FAQs

Genki Pet

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of pure, unadulterated Essential Oils for holistic health treatments and wellbeing. Essential Oils are obtained from the leaves, flowers, bark, roots, seeds or fruit of a plant via steam distillation, extraction or manual expression. Essential Oils are highly concentrated, aromatic and of course, natural.

Each Essential Oil has its own unique profile of therapeutic benefits for our major body systems (balancing of the Nervous System, stimulating the Digestive System, anti-septic for skin, anti-viral for the Immune System etc). The health benefits you wish to achieve with Aromatherapy will help determine what Essential Oils you choose for your blend.

And then there is of course how your blend smells, which is very important because the equipment for our sense of smell sits right at our brain (The Olfactory Process). Aromatherapy is the only therapy that has direct impact on the brain like this. With our other senses, sensations and messages are directed to the brain by first travelling through the Nervous System. Aromatherapy is instant!

♦ Aromatherapy smells clean, pure and balanced.

♦ Aromatherapy feels light and bright.

♦ Pure, natural and quality Essential Oils have a price tag to match.

♦ The West Australian Sandalwood we use is more expensive than gold!

What ISN’T Aromatherapy?

Take a wander down the aisles of your local pharmacy, supermarket and pet store and you will notice many items labeled as “Aromatherapy” that are not. Anything from peach shampoo, coconut scented candles and watermelon lip balm for humans to banana coat detangling conditioner and papaya and hibiscus scented pet candles!

This is NOT Aromatherapy!

Unfortunately, the average customer does not know that natural Essential Oils do not exist for lots of the scents that are marketed to them. These scents are built by humans, in test tubes and are synthetic chemical mixtures, known as fragrances or fragrant oils or perfume oils.

We understand. If the shampoo or stick diffuser says: Peach Aroma, then that sounds like it would be natural? Peach is a fruit right?
But no – all fake and all synthetic chemicals.
And definitely NOT natural!
And definitely NOT Aromatherapy!
In fact, they are usually toxic.

These fake, chemical fragrances usually smell terrible and overpowering too. They cause health issues, like headaches, irritability, sore eyes, nausea and even more serious health issues regarding liver damage and hormone mimicry.

As qualified, professional Aromatherapists, we advise you to steer well clear of all these toxic products.
How?

They cannot be marketed as natural, so look for words like essential mist scented, lavender scented, aroma and fragrance.
The colour of the product packaging is often an indication of its toxicity and certainly the colour of the product itself will tell you it isn’t natural. Toxic products are usually brightly coloured and gaudily packaged. Most Essential Oils are clear or brownish coloured, so those bright purple soaps and candles - well?

So it’s a bit of a minefield – we know.

You can rest assured, our products are made with the best quality, purest and ethically sourced Essential Oils you can get. The very small, owner operated business we source our oils from are salt of the Earth people with good hearts and share the total commitment to quality that we do. In fact, they taught us all about it!

Our spritzes are made from the best we can buy. And you will be able to tell.

“I am a bit of a scent-sceptic and I find most concoctions out there to be too overpowering and off-putting. But yours are perfectly balanced and you can smell the quality oils in them".
~ Ollie https://dapperhound.com.au/

You and your pet deserve the best!
Here’s a brief guide to help you steer clear of those icky, fake, synthetic scents and fragrances.

Scents commonly perceived as all natural BUT are actually laboratory synthesised fragrances:

Apple	Honeydew
Apricot	Kiwi
Banana	Lilac
Blackberry	Lily of the Valley
Blueberry	Mango
Cherry	Mulberry
Coconut	Papaya
Cranberry	Peach
Cucumber	Pear
Currant	Persimmon
Dewberry	Pineapple
Fig	Plumeria
Frangipani	Pomegranate
Freesia	Raspberry
Grape	Strawberry
Guava	Sweet Pea
Honeysuckle	Watermelon
Hyacinth	Wisteria

(Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, Kristen Leigh Bell, Findhorn Press, 2002.)

So Aromatherapy is the professional use of pure, unadulterated and totally natural Essential Oils to improve our health and wellbeing, in physical but also mental and emotional ways. Often people find it easy to understand the physical impact of Aromatherapy on their health because it’s results are more obvious; if I have an infected wound and I apply a topical ointment containing Essential Oils with anti-inflammatory and anti-septic qualities and my wound gets better and feels better, then this positive health outcome is obvious and easy to understand because we can see it.

The mental and emotional healing qualities of Aromatherapy sometimes take a bit more of a discerning eye, but once you understand how it all works, you will be noticing changes within yourself and your furry friends in no time.

Say you and your little dog are doing some anxious behaviours; not sleeping well, being overly vigilant, shaking, looking and feeling rather unsettled. And you spritzed our blend for anxiety and hyperactivity around both of you. Our amazing blend, Stillness & Calm contains pure, unadulterated and totally natural Patchouli Essential Oil which helps calm your anxious behaviour because it is grounding, balancing and mood harmonizing because…
the pure, unadulterated and totally natural molecular constituents of Patchouli are:

The molecular constituents of Patchouli Essential Oil stimulate your body’s release of pleasure hormones serotonin and dopamine too. So we feel better when we spritz Stillness & Calm about!

And this is but one of the amazing and pure Essential Oils in this blend!

Are you starting to get how powerful a tool Aromatherapy is in your health and wellbeing now?
Yes I think you are aren’t you?!

What is Pet Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy can be an effective and enjoyable natural therapy with which we can improve the health and wellbeing of our pets. Just as other natural therapies for pets like Acupuncture, Myotherapy, Homeopathy, Physiotherapy, Bowen Therapy, Chiropractic and Herbalism are well enjoyed by dogs, cats and even horses, so too is Aromatherapy.

The similarities in physiology between humans and these animals make Aromatherapy a good choice when we want to choose a natural health solution and avoid synthetic hormones, chemicals and medications. In the hands of a professional, Pet Aromatherapy is totally natural, gentle, safe and effective.

While it is very easy to treat dogs and horses with Aromatherapy, special attention must be paid when treating cats. Their livers do not metabolise some substances and so it is important we take a good look at all the substances we have in the homes we share with cats, not just the Essential Oils we are using. Please take a moment to assess the chemicals you have under your kitchen sink, in your laundry, in your bathroom and importantly, any synthetic fragrance based deodorisers, stick diffusers, wall mounted air fresheners and scented candles you may have in your home. You can read more about cats and Aromatherapy in the cat section of our FAQs.

Why use Aromatherapy for animals?

You’d use Aromatherapy for animals for three main reasons:

Aromatherapy, professionally administered, has such a marked and beneficial impact on the health and wellbeing of animals.
Professional Aromatherapy improves animals’ health and wellbeing – naturally free from chemicals or medications.
Animals have a natural tendency toward plants i.e. cats and dogs eating grass for their digestive health, cats and dogs self medicating by rolling in lavender or mint in the garden

The use of Aromatherapy with animals is a complex, varied and highly individual process that works on multiple levels; mental, physical, emotional, conditional.

Despite the rise of the practice of Aromatherapy by the general public, driven by pyramid scheme Essential Oil companies like Doterra and Young Living, qualified and professional Aromatherapy is still your safest option when seeking the benefits of Essential Oils.

Because cats and dogs have exceptional senses of smell, Aromatherapy is a very effective therapy for them and also demands respect. Only use Essential Oils recognised as being safe for cats and dogs and remember to keep the concentration far, far lower than you would for humans. And us humans don’t need as much Essential Oils as some folks are using either!

Is it ok to put the spritz on me?

Absolutely!
The Essential Oils we use to formulate our totally natural blends are 100% human grade and of the highest quality.

These oils are the very same our family use in our diffusers, in our personal spritzes, linen spritzes, cold and flu rubs etc.

By purchasing your Genki Pet spritz, you are not only sharing in the decades of our knowledge and expertise, but you are also sharing in the benefits of the industry connections we have made over these years. We only work with people who are committed to quality, purity, sustainability and ethical procurement of Essential Oils.

Rest assured, your Genki Pet spritz is for you and benefits your health too.

Because we know your pets’ behaviour and mood effects you, and vice versa. So let’s work on the whole family, all sides of the issue and let’s bring a little natural calming goodness to your pet AND you. Genki Pet is unique because it is a truly holistic approach to pet health and wellbeing.

♦ So that means your pet and you are feeling more relaxed on those walks.

♦ Your pet and you are feeling calm and refreshed on those previously nauseating car trips.

♦ Your pet and you feeling deeply relaxed on trips to the vet and groomers.

And all pet issues aside, you may be like lots of our customers who have no pet problems to speak of – they just LOVE the amazing scent of our blends so much they like to use them as relaxing linen spritzes for better sleep or to make them smell nice at work all day!

There are no rules!
Just enjoy!
With the peace of mind only a totally natural product can give you.

What is Kinesiology?

Kinesiology is the science of movement and is the foundation of modern day Chiropractic. The Kinesiology we use to professionally and carefully formulate our amazing Aromatherapy blends is a method of determining and then confirming the most appropriate Essential Oils and their concentrations for each specific purpose and blend. The Kinesiology we use is a feedback mechanism that tells us unequivocally our blends are safe and appropriate for our clients and their specific needs.

We feel reassured by this process and so should you because it confirms the appropriateness, safety and efficacy of our formulations.

To read more about Kinesiology and how we formulate our amazing smelling blends, you may like to read our blog about it.

What do you mean by the power of association?

Allow me to share a little story with you to help you understand the amazingly powerful impact our sense of smell and indeed, Aromatherapy, can have over what we think and how we feel. And while I tell my tale, do allow your thoughts to wander to an Aromatherapy experience in your life that is just as rich and just as special.

So whenever I smell citrus blossom, whether it be lemon, lime or orange trees in bloom, buzzing with bees, I am instantly transported to my Grandfather’s garden.

My Grandfather’s garden was a sprawling lawn surrounding his high-set home in a small, South East Queensland town. As well as chickens, a vegetable garden, grape vines, roses and a mulberry tree, there were lots of citrus trees. My brothers and sister and cousins and I played hide and seek or 1-2-3 home for hours out in this yard and under the house. The weather was always bright and sunny and there were so many brilliant little nooks and crannies to hide in and explore. It was a fantasyland of smells really. And we all had such fun!

So whenever I smell citrus blossom, almost 40 years on from these fun childhood experiences, I am right back there. It is a mixture of mystery, laughter, sunshine, curiosity, naughtiness and joy that I am experiencing, some 40 years after the event, all due to the smell of citrus blossom. Amazing hey?

And I know you have one of these stories too.

So how to use the power of association with your Genki Pet blend you ask?
Well that’s easy!

Simply think about your blend as the chicken AND the egg.

Say you want your dogs or cats to be more friendly and accepting of each other? You could spritz Friendship & Acceptance around them when they are NOT being friendly and accepting and the pure, unadulterated and totally natural Essential Oils within Friendship & Acceptance will automatically go to work, helping your dogs or cats feeling more relaxed, less worried, more self confident, more at peace about how things are.

AND when your dogs or cats ARE being friendly and accepting, you’d spritz Friendship & Acceptance around then too.

Why?

Because they are doing the behaviour you want and by spritzing Friendship & Acceptance at this time, we are getting them to associate the smell of Friendship & Acceptance with actually BEING friendly and accepting.

Got it?
Yes!

So by utilising the power of association, the next time your dogs or cats are not doing the behaviour you want and you spritz Friendship & Acceptance around, you will get more bang for your buck!
Makes sense doesn’t it?
Yes!

What is the Happiness Guarantee?

The Happiness Guarantee is what every quality manufacturer and producer should be offering you. Because we have carefully researched our products and put them through their paces, we know they work. But that doesn’t matter if you, our beloved customer, are not completely happy with them.

We know there are a lot of factors that influence happiness, like expectations, stress levels, attention to detail, following directions properly etc. We trust you will manage these factors, give your blend a red hot go and let us know if you are still not completely happy with the results you are getting.

We want you and your pet to be completely happy.

Our Mission:
Helping pets and their people lead healthier, happier lives by creating calm in pet households everywhere ~ naturally.

So if you aren't completely happy with the results your Genki Pet spritz is creating for you, let us know and we’ll give you your money back in full. AND you get to keep your amazing smelling blend too.

Read all the details about Our Happiness Guarantee here.

Safety

What Essential Oils are safe for my dog?

There are three main considerations you have when considering which Essential Oils are safe for your dog.

Toxicity
Quality
Concentration (Dilution)

1. Toxicity

Quite simply, there are some plants, if ingested, that are toxic or poisonous for dogs. But so is chocolate right?

My point is that soundly educating ourselves about the specific substances that are toxic or poisonous for our pets is a responsible pet owner’s obligation to our pet, no matter how innocuous the substances may seem.

It is a common misconception that substances are considered to be safe just because they are natural, but that is most definitely not the case. Nor is it true that just because regular, everyday items are readily available from supermarket or pharmacy shelves that they are free from danger or toxicity for our pets either.

So please do a bit of research, gain a balanced view and assess the substances in and around your home - for the safety of your pet and for you.

When it comes to Essential Oils and toxicity for our dogs, there is a list of oils we recommend avoiding – simply for your peace of mind. In individual cases, under the supervision of a qualified Aromatherapist, small amounts of them are fine, but these Essential Oils are very strong, very "hot" and highly sensitising. As a qualified and professional Aromatherapist, we do not even use the vast majority of them – for exactly these reasons. We find them too hot and sensitising for our human use.

AND because in the world of Aromatherapy, we are so blessed with variety, there is usually a gentler, equally effective and less stressful to use substitute available. So substitute any guesswork and worry with good research and gentle alternatives and you and your pet will be healthier and happier.

Afterall, if what we are doing with our use of Aromatherapy is harming our pets and us, then we have totally missed the point of Aromatherapy right?!

For stress free use of Essential Oils with your dog, you may as well just avoid these:

Anise	Mugwort
Birch	Mustard
Bitter Almond	Oregano
Boldo	Pennyroyal
Calamus	Red/White Thyme
Camphor	Rue
Cassia	Santalina
Chenopodium	Sassafras
Clove Leaf and bud	Savoury
Crested Lavender	Tansy
Garlic	Terebinth
Goosefoot	Thuja
Horseradish	Wintergreen
Hyssop	Wormwood
Juniper	Yarrow

(Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, K. L. Bell, 2002)

So what Essential Oils can I use with my dog then?

Because it is well resourced and put together by a passionate professional, we like this list compiled by Aromatherapist and ambassador for using Essential Oils Safely, Lea Jacobson.

We’d also like to tell you about this handy website about toxic plants for dogs and cats.

It is a handy reference for all pet owners and was the very starting point for formulating our blends. It provides a non-exhaustive but very expansive list of plants (and the parts of them) that are toxic to animals if ingested.

We figure that if our pets’ health is negatively impacted by ingesting the substance, then care should be taken with its topical use too. Afterall the skin absorbs 60-70% of everything we put on it and in less than 30 seconds, so we have adopted, as a general safety rule, if it’s ok to ingest then it’s ok to put on our skin and into the air around us.

Remember!

There are exceptions to every rule. So just keep an eye on your furry friend whenever you are trying something new, whether it be Essential Oils or floor cleaner. Assess them for negative, neutral and positive responses and go from there.

2. Quality

Once you have sorted out the Essential Oils you want to comfortably and safely utilise with your dog, you MUST then source THE best quality oils you can afford. Otherwise, you run the risk of using adulterated oils.

Because the perfume and food industries are by far the biggest user of Essential Oils and their needs are focused on creating consistent and homogenous fragrances and flavours year in year out, there ends up being high volumes of adulterated oils on the market i.e. oils that have had their most precious constituents cherry picked and so, their therapeutic value diluted.

And then there are the more unscrupulous traders who simply dilute pure Essential Oils with something else to stretch it out i.e. make the valuable pure oil go further for a greater financial return by adding something else and usually cheaper (and sometimes nastier) to it.

For the unqualified and inexperienced, it is often really hard to tell the difference between an adulterated and a pure Essential Oil just by smelling it. So unless you have ready access to Gas Chromatography Testing (GC Testing), the source of your Essential Oils becomes vital.

Our Essential Oils are sourced from a small, family run business, which for almost 30 years, has been a health, and specifically Aromatherapy institution on the beautiful Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. For our Essential Oil traders, purity, ethical sourcing and sustainability are their top priorities when it comes to Essential Oils. Our relationship with these good souls spans almost 20 years and so as part of the Genki Pet Community, you not only benefit from our experience and expertise, you benefit from the experience and expertise of the industry connections we have made and nurtured over the years.

Q: So what happens if you just use that Eucalyptus oil in the clear bottle from off the shelves at Coles or Woolies?

Well – you simply do not get what you think you are getting.
Any Essential Oil in a clear bottle has begun oxidising for a start! (Always choose amber bottles).

Q: And so what if some constituents of the whole oil have been pilfered by perfumers?

Well – just like a cake missing one of the three eggs it was meant to have according to the recipe, your adulterated oil will be different from the whole, pure and unadulterated oil and not quite right.

At best, it just may not have all the therapeutic benefits you need or want for your purpose. At worst, the adulterated oil may have added synthetic components, or it may be missing its natural constituents that Shirley Price in her best seller, The Aromatherapy Workbook, refers to as "quenchers":

When science removes the therapeutic molecules or components from plants or Essential Oils, the administered result seems to give side effects (that the whole oil does not). In the whole plant or whole Essential Oil, there are “apparently useless” components, including several we cannot identify. These are believed to be ‘quenchers’ of the side effects which therapeutic agents in isolation could, and indeed do, cause.

One excellent example is Cinnamon Bark Oil. Cinnamic aldehyde, a major constituent in this oil, was found to be a severe irritant. However, the complete oil, when tested, was found to be an irritant only on certain people and to a much lesser degree. The other components or constituents of the whole oil were quenching the irritant qualities of the aldehyde. (p25)

So stick with whole, pure and unadulterated Essential Oils and leave your pet’s health up to Mother Nature – we think she knows best!

3. Concentration (Dilution)

This is the uncomplicated part of the safe use of Essential Oils with dogs!

Our dogs’ sense of smell is 50 times greater than ours. So do the math and adjust your concentration of oils accordingly.

Our blends are dialled right down for our dog and cat customers and they still smell amazing to humans and are super effective for dogs, cats and humans.

Like we always say:
Why use a fire hose to clean the house when a feather duster will do?

And always remember!

Ventilation amplifies or reduces the effects of Essential Oil concentration, so make sure your dog and mode of Aromatherapy share a room with an open door or window.

And all Essential Oils must be DILUTED for use with dogs, cats (and Humans for best practice).

Is Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia) toxic for dogs?

The short answer is no - Tea Tree or Melaleuca Alternifolia is not toxic for dogs. But if you douse your little mate in ridiculous amounts of poor quality Tea Tree Oil, as was the case with the only reported cases of health issues with dogs related to Tea Tree Oil - then yes. Of course that would create a toxic effect. But you aren't going to do that now are you?

We listed some oils in the FAQ: Which Essential Oils are safe for my dog? as simply easier to avoid and substitute with gentler alternatives, than to use and worry about their suitability for individual patients. Melaleuca Alternifolia or Tea Tree is a strong, ‘hot’ and sensitising Essential Oil for some individuals and so falls into this same category.

Unless you are using top quality Tea Tree Essential Oil in a measured and specific way for an individual, then it is stress free for you to simply choose a gentler and more generally applicable substitute. We like Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia) or Rosalina (Melaleuca Ericafolia).

We agree with Kirsten Leigh Bell (Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, 2002) when she talks about Tea Tree being singled out simply due to its mass popularity i.e. the more people using an oil, statistically the more cases of misuse there will be. The mass production of Tea Tree to meet this mass popular demand will most certainly have led to adulteration of this oil and to a plethora of poor quality oils on the market – both factors leading to greater incidences of reports of adverse effects.

In truth, from everything we have researched, the only issues of toxicity with dogs (and cats) and Melaleuca Alternifolia/Tea Tree were in cases of either ludicrously high concentrations or very poor quality oil, or both. Tea Tree is an Essential Oil that commands respect, but unfortunately it has not received it from supermarkets, pharmacies, commercial retailers and the general public. This has led to confusion about its toxicity for dogs and cats.

Let us put it this way – we do not find top quality Essential Oils in the cleaning section of the supermarket or at bargain chemists!

If you wish to use Tea Tree, be sensible and consider concentration, dilution and quality very carefully.

And it is worth noting that incidences of adverse effects from natural substances is far less than with those from synthesised drugs and medications. (K.L. Bell, Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, 2002) We have just been taught to accept those for some reason.

Is there any Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia) in your blends?

Is Aromatherapy safe for cats?

Yes. Qualified and professional Aromatherapy is safe for cats.

And this is why our blends are safe for cats.

The other reason is the amount of research we put in to ensure the health and safety of all the animals utilising our blends.

One of the discoveries we made while researching was just how many dogs and cats share homes together. So how could we make a blend for dogs, knowing our feline friends would inevitably come into contact with it. So we made our blends to be dog AND cat friendly.

Q: So what’s the big deal about phenols and cats then?

Basically, cats’ livers do not metabolise phenols (and lots of other substances) readily or quickly and this can lead to a build up of these substances and the metabolising liver enzymes cats’ livers produce to break down toxins. While not necessarily toxic in small quantities, cats’ slow metabolisation and excretion of these substances can lead to toxicity through accumulation.

And we are not just talking about phenols here. Lots of cleaning products, personal hygiene products, synthetic deodorisers etc contain molecular constituents that present specific challenges to cats’ livers.

Real care needs to be taken with ALL products, especially ‘scented’ ones, in a house with cats.

Cats are sensitive creatures and that’s a big reason we LOVE them so much. Sometimes we do wonder if they are aliens in cats’ bodies! Their awareness of the subtleties of our world makes them sensitive to it and we must respect that and always remember to go Little and Lightly with everything when it comes to cats.

Are there phenols in your blends?

Product

Is it safe to put the spritz directly on my dog?

Which blend is the most calming one?

All our blends are calming.

We believe there is way too much stress in the world these days, so a little more calm and relaxation spritzed around can only be a very good thing!

♦ For calming in social situations requiring a confidence boost, you want Friendship & Acceptance.
♦ For calming in motion and during travel on holidays or enroute to the vet or groomers, you want Moving & Grooving.
♦ For deep calm and relaxation, treating anxiety, hyperactivity and nervousness, you want Stillness & Calm.

All our blends have Essential Oils in them that are calming, grounding, muscle relaxing, nerve toning, confidence building and mind-quietening.

Simply choose the appropriate blend for your needs and enjoy a little more calm in your life.

Which blend is for nervousness and reactivity and fear based aggression?

There are two blends to help you and your pet with nervousness and reactivity and fear based aggression. You will simply need to ask yourself one question:

Is my dog / cat doing this unwanted behaviour out of anxiety and nervousness or is it a confidence and personal space issue?

If the root cause is anxiety, we recommend Stillness & Calm.
If the root cause is a matter of confidence and personal space, then we recommend Friendship & Acceptance.
Both these blends will also help you feel better about the whole thing and both blends will be a brilliant tool for you to have in your tool kit when such situations do arise. Both blends alleviate stress and increase calm.

Of course we do recommend using our spritzes outside of the stressful events; at times when you are engaged in enrichment and training with your pet and when you are all feeling calm and relaxed, even having fun together. Then you will both associate the smell of the blend with nice quality time together and success, making the blend even more successful when you really need to use it.

Nothing replaces quality time and proper behavioural training with your pet.
Our Genki Pet spritzes make the whole process work and feel better by eliminating the stress and helping everyone involved operate at their resourceful best from a state of calm. Our spritzes help you by bringing the frequency down and creating a calming, grounded and confident feeling.

Can I use the products in my diffuser?

The short answer is yes – you can use the products in your diffuser.

Please note the products are not designed for this purpose.

However the concentration of our blends is safe for this method of application and the formulation will not harm your diffuser.

If you choose to use your Genki Pet spritz in your diffuser please note the following precautions:

Shake well before pouring into diffuser.
Ensure your pet and your family have the ability to easily remove themselves from the area affected by the diffuser.
Ensure there is sufficient ventilation for your pet and your family in the area around the diffuser.
Naturally, proper care needs to be taken with the use of electric oil burners, candle oil burners and diffusers around our pets and family because of the presence of a heating element.

Responsible use of Aromatherapy requires permission to be gained to affect our pets and family with Essential Oils. Our family will tell us if “it stinks ” (a sure sign we have our recipe or concentration wrong for them), but our pets cannot.

We must be observant when using Aromatherapy with pets and keep an eye on their behaviour and always provide our pets with an easy way to remove themselves from the area influenced by the Essential Oils.

Signs to look out for that will tell you the Aromatherapy you are using is not appropriate for your pet right now:

Panting
Pacing
Excessive drooling, salivation
Moving away from diffuser, spritz
Verbal cues e.g. whining, whimpering
Respiratory cues e.g. sneezing, snorting
Physical cues e.g. trying to rub the Essential Oils off
(Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, Kristen Leigh Bell, Findhorn Press, 2002)

*Note well!

Some of our pets are perfectly happy with the Aromatherapy and Essential Oils, it is the sound of the spritz that they don’t like.
So get crafty and muffle the sound or create a distraction while applying the spritz. This will be fun!

Stay safe Genki Pets!

Dosage and Directions

How do you use the product?

You will find directions for use:

On the back of your Genki Pet spritz
At the bottom of each product page in the shop on our website
And for your convenience, we have also listed them below.

LITTLE & LIGHTLY

Why use a fireman's hose to clean your home when a feather duster will do?
Our products are specific and powerful and less is definitely more.

RESPECT PERSONAL CHOICE

Always make it possible for your pet and people to remove themselves from the area of use.

GRADUALLY INTRODUCE

Begin by leaving the lid on the bottle in the vicinity of your pet, gauging their interest.
When interest is positive or neutral, spray one or two pumps of your spritz on your person/clothes.

Made with the best quality Essential Oils, our products are perfectly safe, suitable and actually helpful for humans too.

Yes! Genki Pet works on you too.

Gradually increase proximity of use toward pet's specific areas i.e. bedding, favourite spot, travel carrier, lead/harness, coat/jacket. Once you have the green light from your pet and people - enjoy spritzing the room, car, yourself more liberally.

THE LAST RESORT

Making direct application to your pet the last resort means you always have something up your sleeve for particularly trying moments.

Always maintain a positive association with the scent, sound and action of your spritz.

For example, consider sometimes spraying your spritz on your hands first and massaging into the fur of your pet to deepen everyone's calm and relaxation.

Minimal direct application onto your pet's fur (e.g. along their spine) is safe but we think you'll usually find it unnecessary.
Instead thinking:
How can I use as little as possible and get a great result here?

APPROPRIATE USE IS COMMON SENSE

Avoid direct contact with your pet’s face (eyes, nose) and other sensitive areas (genitals, tummy skin). Always close your eyes when spritzing yourself.

Avoid direct contact with food and water.

For external use only.
Don’t worry if this accidentally occurs, you have chosen a totally natural product here and it is blended to a safe concentration for dogs and cats.
Simply observe your pet after consumption confirming they are ok. Probably not the worst thing they’ve ever eaten?!

Avoid use with baby pets (under 10 weeks of age).

How long does a bottle last?

Well might we answer this question with: How long is a piece of string?

Because our blends are for specific issues that improve over time with the utilisation of our amazing blends, the power of association and positive behavioural training, the answer to this question depends on lots of factors like your pet, you, the severity and frequency of the issue and how your behavioural training and enrichment goes.

As a guide:

If you were to use our amazing blends, as directed and to the maximum recommended dosage on a daily basis, your 125 ml bottle will last you over three months.

One of our nervous little Italian Greyhound fans’, Bart the Italian Greyhound, 125ml bottle of Stillness & Calm lasted him over 7 months.

One of our doggy daycare industry professionals, Diggiddy Doggy Daycare, purchased 3 x 125ml bottles of Stillness & Calm and 2 x 125ml bottles of Friendship & Acceptance and this lasted them over 4 months, with daily usage in a professional multi-dog environment.

Please see our dosage page or the bottom of each product page in our shop for more details.

Shipping

Do you ship internationally?

Where is my Genki Pet spritz?

How much is postage?

Where do you ship to for free?

When will my blend get here?

Returns

My bottle was damaged in the post – what do I do now?

Can I return it?

Dog & Cat

I have a dog and a cat at home – which Genki Pet blend should I use?

I have tried everything! Aromatherapy pendent, Rescue Remedy, Thundershirt and calming treats – why try Genki Pet?

We know.
We hear this comment all the time.

Afterall, you just want to do the very best for the gorgeous pet you LOVE so much.
We get it.

The thing is, you haven’t tried anything like Genki Pet before.

And there are at least five main reasons you really should.

1. Confirmed by Kinesiology for specific results

We use Kinesiology to precisely determine the most appropriate formulations for the specific stresses our pet owners and friends are experiencing. That means our blends are a targeted approach to solving pet families’ most common problems.

2. Holistic Results

Because our blends are formulated using human grade and highest quality Essential Oils, our blends work on you too. And that means our blends are treating the whole issue, not just that of your pet. Because we know how much we are affected by the mood and behaviour of our pets and how much our pets are affected by ours. So doesn’t it make sense to treat the whole family and environment?

3. Totally pure and natural

Quite simply, you will enjoy using our products.
Absolutely everyone loves their amazing smell.

Because they have been blended properly and professionally, with highest quality ingredients, that are 100% pure and natural.

4. Australian owned and made

Blended by hand by our qualified Aromatherapist in Melbourne, Australia.

There’s a little sunshine and lots of LOVE in every bottle.

5. They work

Our products work.
But don’t believe us.

Have a read of what the members of our healthier, happier community have to say about why you should try Genki Pet.

Dog

How to stop my dog barking/barking at night?

The Genki Pet blend you want for this job is:

Stillness & Calm
For deep relaxation: Relieving anxiety and hyperactivity.
Stillness & Calm

You will be very pleased to know that along with the deep relaxation this blend provides you and your dog, it actually has a quietening effect too. Something we didn’t anticipate when we were formulating it, but stopping dogs barking has been a welcome and very wonderful unexpected result of this specific combination of Essential Oils.

Firstly, thank you for being the kind of responsible dog owner who is keen to learn about how to train your dog to stop barking/barking at night. Your neighbours will be very grateful.

As with all things to do with sentient beings with individual will, there is no hard and fast or sure fire way of getting your dog to stop barking/barking at night. But with some understanding about why your dog barks and some time spent in positive behavioural training with our blends, you will create a solution.

The main element to consider when wanting to stop your dog barking/barking at night:

Why is your dog barking?

Naturally when trying to solve any problem, first finding out the reason behind or the cause of the barking is the obvious place to start. Once armed with this knowledge, it makes your course of action more specific and targeted.

According to the ASPCA, these are the most common reasons a dog barks:

Territorial Barking: excessive barking in response to people, dogs, or other animals encroaching on their territory.
Alarm Barking: barking in response to noises and sights. Alarm barking is not limited to defending territory.
Attention-Seeking Barking: used to gain attention or rewards, like food or playtime.
Greeting Barking: a bark to say “hello!” Greeting barking is accompanied by relaxed body language and a wagging tail.
Compulsive Barking: repetitive barking often accompanied by a repetitive movement, such as pacing
Socially Facilitated Barking: aka “response barking,” when a dog barks excessively only when they hear another dog bark.
Frustration-Induced Barking: excessive barking in response to a frustrating situation, such as being confined or being separated from other dogs or people

Your dog’s why for barking will then govern the approach you choose to help stop it, or we’d rather say, help make it appropriate and commensurate with the situation. Because dogs bark right?
Their barking is only a problem if it becomes a problem i.e. if you live in the middle of nowhere, are hard of hearing and the dog isn’t stressed at all – then bark on!

We know excessive and stressful dog barking can be a really stressful time for you (and your neighbours), so do remember our blends are for you too. When everyone is feeling calmer and at their resourceful best, positive behaviour training will be more enjoyable AND successful.

Remember to utilise the power of association when using our blends. You can read more about that here.

We found these websites helpful and so may you.

*Note!

Although Rover.com offer some great advice, they do also recommend Citronella Barking Collars. We agree with the RSPCA – all dogs bark and not all barks should be reprimanded with punishment, so Genki Pet does not advocate the use of barking collars.

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking

https://kb.rspca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Training-tips-for-excessive-barking-RSPCA-Information-Paper-Sept-2014.pdf (RSPCA)

How to stop my dog being reactive?

The two Genki Pet blends you need to help with fear aggression, nervousness and reactivity are:

Stillness & Calm
Creating deep relaxation and calm for reactivity caused by nervousness and anxiety
https://genkipet.com.au/product/stillness-calm/
Friendship & Acceptance
Boosting self confidence for reactivity caused by feelings of fear and insecurity and also improving our dog’s acceptance of others being in their personal space.
https://genkipet.com.au/product/friendship-acceptance/

Fear aggression and reactivity is very real and stressful issue for dogs and their people worldwide. And with so many more dogs living with us in condensed urban environments, having everyone getting along nicely together is an important factor in our modern day communities.

In my town alone, there are approximately 260 hospital admissions each year due to dog attacks and unfortunately, almost half of these are children aged between one and four. https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/residents/pets/Pages/dangerous-menacing-restricted-breeds.aspx (City of Melbourne)

And these statistics do not account for all the dog attacks on other dogs that occur each year, in dog parks, on the street or at the beach. With dog ownership increasing each year, we really need to take responsibility for our animals in public and in our homes and explore the ways we can bring the tension and stress down, creating healthier, happier relationships.

Reactivity can be a complex issue and with moves to foster, adopt and rehome Greyhounds and other unwanted doggies becoming increasingly popular, it is an issue more and more of us are becoming interested in. And with good reason! Trying to enjoy life with a dog doing reactive behaviour can be stressful and really challenging.

But rest assured, the solution for you lies in:

Understanding your dog and their behaviour
Giving time and loving attention to positive behavioural training and enrichment with your Genki Pet spritz!
Patience with your progress
Acceptance of ‘what is’
Yes - you can spritz yourself for this too!
Knowing nothing in life stays the same. And that means just because today was a tough one and you may feel like giving up. Hang in there. Get proper and caring support and strategies and keep going. You and your dog will get there.

Some handy things we found for you.

There are kind and qualified experts out there to help you.
Reach out to one in your area today!

Kerry from Gourmet Pawprints conducts Dog Communication Sessions in your home. We LOVE the idea of this personalised learning in a safe environment. This kind of service exists near you too. Go find it. https://gourmetpawprints.com.au/

There are lots of online resources for you too.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/reactivity-vs-aggression/

http://www.ispeakdog.org/dog-reactivity.html

https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/behavior/managing-leash-reactive-dog

http://careforreactivedogs.com/

And kind, understanding Facebook groups to join and share your joys and successes with.

@CAREforreactivedogs

@nervousandreactivedogsupportgroup (closed group – just ask to join)

@reactivedogsaustralia
(closed group – just ask to join)

And we LOVE the idea of these communicative collars and harnesses to give you and your doggo the time and space you need when out and about, sometimes with your training wheels on. Theses collars and harnesses make a great spot to spritz your Genki Pet blend before heading out!
https://friendlydogcollars.com.au

So get your game face on, educate yourself about dog behaviour and get some handy, effective and totally natural tools to assist you with your task, like Genki Pet’s totally natural and effective Aromatherapy spritzes, Stillness & Calm and Friendship & Acceptance.

And remember!

We are not the labels placed upon us.
And neither are our dogs.

How to stop dog anxiety?

The Genki Pet blend you need here is dependent on the situation the anxiety is occurring in. Our amazing smelling, totally natural Aromatherapy blends for calming dog anxiety, cat anxiety - even your anxiety are:

For travel related anxiety:

https://genkipet.com.au/product/moving-grooving/

For social anxiety:

https://genkipet.com.au/product/friendship-acceptance/

For general and separation anxiety:

https://genkipet.com.au/product/stillness-calm/

We here at Genki Pet believe anxiety is something we ‘do’ NOT something we ‘have’.

What happens when we choose to believe that we are ‘doing’ our anxiety?
Well – we get the power back. We get the power to change how we are feeling, by changing what we are doing. Sound good?

So stopping dog anxiety is about stopping doing something; stopping our behaviour, stopping theirs – changing something in some way. Because let’s face it – if our dog is doing anxiety, then something does need to change.

So what to do? What to change?
Because Anxiety is a complex issue, the reasons our dogs may be doing anxiety range from inherent breed traits to diet or past traumatic experiences and that means once again we must put our super sleuth caps on and figure out the why.

1. Understanding our dogs

To discover what is bothering them and causing the stress, we must learn to read their body language. That’s the way they will ‘tell’ us what’s wrong right?

Signs to look for:

Aggression
Urinating or defecating in the house
Drooling
Panting
Destructive behaviour
Depression
Excessive barking
Pacing
Restlessness
Repetitive or compulsive behaviours
(American Kennel Club)

2. Physical Health Issue

Diet and exercise impact massively on everyone’s mental health, not just our doggie’s. Ensuring our dogs are eating a balanced diet with plenty of fresh foods, rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A, E, B1, B6 and B12 will help boost Immune System activity, cognitive ability, liver function and happy hormone production – all making for improved and balanced mental health for our doggies.

Then of course there are foods we can add to our dog’s diet that have proven relaxing and calming effects, like those foods containing the serotonin producing amino acid, L-Tryptophan. That food coma we’ve all experienced post-roast turkey dinner is testament to the relaxing power of this body building block!

And exercise?
Well, surely these days this is a no brainer.

A pent up body, in need of movement creates a pent up mind. All of us, especially our doggies, need a good and daily dose of exercise. It is stimulating, oxygenating and satisfying – all producing a calmer, more relaxed mental state.

But is it simply an issue of running an anxious dog ragged to create calm?

Do work with the specific needs of your dog. Not all dogs need twice daily, intense workouts.

Some definitely do, like Kelpies, Border Collies and other working dogs.
Some dogs need to get out more for their curiosity and social nature – it’s more an intellectual need than a physical one (Poodles, Terriers).

And some just need one outing to stretch their legs and that does them nicely, thank you very much. (Greyhounds, Great Danes)

So figure out your dog’s ideal exercise component to good health and enjoy a greater sense of calm.

3. Mental Health Issue

As previously mentioned, most dogs are happier with a healthy dose of stimuli, training and socialisation in their lives, keeping them interested, challenged and engaged. And the sooner all three begin in our doggie’s life, the better.

Then there is the issue of past trauma that may be presenting as present anxiety when the triggers fire e.g. loud noises, travelling in the car, men. After figuring out what triggers our dog’s anxiety, there are two clear paths away from that behaviour:

Avoiding the trigger
Desensitising the trigger

We come from a place of hope, faith in the power of change and belief that change is possible for everyone, so we always look working through option #2, even if we must begin with option #1. Because we want to live a life free from stress and limiting beliefs and behaviours, desensitising the trigger is our goal.

How to desensitise the trigger then?

In short, determine the specific trigger and then in a safe, loving environment begin replicating/mimicking it i.e. say the trigger is road noises, you could record road noises on your phone and play back to your doggie when they are relaxing and being patted by you, in a totally safe and calm environment. Then work your way up to an actual trip in the car or walk on a busy street.

The more we do things, the more we get used to them and the less of a big deal they become right? Just remember how nervous you were when you first learned to drive or took your first overseas trip? And now…?

Separation Anxiety

So if the trigger is you leaving home for the day or even just to duck to the shops for half an hour, then some other steps will be helpful in reducing your dog’s separation anxiety and changing their subsequent behaviour.

And it goes like this…

Dogs LOVE being dogs.

That’s what they know right?
Being a dog is a dog’s safe place, it’s what they know.
But what does being a dog mean?
Well, perhaps we shall start with what being a dog does not mean?

Being a dog does NOT mean:

Being carrying around like a baby or small child
Being pushed around in a pram, like a baby or small child
Sleeping in bed with you
Sitting on the couch with you
Sitting on a chair at the table in a café or restaurant
Being constantly patted, cuddled etc

Now I know some of you will be guilty of some or all of these behaviours and that’s ok. As long as you know, your behaviour is directly contributing to the anxious behaviour your dog is displaying. As long as you know this, you know you can change your life and your dog’s life and health for the better at any moment you choose.

Yes – some dogs like our can’t judge a book by its cover Staffordshire Terriers (Staffies) and sweet King Charles Cavalier Spaniels have a predisposition toward feeling overly clingy to their owners. And this makes it even more important for the owners of these breeds to stand firm with their own clinginess and allow the dog to just be a dog.

Let’s face it.
Do we dress our dogs up in clothes or let them sleep in our beds for their sake / interest / enjoyment / needs?
Or do we do it for our own sake / interest / enjoyment / needs?

There is no judgement here.

Just know that if your dog is doing anxious behaviour and it is becoming a problem in your life, there are really simple and natural ways of changing their anxious behaviour and lots of these ways begin with you.

4. Medication

If all else fails, or in order to stop the cycle of particularly worrying anxious behaviour, we may at times need to leave the natural path of our preference and resort to synthetic treatments, like the synthetic pheromone mimicking Adaptil and pharmaceutical drugs like Diazapam (Vallium), Alprazolam (Xanax) and Fluoxetine (Prozac). Big names there!

Before we go down the synthetic and pharmaceutical path, have we tried all the good and effective natural options?

Here are some options we have heard good things about AND are actually natural:

Zylkene
Derived from a milk protein called Casein.
https://zylkenepet.co.uk/
CBD (Cannabidiol) Oil
One of the hundred or so Cannabinoids in the Cannabis Plant.A bit controversial, largely due to misinformation and politicking and not researched to the satisfaction of some world medical bodies.BUT, here’s two very important things to note about CBD:
1. Lots of applications for health, including treatment of anxiety.
2. Can be supplied without tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) the psychoactive ingredient of the Cannabis Plant. So no - your dog won't "get high".
Herbal Remedies
Canine Calm by http://www.naturalequinehealth.com.au/
Homeopathic Remedies Including Rescue Remedy and Bach Flower Essences
http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pets-bach-flower/
Aromatherapy
Our amazing smelling, totally natural Aromatherapy blends for calming dog anxiety, cat anxiety - even your anxiety.For travel related anxiety:
https://genkipet.com.au/product/moving-grooving/For social anxiety:
https://genkipet.com.au/product/friendship-acceptance/

For general and separation anxiety:
https://genkipet.com.au/product/stillness-calm/

Choosing the holistic and all natural option is easy.

How to stop dog jumping up?

The Genki Pet blend you want for this job is:

Stillness & Calm.
For deep relaxation: Relieving anxiety and hyperactivity.
https://genkipet.com.au/product/stillness-calm/

Spritz Stillness & Calm to create calm before your visitor arrives i.e. spritz dog’s bed and you will find they will go to it and lie down before visitor arrives.

Because dogs greet each other nose to nose, they naturally want to greet us like this. But what is cute and fun in a fluffy little puppy gets to be a scratchy, dangerous balancing act when that puppy grows up and you’re in your Sunday best or they jump up on your neighbour’s three year old child.

So, let’s begin as we mean to continue with our puppies and teach them good dog behaviour from the start.

If “that horse has bolted” then we need to change that jumping up behaviour now by doing something else dogs do with each other; we must ignore the behaviour we do not want. So that means, everytime our doggie jumps up on someone, everyone - including the jumpee - must ignore the dog completely until they sit calmly. Adding of healthy treats as a reward for sitting calmly is helpful.

As with everything we do with our doggies, consistency is key. That means everyone, everytime. Every time.

You may find these resources helpful too:

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/stop-your-dog-jumping

https://yourdogadvisor.com/how-to-stop-dogs-from-jumping/

What’s the difference between Adaptil and Genki Pet?

That’s a real easy one!
Adaptil is a man-made, synthetic pheromone mimicking substance and Genki Pet is totally natural, from the therapeutic parts of plants, flowers and bark.

Lots of our customers and friends have tried Adaptil and for some of them it has worked, for sure. But for some of them it did not work at all. Regardless of effectiveness, the common feedback we get is that folks have made the choice to switch away from Adaptil because of concerns they have like:

Expense of product and refills became too expensive
Inability of plugin diffuser to effectively cover their open plan living arrangement
Worried about the fire risk of having the diffuser plugged in to the electricity socket all the time, even when they were out
Fake, synthetic chemical substance in their homes
Use of synthetic substance not in alignment with their other lifestyle choices i.e. eating fresh and organic fruit and vegetables, using organic and chemical free products in the rest of their home

Some of these concerns may concern you too. And then they may not.
The main thing we are concerned about these days is avoiding bringing chemical, synthetic products into our home environment.

We are bombarded with all kinds of pollution everywhere else aren’t we? So why invite it in?

There is so much choice now when it comes to making the switch to totally natural and health promoting products. Why wouldn’t you choose to put your health first?

Join us in making our homes safe, totally natural, chemical free and health promoting sanctuaries by ditching the chemical products!

Cat

What’s the difference between Feliway and Genki Pet?

That’s a real easy one!
Feliway is a man-made, synthetic pheromone mimicking substance and Genki Pet is totally natural, from the therapeutic parts of plants, flowers and bark.

Lots of our customers and friends have tried Feliway and for some of them it has worked, for sure. But for some of them it did not work at all. Regardless of effectiveness, the common feedback we get is that folks have made the choice to switch away from Feliway because of concerns they have like:

Expense of product and refills became too expensive
Inability of plugin diffuser to effectively cover their open plan living arrangement
Worried about the fire risk of having the diffuser plugged in to the electricity socket all the time, even when they were out
Fake, synthetic chemical substance in their homes
Use of synthetic substance not in alignment with their other lifestyle choices i.e. eating fresh and organic fruit and vegetables, using organic and chemical free products in the rest of their home

Some of these concerns may concern you too. And then they may not.
The main thing we are concerned about these days is avoiding bringing chemical, synthetic products into our home environment.

We are bombarded with all kinds of pollution everywhere else aren’t we? So why invite it in?

There is so much choice now when it comes to making the switch to totally natural and health promoting products. Why wouldn’t you choose to put your health first?

Join us in making our homes safe, totally natural, chemical free and health promoting sanctuaries by ditching the chemical products!

How to stop cat anxiety?

Mooving & Grooving
For travel related anxiety

Friendship & Acceptance
For social anxiety

Stillness & Calm
For general and separation anxiety

We here at Genki Pet believe anxiety is something we ‘do’ NOT something we ‘have’.

What happens when we choose to believe that we are ‘doing’ our anxiety?
Well – we get the power back. We get the power to change how we are feeling, by changing what we are doing. Sound good?

So stopping cat anxiety is about stopping doing something; stopping our behaviour, stopping theirs – changing something in some way. Because let’s face it – if our cat is doing anxiety, then something does need to change.

So what to do? What to change?
Because Anxiety is a complex issue, the reasons our cats may be doing anxiety range from ageing to diet or past traumatic experiences and that means once again we must put our super sleuth caps on and figure out the why.

1. Understanding our cats

To discover what is bothering them and causing the stress, we must learn to read their body language. That’s the way they will ‘tell’ us what’s wrong right?

Some symptoms or signs of your cat doing anxiety are:

Trembling
Withdrawal and hiding
Becoming less active
Trying to escape
Destructive or aggressive behaviour
Diarrhoea
Failure to use the litter box
Sores and lesions resulting from over-grooming
Loss of appetite and weight loss
Excessive vocalisation
Lethargy and/or restlessness
(www.petmd.com)

Q: What could cause our cats to do anxious behaviour?

Illness, pain and conditions associated with an ageing nervous system
Fears and triggers resulting from a past traumatic experience
Lack of healthy socialisation at a young age
Separation anxiety: history of abandonment, multiple owners, rehoming
(www.petmd.com)

But lets face it - cats are a law unto themselves and suffer far less physical and mental health issues than the family dog.

Cats seem to be autonomous and immune
~ Kristen Leigh Bell, Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals.

Issues resulting from cats doing anxiety that our Aromatherapy blends have helped ease and eradicate:

Bullying/hissing/fighting in a multi-cat household
Withdrawal and hiding
Becoming less active
Trying to escape
Motion sickness including vomiting and diarrhoea
Excessive vocalisation
Bullying/hissing/fighting in a rehoming/foster cat home

Keeping cats engaged

A healthy dose of stimuli and socialisation in our cat’s lives, keeping them interested, challenged and engaged will keep them happy and healthy too. And the sooner all three begin, the better. There are so many cute and fun toys and climbing/tunnelling equipment – you will have a ball buying and playing with these and your cat.

Cats also enjoy exploring the outdoors and climbing and eating grass and rolling around in the herbs, so make this a possibility for your cat in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way won’t you? They are natural hunters and so as responsible cat owners, we must give them the engagement and interaction outdoors whilst protecting the native wildlife. Our customers enjoy walking their cats on long leads, letting them explore their backyards in daytime hours and setting up outdoor cat enclosures and playhouses.

Past trauma

The issue of past trauma presenting as present anxiety is another puzzle to figure out when considering our cat’s mental health. We must determine the triggers causing the anxious behaviour i.e. loud noises, travelling in the car, men, being put in their crate.

After figuring out what is triggering our cat’s anxiety, there are two clear paths away from that behaviour:

Avoiding the trigger
Desensitising the trigger

We come from a place of hope, faith in the power of change and belief that change is possible for everyone, so we always look at working through option #2, even if we must begin with option #1. Because we want to live a life free from stress and limiting beliefs and behaviours, desensitising the trigger is our goal.

How to desensitise the trigger then?

In short, determine the specific trigger and then in a safe, loving environment begin replicating/mimicking it i.e. say the trigger is road noises, you could record road noises on your phone and play back to your cat when they are relaxing and being patted by you, in a totally safe and calm environment. Then work your way up to an actual trip in the car or walk on a busy street.

Anxiety Medication and our cats

If all else fails, or in order to stop the cycle of particularly worrying anxious behaviour, we may at times need to leave the natural path of our preference and resort to synthetic treatments, like the synthetic pheromone mimicking Feliway and pharmaceutical drugs like Diazapam (Vallium) and Fluoxetine (Prozac). Big names there!

Before we go down the synthetic and pharmaceutical path, have we tried all the good and effective natural options?

Here are some options we have heard good things about AND are actually natural.

Zylkene
Derived from a milk protein called Casein.
CBD (Cannabidiol) Oil
One of the hundred or so Cannabinoids in the Cannabis Plant.A bit controversial, largely due to misinformation and politicking and not researched to the satisfaction of some world medical bodies.
BUT, here’s two very important things to note about CBD:
1. Lots of applications for health, including treatment of anxiety.
2. Can be supplied without tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) the psychoactive ingredient of the Cannabis Plant.
Homeopathic Remedies
Including Rescue Remedy and Bach Flower Essences
Aromatherapy
Our amazing smelling, totally natural Aromatherapy blends for calming dog anxiety, cat anxiety - even your anxiety.
For travel related anxiety
For social anxiety
For general and separation anxiety

Choosing a natural option for you and your cat is easy!

How to stop cat scratching the carpet or furniture?

The Genki Pet blends you want for this job are:

Friendship & Acceptance
Friendship & Acceptance will help balance excess scratching energy resulting from increased desire to mark territory in multi-cat, foster cat and re-homed cat households.
Stillness & Calm
Stillness & Calm will help balance excess scratching energy in situations where cats are scratching due to anxious behaviours and hyperactivity.

Cats scratching at objects is a healthy, innate and natural behaviour for them to do.

The main reasons they scratch are:

Stretching
Scratching provides exercise and valuable stretching for the muscles and tendons in a cat's body from toes to neck and shoulders.
Marking
A cat's paws contain scent glands and scratching things releases pheromones that mark their territory. It is important within feline social structures to use this method of communication. Even if you only have one cat in your household, they will feel the need to transmit information in this manner as a marker to all cats in the neighbourhood.
Maintaining claw health
Scratching helps a cat shed the outside nail husk periodically as needed, to keep the claw healthy.
Feeling good
Scratching just feels great to cats. It relieves stress and decreases the possibility that your cat will develop other unwanted behaviours resulting from not having an outlet for stress.(www.rspca.org.au)

So because scratching is a healthy and happy thing for our cats to do, it is important we make available to them appropriate places to scratch and save our carpet and furniture.

Healthy options your cat and you will LOVE:

Scratching posts – place next to the furniture they have been scratching
Logs to emulate their natural scratching posts
Sisal rope – yummy texture for cats
Make sure they are getting plenty of exercise and stimulation
Double sided tape on the furniture in the mean time! (Cats don’t like the feel of it)
Gentle, purposeful and treat enhanced redirection when caught in the act.

If our cats are out of their natural balance and scratching excessively or compulsively, then this destructive behaviour could be a sign our cat is doing anxiety and feeling stressed. This is the time our Genki Pet blends will help by creating a sense of calm and masking territorial scents - Friendship & Acceptance especially.

How to stop cat biting?

The Genki Pet blend for this job is:

Stillness & Calm
For deep relaxation: Relieving anxiety and hyperactivity.

Stillness & Calm brings the high tension frequency right down and allows everyone to behave at their most relaxed and resourceful best.

Cats need daily predatory play, which includes the opportunity to grab, pounce and sink their teeth into something to simulate killing.
A happy cat is one who thinks he’s killed something every day.
~ Sally J. Foote, DVM and International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC)

Because of this, movement, such as a person walking across the floor, triggers a predatory instinct and can cause a cat to pounce on an ankle or foot or bite the odd hand or two. Just like scratching objects, this is a normal and natural behaviour.

Simulating the hunting process with a game played with fluffy, feathery toys – playing this game with your cat when they are a kitten and continuing throughout their life.

Engagement is key.

As with scratching and other destructive behaviours arising from stress, unusual displays of anxious behaviour must be gently redirected back to toys and other prey that won’t hurt you as much.

Rebalance your cat’s stressed energy with Stillness & Calm.
Reward good behaviour with treats.
Reward undue aggression by ignoring it and leaving the room.
Confirm your cat’s aggression is not being cause by pain or illness by consulting your Vet.

How to calm a multi-cat household?

The Genki Pet blends you need for this job are:

Friendship & Acceptance
For confident socialisation: Calming anxiety and reactivity.

Friendship & Acceptance really comes into its own here because it contains an amazing Australian Native Essential Oil called Anisata, which works wonders at masking territorial scents.

Stillness & Calm
For deep relaxation: Relieving anxiety and hyperactivity.

Stillness & Calm brings the high tension frequency right down and allows everyone to behave at their most relaxed and resourceful best.

Cats are extremely autonomous creatures and so the key to happiness and calm in a multi-cat household is respect and provision for individuality. This means creating some separation for each cat.

Provide more than one feeding and watering station for your cats.
Provide at least one litter box for each cat in your home, plus one extra.
Provide plenty of scratching surfaces for your cats, at least one for each cat if not more.
Be sure each of your cats has at least one private area to retreat too in the event they feel overwhelmed or simply need some privacy.
Provide plenty of interesting toys for each of your cats.

If we note unusual aggression:

It is important to rule out illness or pain, as this can make anyone irritable and grumpy and could be causing our cats to lash out.
Our cats may also lash out if they feel irritable about something else bothering them, like being groomed.
Insufficient exercise and stimulation can cause boredom and irritability too.
(www.petmd.com)

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