Bengal cat anxiety after pheromones failed

You've already tried two pheromone products and neither made a dent — that's genuinely frustrating, especially when you're watching your cat still struggle. Cat anxiety is real and often further along than it looks by the time owners notice, because cats are experts at hiding stress. Pheromones work well for some cats but they're not universal, and Bengals in particular are a high-stimulation breed with a strong cognitive and territorial drive — meaning their stress often has a different root than a typical domestic cat. Before I point you in a useful direction, can you tell me what stress behaviours you're actually seeing, and do you have any sense of what triggered this — a new pet, a move, a change in routine, or did it seem to come on gradually?

That picture makes a lot of sense. The over-grooming, the withdrawal, and especially abandoning something he used to enjoy — that's not mild stress, that's a cat who's been in a sustained anxious state for months. The dog introduction is the clear trigger even with a careful approach, because for a Bengal, a dog sharing his territory is a significant ongoing threat to his sense of control. Pheromones address the environment but they don't touch the underlying physiological stress response, which after six months is likely well established. I want to ask one thing before I recommend: is he eating and drinking normally, and has a vet ruled out any physical cause for the over-grooming?

Good — that rules out the medical layer and confirms you're dealing with a purely behavioural anxiety response. Given that pheromones have failed and this has been running for six months, I'd move to Zylkene. It's a supplement derived from a protein in cow's milk called alpha-casein, which has a naturally calming effect on the nervous system — it works on the GABA pathway, similar in principle to how anti-anxiety medications work but much milder and without sedation. It comes in capsules you can open and mix into food, which is straightforward with a cat who's eating well. Crucially, it works systemically rather than environmentally, so it addresses what's happening inside him rather than trying to change how the room smells. It's widely used by vets for exactly this kind of sustained, triggered anxiety and the evidence behind it is solid. You'd typically give it daily for four to six weeks to see a meaningful shift. The product I'd point you to is Zylkene 75mg capsules for cats, available on Amazon UK — make sure you get the cat-appropriate dose rather than the dog version.

You can absolutely use them together — there's no interaction, and some cats do respond better to a combined approach. My honest take though: after two months on Feliway with no response, continuing it is probably adding cost without adding benefit for him specifically. I'd put your energy and budget into Zylkene alone for the first four to six weeks so you get a clean read on whether it's working for him. If you see improvement but not full resolution, that's the point to layer in environmental support again. One other thing worth doing regardless of what you use: make sure he has at least one room the dog genuinely cannot access — not just usually doesn't, but physically can't. A Bengal who's lost his ability to move freely through his own home will stay anxious however good the supplement is.

That sounds like a solid plan. Give him that room as a genuine sanctuary — litter tray, water, somewhere high to sit, and ideally where he can still hear and smell the household without being in it. The combination of Zylkene daily and a reliable safe space gives you the best realistic chance of getting him back to himself. Four to six weeks of consistent use is the timeframe to judge it by — you may see small signs of relaxation in the first two weeks, but the full effect takes longer. If there's no change at all after six weeks, it's worth going back to the vet to discuss whether a short-term prescription anxiolytic might bridge the gap. Good luck with him.