Savannah cat anxiety & redirected aggression

Redirected aggression with a vet-confirmed anxiety link is actually one of the clearer diagnoses to work with — it tells you the behaviour has an emotional root, not a dominance or territorial one, which means calming the environment can genuinely move the needle. Savannah cats are also a breed worth factoring in here: they're highly stimulated, very alert to their surroundings, and can tip into overstimulation faster than most domestic cats. Before I point you toward anything specific, can you tell me a bit more? What does the vet think is triggering the anxiety — is it something in the environment, another animal, outdoor sightlines? And what does the redirected aggression look like when it happens — is it sudden, unpredictable, or tied to specific moments?

That's a classic redirected aggression pattern — he's aroused by the outdoor cat, can't get to it, and the energy has to go somewhere. The good news is that's a fairly defined trigger, which makes environmental support more targeted. Pheromones are the right call here, and the vet steered you well. The one I'd go with is the Feliway Classic diffuser. It releases a synthetic version of the facial pheromone cats deposit when they rub their face on things — it's a signal that says 'this space is safe and familiar.' It won't sedate him or change his personality, but it reduces the baseline anxiety level so that when he sees that outdoor cat, he's starting from a calmer place rather than already on edge. Where does he tend to be when the window incidents happen — is there a main room he watches from?

Perfect — that's exactly where you plug in the diffuser. Feliway Classic works best when it's in the same room as the trigger zone, not a hallway or bedroom. Plug it in on the same wall as the window if you can, within a few metres. One diffuser covers up to 70 square metres, and it runs for about 30 days per refill. The key thing people miss is consistency — it needs to be running continuously, not turned on when things are bad. It takes around a week to build up in the environment, so you won't see instant results, but most owners with a clear trigger like this notice a meaningful difference within two to three weeks. I'd also suggest, alongside this, blocking or frosting the lower portion of that window if possible — reducing the visual access point takes pressure off the pheromones to do all the work.

Good question — they're related but different. Feliway Optimum is a newer formulation that combines multiple pheromone messages rather than just the facial one. It's marketed as more effective for complex or multi-cat anxiety. For your situation — a single identifiable trigger, redirected aggression, and a vet-confirmed anxiety profile — Classic is actually the better fit. It's also better studied and the one most vets mean when they recommend Feliway generically. Optimum is worth considering if Classic doesn't give you enough improvement after a full month, but start with Classic. It's also cheaper to maintain long-term, which matters given you'll want it running for at least three months while you work on the environmental management side.

The starter kit is the right move — it comes with the diffuser unit and a 30-day refill, which is what you need to give it a proper trial. Look for the Feliway Classic Starter Kit on Amazon UK; it's widely available and usually significantly cheaper than buying the unit and refill separately. Set a reminder to reorder the refill at the three-week mark so you don't get a gap. And if after a full month you're seeing some improvement but not enough, go back to your vet — there are prescription options that can work alongside the pheromones for cats where anxiety is quite entrenched. But give this a proper run first.