Is your pet driving you crazy destroying your stuff, meowing or barking constantly or spraying urine? It may not mean he hates you… just that he’s stressed.

One option for handling pet stress is to consult a veterinary behaviorist, who can help you help your furry, frazzled buddy. Another is to use products that mimic natural pheromones [FAIR-ō-mones], chemicals animals emit and detect as a way of communicating. For example, cats release pheromone when rubbing their cheeks on surfaces to mark safe territory. And nursing dogs emit a calming pheromone to comfort their pups.

They aren’t magic bullets, but pheromone copies may help with certain types of urine spraying and scratching by cats. They may soothe a dog’s stress from separation, travel and noises, but won’t treat aggression. Don’t let your pet’s stress cause you a nervous breakdown.