We humans love aromatherapy. Even if you’re not the type to buy scented candles or burn incense, we’re all susceptible to the awesome power of smell. Think about the feeling you get when you encounter a familiar smell – like a shampoo someone you love uses, the smell of a pie baking in the oven, or even that cinnamon-y scent when you’re walking past the Cinnabon in the mall! Scents can give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, make you feel calm, and bring back happy memories you didn’t even know you had! Scents are powerful things, and they can affect your cat, too!
There haven’t been many studies done on the effect of scents on cats, but we do know that their sense of smell is much keener than our own. Cats are born hunters, and their nose has always been a sharp tool of their trade. Keep it’s sensitivity in mind when considering aromatherapy for your cat. The scented candles you think are strong are going to be outright unbearable to your cat, and essential oils, which are concentrated, are made to be strong as well. Furthermore, essential oils can be toxic to your pet.
If you have a kitty who becomes anxious when you’re not around, you might consider scents we use to soothe, like lavender and chamomile. Before you go filling your home with flowers to calm your cat when you’re not around, know that those plants and several others are poisonous to your kitty! They are not what you want to leave lying around when you’re not keeping an eye on her.
Scents can still be a treat for your cat, without sending them running away from your oil diffuser or to the emergency vet. How?
We know that our cats respond to our smell. We’ve all loved a cat who wanted to nap in our dirty laundry. Ever wonder why? It’s not because your cat wants to deter you from re-wearing between washes by covering your clothes in cat-hair. It’s because a big pile of soft cloth is a cozy spot, and more than that, it’s saturated in your scent! When your cat cuddles up to your clothes, she’s surrounding herself in a smell that makes her feel safe and calm – you!
The smell you leave on your clothes is a soothing scent to your cat. It’s the smell of the person she loves most – the one who feeds her and keeps her safe. It’s natural, not toxic to your cat (no matter how gross your gym clothes get) and mild enough that it doesn’t overwhelm her. You can feel a little pride in it – your cat feels the same way about your natural scent that you feel about the smell of lavender, baking bread, cinnamon apples, etc.
If your cat is the type who becomes skittish when you’re not home, the laundry basket may start to look like a really safe spot. Skip the oils, candles and incense and give your cat a real treat – the smell of you. The Project Play™ Comfort Cuddler™ is made to be cuddled by your cat when you’re not around. You can fill it up with an already-worn shirt and allow your cat to cuddle to their heart’s content with a smell that sends them over the moon! It will soothe them and remind them of you. No leaving candles burning while you’re not around (a fire hazard!) and no dousing anything in essential oils that are toxic to cats, no leaving poisonous plants around to be potentially chewed. The Comfort Cuddler™ is safe and effective because it’s a scent your cat knows and loves. It’s you.