Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought these at the vets after checking to make sure amazon price was the same (it was)...i introduced a VERY active kitten to a household of two 4 year old cats. (mistake). the older cats were terrorized...chased around the house, hissing, carrying on, even after a slow two week introduction with kitten shut in another room. when i took the kitten to the vet they put a thundershirt on him, because he was climbing up my face....it instantly calmed him down. so i bought one for him (small) and one for the cat most hostile to him (large). the pros: they do calm the cats down...with no ill effects that i have found. they can still walk around and play, but it takes the "edge" off -- and softens the hostility. cons: the wrap-around collars are uniformly too large, though they don't seem to effect function, they do get in the way of other collars or harnesses, and just kind of hang in the way. they are also hot, so not practical for summer wear. ans it can be challenging to get them just the right tightness. you don't want to squish them like a sausage, but it has to be somewhat tight to be effective. consequently, it gives longer haired cats a version of "hat hair" ...they spend a lot of time grooming when they are taken off. but i have had them wear them all night just because that's the time most of the fights happen -- last night the hostile adult and the kitten both slept in the same bed with me, both purring, wearing their thndershirts. so it does work. these shirts are good for car travel, vet visits, introduction to a new animal, and other generally stress-inducing situations. one tip: un "zip" the velcro away from the cat. they don't like it if you put the shirts on and then pull open the velcro, cause it makes that scary noise. my cats don't resist putting the shirts on, and i am careful to praise them a lot when they put it on...