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F4 (Felifriend) is a synthetic pheromone analogue used by cats to identify familiar individuals and when applied to unfamiliar individuals this can increase the cat’s tendency to approach and show affiliative behaviour. This can also be useful because it reduces escape responses. Combinations of pheromone therapies are especially helpful when the target of aggression is a member of the family or regular visitor to the household of a cat that has been recently re-homed. F4 may produce dissonant emotional states (which can induce a panic reaction) when the person or animal to whom F4 has been applied is already familiar to the cat from some aversive encounter and therefore invokes visual triggering of hostile responses. Further work in this area is essential but at the moment F4 should be used with care, applying it only to unfamiliar individuals, preferably from species with which the cat was socialised as a kitten.

F4 (Felifriend) is a synthetic pheromone analogue used by cats to identify familiar individuals and when applied to unfamiliar individuals this can increase the cat’s tendency to approach and show affiliative behaviour. This can also be useful because it reduces escape responses. Combinations of pheromone therapies are especially helpful when the target of aggression is a member of the family or regular visitor to the household of a cat that has been recently re-homed. F4 may produce dissonant emotional states (which can induce a panic reaction) when the person or animal to whom F4 has been applied is already familiar to the cat from some aversive encounter and therefore invokes visual triggering of hostile responses. Further work in this area is essential but at the moment F4 should be used with care, applying it only to unfamiliar individuals, preferably from species with which the cat was socialised as a kitten.

The pheromone F4 ought to be very useful for treating inter-cat aggression within the household <ref>Pageat, P., Tessier Y. [http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/1880/13/1_12.pdf Usefulness of the F4 Synthetic Pheromone for Prevention of Intraspecific Aggression in Poorly Socialised Cats]. AGRIS Records, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations</ref>, but unfortunately there have been problems with its practical use. F4 signals indicate familiarity, but with cats that have already had a number of aggressive encounters there may be a dissonance between the memory of the visual appearance of the aggressor cat and the chemical ‘familiarity’ signal. This has been seen to trigger apparent panic and violent outbursts. F4 is not recommended for treating inter-cat aggression within the household, but is very useful for reducing fear of unfamiliar people and other animals and for helping in the introduction of a new member of the household. In a professional context such as veterinary clinics, catteries or hairdressers the pheromone can be applied to the individual performing the consultation to provide a positive first contact with the cat <ref>Tessier, Y., Pageat, P., 1997. [http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/1880/21/2_2.pdf F4 synthetic pheromone: a means to enable handling of cats with a phobia of the veterinarian during consultations]. AGRIS Records, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations</ref> .

The pheromone F4 is very useful for preventing inter-cat aggression within the household <ref>Pageat, P., Tessier Y. [http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/1880/13/1_12.pdf Usefulness of the F4 Synthetic Pheromone for Prevention of Intraspecific Aggression in Poorly Socialised Cats]. AGRIS Records, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations</ref>. It is very useful for reducing fear of unfamiliar people and other animals and for helping in the introduction of a new member of the household. In a professional context such as veterinary clinics, catteries or hairdressers the pheromone can be applied to the individual performing the consultation to provide a positive first contact with the cat <ref>Tessier, Y., Pageat, P., 1997. [http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/1880/21/2_2.pdf F4 synthetic pheromone: a means to enable handling of cats with a phobia of the veterinarian during consultations]. AGRIS Records, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations</ref> .

 

 

==References==

==References==