Cats can become anxious or hyperactive and wreak havoc on your home by spraying in the house, scratching the furniture, or leaving “presents” in unfortunate places. Even if you shower your cat with love and affection, it may still engage in these behaviors if it doesn’t feel comfortable.
Cat calming collars are an excellent solution. Equipped with pheromones that make your cat feel comfortable and safe, calming collars can take the edge off anxiety and help your cat feel at ease at home. Keep in mind that the effects of a collar depend on the cat’s age, size, usage, and anxiety level, so you may need to shop around to find the best solution.
Here are our picks for the five best calming collars for cats on the market today based on our experience and those of pet owners with anxious cats.
A Quick Glance at Our Favorites in 2024
| Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Overall
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Sentry Calming Collar for Cats |
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Best Value
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Comfort Zone Calming Cat Collar |
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Premium Choice
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Calm Paws Essentials Cat Collar |
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| Best for Kittens |
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Healex Cat Calming Collar |
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Relaxivet Calming Collar for Cats |
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The 5 Best Calming Collars for Cats
1. Sentry Good Behavior Calming Cat Collar – Best Overall
| Longevity: | 30 days |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
| Features: | Patented Good Behavior pheromones |
The Sentry Good Behavior Calming Collar for Cats is the best overall calming collar for cats, due to its Good Behavior pheromone technology. This pheromone is designed to mimic the one that mother cats produce to keep kittens calm. With this technology, the collars are clinically proven to reduce anxious behaviors like clawing, scratching, marking, and destructive behavior. These may be triggered by thunderstorms, fireworks, travel, or social situations.
The collar is intended to last for 30 days and releases calming pheromones with soothing lavender and chamomile the whole time. Cats of all ages can use the collar without ill effects, though it is best for adult cats. The collar fits cats with necks up to 15 inches. Though many reviewers saw good results, others struggled with the collar staying on and said its strong floral scent was overpowering. A few saw no change in their cats’ problem behaviors.
2. Comfort Zone Breakaway Calming Collar for Cats – Best Value
| Longevity: | 30 days |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
| Features: | Breakaway |
The Comfort Zone On-The-Go Breakaway Calming Collar for Cats is the best calming collar for cats for the money. The collar is designed to help your cat relax and feel safe in its environment to reduce anxious behaviors like scratching, clawing, and marking. The collar is infused with calming pheromones that release continuously throughout the day, so you can use it all day and night.
With its breakaway design, you won’t have to worry about your cat getting caught on furniture, fences, or other obstructions. The collar can be used indoors and outdoors and releases pheromones over a 30-day period. Many reviewers saw improvements in their cats’ negative behaviors, but a few saw no difference. The breakaway design may not be suitable for cats that try to get collars off.
3. Calm Paws Essentials PURR Cat Collar – Premium Choice
| Longevity: | 30 days |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
| Features: | Essential oil blend |
The Calm Paws Calming Cat Collar is the premium choice and uses a blend of essential oils to soothe your cat and relax it. The collar fits around your cat’s neck easily and releases essential oils all day and night, so your cat can manage stressful situations like thunderstorms, fireworks, or new social situations.
The essential oils relax your cat in multiple ways to reduce unpleasant behaviors like excessive meowing, marking, restlessness, clawing, and jumping. The collar also goes wherever your cat goes, unlike diffusers or plug-ins. The collar fits necks up to 11 inches, so it is not suitable for large breeds. Some essential oils can cause allergic reactions or sensitivities in some cats.
4. Healex Cat Calming Collar for Cats – Best for Kittens
| Longevity: | 60 days |
| Lifestage: | All |
| Features: | Essential oil blend |
The Healex Cat Calming Collar for Cats is the best choice for kittens and young cats. The collar is intended for young cats that aren’t yet spayed or experiencing significant anxiety. Even small kittens can fit in the adjustable collar, so your cat can grow into it.
The collar uses clinically proven ingredients to promote calming and relaxation. Safe for use in conjunction with other Healex products, the collar is ideal for cats 10 weeks or older. The collar contains some essential oils, however, which may cause adverse reactions in cats with allergies or sensitivities. Some reviewers noted that the smell is strong.
5. Relaxivet Calming Collar for Cats
| Longevity: | 60 days |
| Lifestage: | Adult |
| Features: | Proprietary de-stress formula |
The Relaxivet Calming Collar for Cats features a proprietary de-stress formula that uses pheromones without any drugs to promote calming in anxious cats. The collar is ideal for cats who are stressed or destructive during inciting events like fireworks, thunderstorms, vet visits, or travel. In multi-cat households, the collar can prevent fighting, dominance, and fearful behaviors between housemates.
The pheromones are released all day and night, so the collar is suitable for around-the-clock wear and indoor and outdoor cats. Collars are available in one-pack or two-pack options, so you can save by buying more for multiple cats or replacement after the 30-day period. Some reviewers noted that the collar is nearly impossible to remove and has sharp edges on the size notches that need to be trimmed to avoid injury to your cat—so keep an eye out for this.
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Calming Collar for Cats
Calming collars are excellent tools to calm anxious cats safely and naturally. Not all collars are created equal, however, so here are some things to look out for:
Material
Most calming collars use pheromones, chemicals, or essential oils to release soothing scents that calm your cat. These collars will usually be made of the same materials that hold the scent, but the strap material’s durability and flexibility are important. Collars are intended for 24/7 wear, so if your cat isn’t comfortable, it could have the opposite effect or cause skin irritation.
Size
If you’re shopping for a kitten or a large-breed cat, size matters. The collar must be tight enough to stay on, but loose enough for comfort. Most calming collars offer adjustable straps to ensure they are comfortable on your cat. The common size is 15 inches, which you can adjust and trim the excess. Before you shop, measure your cat’s neck or current collar to make sure you don’t need a smaller or large size.
Active Ingredients
Calming collars may use synthetic chemicals, pheromones, natural herbs, or essential oils to promote relaxation. These can have different effects on your cats. Some cats are hypersensitive or allergic to essential oils or certain natural ingredients, so keep this in mind while you shop. Also, pheromones are odorless to people but work on your cat, so they may be preferred over the strong scents of essential oils.
Features
Some collars come with additional features beyond calming formulas, such as a waterproof material. If you have an outdoor cat, you may want to shop for a waterproof calming collar that’s easy to clean. Non-waterproof calming collars can’t be washed, or else you’d wash the pheromones away, so waterproof is an excellent alternative for cats that like to get dirty.
Another desirable feature is a breakaway collar. Cats can get into small spaces and may become caught on furniture, fences, shrubs, or other obstructions. If your cat gets stuck and you’re not with them, they can injure themselves when they struggle to get free. With a breakaway collar, the clasp will release if your cat puts enough pressure on it.
Conclusion
If your cat exhibits anxious or destructive behavior like clawing, scratching, running around, and spraying, a calming collar can be just the fix. Calming collars for cats use essential oils or pheromones to relax and comfort cats during stressful situations like thunderstorms, fireworks, or vet visits. The Sentry Good Behavior Calming Collar for Cats is the best overall calming collar for cats, due to its Good Behavior pheromone technology and positive results. If you want value, the Comfort Zone On-The-Go Breakaway Calming Collar offers pheromones in a breakaway design for indoor or outdoor cats.
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Featured Image Credit: Tinka Mach, Shutterstock
