, these symptoms are associated with, we recommend taking your cat to their veterinarian for a proper diagnosis. Not only will you stop worrying over an incorrect diagnosis, but your vet will also be able to rule out any underlying issues that may be provoking anxiety in your pet.
FAQs:
Yes. Cat calming treats have been proven to work time and time again. However, depending on the level of anxiety that your feline friend is struggling with, you may find that the calming aids you’ve chosen are not necessarily as effective as you might like. Much like humans, some cats are more resistant to the effects of certain calming agents, and a particularly anxious kitty might take a little bit more calming treatment in order to relieve their stress.
This depends on the treat you’re using. Most calming aids contain natural ingredients that need to be digested before they can take effect. this means the average treat can take around 30 minutes to an hour to take effect. Though the gel and liquid forms tend to reduce stress more quickly as they don’t take as much processing to get into your cat’s system. Liquid or gel calming agents are a good choice for senior cats with slower digestion.
It is possible for a cat to eat too many calming treats and become ill as a result. Though the reaction is not as severe or dangerous as it might be with medications such as painkillers, it can still result in multiple unpleasant symptoms that you would be better to avoid, including; gastrointestinal upset, uncoordinated movement, depression, lethargy, and, in some cases, urinary and bowel incontinence. These symptoms would cause your cat severe discomfort, embarrassment, and possible pain.
Cats have several ways to communicate that they are feeling stressed out. If you’re wanting to monitor your feline friend for signs of anxiety, watch out for them constantly biting at themselves, having accidents around the house, physical shaking, yowling or excessively meowing, and any loss of appetite. Of course, these symptoms could also be the result of a variety of medical issues, so don’t simply brush them off as stress before having your feline friend checked by a veterinarian.
There are a few methods of calming that you could try before resorting to calming aids, such as ensuring your cat has a cozy hideaway spot that is just theirs. Cats need to feel safe before they can properly settle down, so ensuring they have an area that they can hunker down into if they need to is paramount. You could also try bringing their essentials closer together – keep the litter tray within easy travel distance (such as the next room) and have their food close by their bed so they don’t feel too exposed when trying to get something to eat. If all else fails, there is the option of calming aids which come as either chewy treats, collars, or plug-ins.
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