CalmGuard
Setting up your cat’s CalmGuard kit
Everything here is the same information printed on the card inside your box, with a little more room to explain it. You do not need an email address and there is nothing to sign up for.
The four numbers worth knowing
If you remember nothing else from this page, remember these.
- 30 dayshow long one refill lasts
- 90 dayswhat the whole kit covers, with three refills
- 700 sq ftthe most one diffuser can cover
- 24 to 48 hrsfor the room to reach a steady level
Set it up in four steps
It takes about two minutes. There are no tools, no settings and no scent.
Take the cap off one refill
Your box holds three refills in total, not three plus one already fitted. Use one now and keep the other two for months two and three.
Twist it into the diffuser
It screws straight in. Hand tight is enough.
Plug it into a wall outlet
Put it in the room your cat actually spends time in, in an open spot about three to four feet above the floor. Not behind furniture, curtains or a door.
Leave it running and swap every 30 days
Leave it on rather than switching it on and off. Write the date on the refill when you fit it, so you know when the next swap is due.
How many diffusers does your home need
This is the one thing most people get wrong, and it is usually why a pheromone seems to do nothing. One diffuser only reaches the space it is plugged into. It does not travel through a closed door or up a stairwell.
| Rooms your cat uses | Diffusers | What this looks like |
|---|---|---|
| One room, up to 700 sq ft | 1 | A studio, or a cat who genuinely lives in one open space. |
| Two rooms, or two floors | 2 | Where most homes land. One where the trouble starts, one in the other room your cat uses. |
| Three or more rooms or floors | 3 | One in each room or floor your cat uses, up to three. |
An open plan space larger than about 700 sq ft counts as two rooms. If you are not sure, the Calm Home Audit asks about your rooms and floors and sizes it for you. It is free and needs no email address.
What to expect, week by week
A cat who has been braced for months does not settle in a day. Here is the honest arc, and why the kit carries 90 days rather than two weeks.
First 24 to 48 hours
The room is filling
The diffuser warms the refill and the calming pheromone builds to a steady level. Very little to see yet, and that is exactly right.
Days 3 to 7
The small things first
Cat Parents usually notice something minor before anything obvious. A cat who comes out while the family is still in the room. A shorter standoff in a doorway. A quieter night than the one before.
Days 7 to 14
The window to judge by
This is the stretch people describe most often. Give it the first full 30 day refill before you decide anything either way.
Day 30 and on
Keep the room steady
Swap the refill and keep the diffuser running so the room holds. Every cat is different, and how quickly one settles varies with the household and how long the stress has been running.
What is in your box
- 1 plug-in diffuser. Covers up to 700 sq ft. 120V, 4 to 5 watts, indoor use only.
- 3 refills, 48 ml each. Three in total, 144 ml altogether, 30 days each. Sealed and leak resistant.
- 1 calming collar. Included at no extra cost, for trips away from the rooms the diffuser covers.
- 90 days of use. The whole three months is in the box on day one.
Check the maths yourself. Three refills at 48 ml, 30 days each, is 90 days. The volume is printed next to the duration because the number is the proof.
What CalmGuard is for
CalmGuard soothes the stress behind unwanted behavior. It is not a medicine and it does not diagnose any condition. These are the six behaviours printed on the box.
- Peeing outside the litter box
- Fighting between cats
- Scratching that is about tension
- Spraying and marking indoors
- Hiding away from the household
- Night calling and restlessness
If your cat is peeing outside the box, ask your vet to rule out a medical cause first. Going outside the box is often a health signal rather than a behaviour problem, and that is worth checking before you change anything else.
About the calming collar
The collar is the away half of the kit. A cat who is unsettled at home is usually more unsettled inside a carrier, and a plug-in cannot follow them there.
- Use it for trips that leave the rooms your diffuser covers: the carrier, the car, the vet visit, a new room or a move.
- Thread the band through the two small keeper loops and set the length on the ridged section.
- Check the fit. Two fingers should slide underneath comfortably, and a paw should not be able to catch under it.
- Check it again after the first hour, then weekly. Take it off if your cat grooms at it or the skin underneath looks red.
- Take it off at home. It is meant for the trips that need it rather than continuous wear.
Using it safely
- Plug it straight into a wall outlet. Never an extension lead and never a multi-way adapter.
- Keep it upright and uncovered, away from curtains, bedding and anything that can fall against it.
- Always leave the door open so your cat can move away from it. Never use it in a closed room, a crate or a carrier.
- Indoor use only. 120V, 4 to 5 watts.
- Stop use if you notice coughing or wheezing.
- If you keep birds, plug it into a room your birds are not kept in, as you would with any plug-in device.
What is in it: synthetic feline calming pheromone at 2 percent, in a fragrance-free carrier base. No drugs, no sedatives, no essential oils. It is odorless to people. Independently lab tested to FCC Part 15 Class B, and CA Prop 65 passed with lead and cadmium not detected.
Questions Cat Parents ask
My cat ignores it completely. Is it working?
Very likely nothing is wrong. It is odorless, so most cats never visibly react to the diffuser itself. What you are looking for is their everyday behaviour over the following couple of weeks, not a reaction to the device.
How long does one refill really last?
Each refill is 48 ml and lasts 30 days of continuous use. Three refills is 144 ml and 90 days. Write the date on the refill when you fit it so you can check it yourself.
Can I smell it?
No. There is no fragrance and there are no essential oils, so nothing is added to scent the room. It is a signal your cat reads rather than a smell you notice.
Will it make my cat drowsy?
No. CalmGuard is drug free and non sedating. Your cat stays entirely themselves.
I have more than one cat. Does that change anything?
Count rooms rather than cats. Coverage is what matters, so use one diffuser for each room or floor your cats actually use, up to three. Put one at the doorway or corridor where the standoffs happen, and give that spot a second way through, such as a shelf or an alternative route.
Is it safe around kittens, dogs, birds and children?
Cat pheromones are species specific, so dogs and people do not respond to them. Keep the door open so any cat, including a kitten, can move away from it. If you use the collar on a kitten, check the fit weekly as they grow. If you keep birds, use a room your birds are not kept in, as you would with any plug-in device.
Can I use it with a pregnant or nursing cat?
We have no safety data for pregnant or nursing cats, so we will not tell you it is fine. We would rather say plainly that we do not know. Ask your vet.
How much power does it use?
4 to 5 watts at 120V, roughly the same as a night light. It is designed to run continuously and is for indoor use only.
What if it has not made a difference?
Check your coverage first, because running one diffuser in a home that needed two is the most common reason a household sees nothing. Email us your square footage and the rooms your cat uses and we will tell you what to run. After that, the 60 Day Calm Home Guarantee applies.
The 60 Day Calm Home Guarantee
Give CalmGuard a fair run. If your home is not calmer, tell us any time between day 30 and day 60 after delivery and we will refund your order in full. Day 30 is one full refill in, which is long enough to tell.
One claim per household. Full terms are on the shipping and returns page.
Still stuck
Tell us your square footage, how many cats you have and what your cat is actually doing. We will tell you how many diffusers to run and what to try next.
More on cat stress and calm homes in the Pawganix cat guides.