Eau de Cat (Cat Musk)

I got cat-chatting with a friend of mine about her handsome kitty. She said her cat gives off a "musky" smell. My Vicktor Frankenstein smells so good I wish I could bottle up his scent and wear it like a purrfume. (I'm not joking.) Ginger on the other hand usually smells like book dust or farts or like she has poop stuck to her butt. It's very rare she has a poop hanger-on though. So what's the deal with our smelly cats?

Domestic cats don't give off a scent as much as bigger wild cats, but as their caregiver we do notice their particular odor over time. They produce pheromones, just like people, and when you pick out a cat you can be attracted to them by their scent! Biologically you are attracted to people that smell the opposite of you ~ for better breeding. As a result, your offspring will have both traits to ward off disease and infection. We can pick cats that complement us too!

So it makes scents (pun intended) that you connect a warm fuzzy feeling to your cat's smell. Their fragrance can be very pleasant to us since scent is connected to our emotions which then triggers a nurturing instinct.

Domestic cats have 9 main glands and some of them produce different smells. A light fruity smell from your cat comes from the sebaceous or inter digital glands ~ this same compound can be found in black currants! A nutty scent or spice scent comes from pinna gland on the cats head behind their ears. Earthy or grass smells come from the pheromones mandibular gland beneath their chin. When you pet your cat in these areas, you stimulate production of these oils. Cat scent can depend on what they eat, how often they groom, sometimes even their breed. This is also a way for them to mark you too. They are tricky that way.

Just like you enjoy their aroma, they have strong kitty noses and reciprocate the sentiment. I'll tell you a trick, that if you have a nervous cat, leave a pair of your PJs or a soft sweater for your cat to lay on when you are not home or go out of town, or even in their cat carrier when you take them to the vet. They can find comfort in whiffing and laying on it because it smells like their human. It's not unusual to like the way your cat smells and them to like you too.

Want to smell like a kitten? You can! There's a Kitten Fur Fragrance.

Want to feel like you're kissing a kitten's nose every time you put on lip gloss? You can! (If you live in Japan) Kitten Lip Gloss

But I have to go now, and huff my Vicktor's fluff.