BPAL for Working Around or With Animals?

[lilacea]

I've recently started some volunteer work at my local cat shelter, and I'm wondering about what perfumes I'm wearing and if they might be affecting the cats in any way (given that cats have super senses of smell). There are rescue cats there that are very nervous, and I don't want to be freaking them out, sending off the wrong signals or giving off unpleasant odours from anything I might be wearing (because it's already scary enough for some of them with out added stimuli).

 

I know some of my cats at home are a little hesitant about leather smells (they screw their nose up when they sniff it), but are there any notes in particular to avoid around animals? Conversely, are there any notes you know of that might be comforting to cats?

Edited May 17, 2008 by lilacea

[Rouge]

I've heard that cats don't like citrus smells, so you might want to avoid Whitechapel, New Orleans, Fire Pig, Bakeneko and most of the new Tiki scents.

[Reaver]

There is a topic in the BPAL Chatter portion with lots of peoples findings when combining BPAL and animals, and from what I can remember of it, cats like Bastet.

[TPOD]

There is a topic in the BPAL Chatter portion with lots of peoples findings when combining BPAL and animals, and from what I can remember of it, cats like Bastet.

 

Heh heh. And I didn't think Beth could rise any higher in my esteem.

 

My cats HATE citrus and get very offended. There was one scent that they seemed to really like, but I can't remember at the moment - I will update if my brain starts working.

[LadyLuckless]

I've never tried it myself, but I've heard Black Cat in Bewitching Brews actually has catnip in it. And one of my cats turns into a purry little love machine when I wear Eat Me. She gets insanely clingy and won't leave me alone!

[Lethran]

My cats think Mandrake is possibly a sign of the apocalypse.

[waternight]

My friend's cat practically glued her face to my cleavage when I wore Aureus. So, heavy cedar/patchouli might be good, if you can wear them.

[ravenfeathers]

as someone who also works with rescued animals (cats, dogs, horses, cattle, goats, rabbits, etc.), i'd suggest going to your volunteer work "clean". while a vast majority of scents won't bother a vast majority of cats, it's not really worth the risk, IMO. i have one cat in particular (my five are all rescues) who will run from me when i'm wearing perfume. she is extremely offended by every scent i've ever worn around her. i have another one who pretty much loves everything i wear. guess which one loves me and sleeps in my bed and which one slinks away whenever i pass her in the house?

 

animals of all types rely more heavily on their senses of smell to figure out the world around them. i've found that abused, neglected, and abandoned animals tend to be more sensitive to body language and pheromones. your best bet is to leave BPAL out of your volunteering altogether.

 

*i am not an animal behaviouralist, nor do i play one on t.v.

[Scanmike]

My cats go nuts over Smut. When I wear it or any other BPAL with musk in it, they are all over me. They can't get close enough.

[starrykitten]

I had amazing results once while wearing the TAL blend Milk & Honey (go figure!). I walked outside and some stray kittens were so much more loving than usual.

 

I don't remember the exact veterinary science behind it, but I do know that cats are really sensitive to perfumes and it can cause health problems for them if they come into too much contact with perfume. So I'd go lighter than usual on application and make sure you don't get any wet perfume on any of the kittehs.

[JennyGardener]

Whenever I wear perfume with civet (Glasya is one of my favorites), the cats won't stop trying to lick my wrists!

[oakmoss]

I completely agree that you should skip the perfume when you are at the shelter. Those animals are traumatized already, so why risk upsetting them more? They need to smell YOU, the pure mammal you. It's different with our own animal friends at home, who presumably trust us enough to put up with our scent changing from day to day.

[lookingglass]

Is pennyroyal poisonous to animals? I am thinking that I read that somewhere...

[ravenfeathers]

Is pennyroyal poisonous to animals? I am thinking that I read that somewhere...

 

the oil, if taken internally, is toxic to all animals, including people and will result in severe damage to the internal organs, especially the kidneys, but the amount you might have on your wrist or neck in a perfume blend is safe.

 

of course, internally or externally, pennyroyal is a pretty powerful abortifactant and shouldn't be used by or around anyone who is or may be pregnant, including the kittehs.

[lilacea]

I think it is sounding like my best bet is just to skip the 'fumes when I'm around the cats there, and take in the glorious scent that is natural me. Thank you all for your advice though!

[dluszcz]

I've never tried it myself, but I've heard Black Cat in Bewitching Brews actually has catnip in it. And one of my cats turns into a purry little love machine when I wear Eat Me. She gets insanely clingy and won't leave me alone!

 

 

My kitties HATE Black Cat- though they usually join me in festively sniffing out the BPAL packages in the mail.

 

I agree with what some of the others have said about going au natural, fragrance-wise. Let the animals get to know your scent. That's how cats and dogs recognize each other, hence the whisker rubs and butt sniffing...

[voodoobaby]

My mother one time wore patchouli oil (it was some really nasty, super strong stuff that didn't smell a thing like BPAL's) around a cat we once had, and...erm, he liked it a little too much. If you don't want to be molested by a cat, you might want to avoid patchouli.

 

He loved the scent of strawberries, though, in a much less sexual way. If you do end up wearing perfume around the kitties, maybe that would be good?

[snapesgirl34]

I've recently started some volunteer work at my local cat shelter, and I'm wondering about what perfumes I'm wearing and if they might be affecting the cats in any way (given that cats have super senses of smell). There are rescue cats there that are very nervous, and I don't want to be freaking them out, sending off the wrong signals or giving off unpleasant odours from anything I might be wearing (because it's already scary enough for some of them with out added stimuli).

 

I know some of my cats at home are a little hesitant about leather smells (they screw their nose up when they sniff it), but are there any notes in particular to avoid around animals? Conversely, are there any notes you know of that might be comforting to cats?

 

 

I know that my cat personally hates the smell of mint. She is disgusted by my toothpaste.

 

Supposedly the smell of lilac is very soothing to animals. I knew a large animal vet who would recommend hanging dried lilac in a nervous horse's stall to sooth them, and one of the veterinary technicians I used to work with swore by it for scared animals. I don't know if it's true or not, but a perfume with lilac may be worth trying.

[fiddlefox]

My mother one time wore patchouli oil (it was some really nasty, super strong stuff that didn't smell a thing like BPAL's) around a cat we once had, and...erm, he liked it a little too much. If you don't want to be molested by a cat, you might want to avoid patchouli.

 

He loved the scent of strawberries, though, in a much less sexual way. If you do end up wearing perfume around the kitties, maybe that would be good?

 

 

haha, one of my cats, the one who's more into herbs goes mad around patchouli oil, she loves it. Cats also like valerian, which is pretty stinky so I don't think you'll find many perfumes with it. My eldest cat loves pure sugar sweet scents, but he has a sweet tooth anyway...

[brsis]

I don't remember the exact veterinary science behind it, but I do know that cats are really sensitive to perfumes and it can cause health problems for them if they come into too much contact with perfume. So I'd go lighter than usual on application and make sure you don't get any wet perfume on any of the kittehs.

 

AFAIK, all cats are allergic to essential oils to a greater or lesser degree. Dogs and (Don't ask me why I know this) guinea pigs aren't.

 

I wouldn't wear perfume to work with animals - save it for afterwards when you smell only of cat

[lilacea]

I don't remember the exact veterinary science behind it, but I do know that cats are really sensitive to perfumes and it can cause health problems for them if they come into too much contact with perfume. So I'd go lighter than usual on application and make sure you don't get any wet perfume on any of the kittehs.

 

AFAIK, all cats are allergic to essential oils to a greater or lesser degree. Dogs and (Don't ask me why I know this) guinea pigs aren't.

 

I wouldn't wear perfume to work with animals - save it for afterwards when you smell only of cat

 

Yeah, I've knocked off the perfume around the kitties, but I usually put something on at the end of the day, because after you've cleaned out about a hundred litter trays, you don't smell too good .

[couscous]

I volunteer for Animal control here in NY, and we were thinking of maybe putting a diffuser with essential oils in one of the rooms where we keep the "holding" dogs- cruelty cases and seizures in progress. These poor guys, mostly pits, stay with us for weeks or months.

 

Naturally, everyone is defaulting to lavender straight up, but I of course can't resist picturing one of Beth's blends in there. Anubis is waaaay too strong (I love it, but it's the strongest bpal I've ever worn , ever), and so is fenris Wolf. The dream blends are the choice of champions, but are there any others you've found particularly snuggly and soothy?

[brsis]

I volunteer for Animal control here in NY, and we were thinking of maybe putting a diffuser with essential oils in one of the rooms where we keep the "holding" dogs- cruelty cases and seizures in progress. These poor guys, mostly pits, stay with us for weeks or months.

 

Naturally, everyone is defaulting to lavender straight up, but I of course can't resist picturing one of Beth's blends in there. Anubis is waaaay too strong (I love it, but it's the strongest bpal I've ever worn , ever), and so is fenris Wolf. The dream blends are the choice of champions, but are there any others you've found particularly snuggly and soothy?

 

Hades, Darkness, and the Music of Erich Zahn (Sp?) are my default sleep scents - the GC ones at any rate. Good luck with your puppies (Of young and old varieties)

[couscous]

Thanks, GC! Your taste is sleep scents is slightly unorthodox, but I like them!! I've got some Hades and MoEZ at home, actually. When we're up and running, I'll put a few drops in and see if they enjoy it.

 

In the end, it's just a gesture among many small gestures we hope will combine to make life more bearable, but I figure as loing as I spend so much time debating scents for myself, there's no harm in taking a few minutes to consider one for the pups, too.

[Josh]

Yes, cats DESPISE mint. You're actually supposed to fill a squirt bottle with water and a dash of mint oil and spray it anytime the cat gets on your furniture or does something you dont want them to do. Definitely avoid anything mint if you are working around cats.