Throughout my nearly 29 years I’ve always had cats. Why? Well, to me, a house without a cat doesn’t feel like much of a home. My first ever cat, Henry, a puma of a feline my parents rescued after he was hit by a car, was with me ever since I was born. He used to sleep by my cot and he joined me on my bed (and sometimes in it – we grew up with no central heating, even the cat was cold) up until his final days at the grand old age of 21. So for me, a cat is a necessary companion and a comfort that completes the family.

I now have two cats: Rupert and Paddington. Rupert is a rescue that found me, and Paddington we’ve had since he was just a tiny kitten. He replaced Poppy, our little Ragdoll that passed much too soon. They are both, for want of a better description, wonderful little shits. They bring joy and frustration as all cats do, but there is nothing better than snuggling up to them of an evening, which is a regular occurrence seeing as both them are lethargic little lummoxes. What’s more, they absolutely adore each other and have regular ‘love-ins’, in which they groom each other until one of them gets fed up and starts a barney. God love the mischievous little mites.

The best thing about cats is their smell. Now, don’t get me wrong, not everything about them smells great, especially when Paddington drops one of his infamous nuclear poops, but when it comes to a cat’s fur, there are few smells on Earth that are so wonderful. Cats, unlike dogs (please don’t kill me dog lovers!), often have a pleasing smell to their coats, an odour that says cuddle me, please. This, paired with a happily purring beast padding away on your chest, always makes for a most cuddly experience.

So how does cat fur smell? Well it depends entirely on the cat. Rupert, who is a big fluffy white and black cat, has fur that is sweet and buttery. It also clings onto smells well and I often get a whiff of a perfume I’ve worn when I sniff the top of his head. Paddington is a sunbather so his fur, which is finer and shaded in grey, always has a hint of warm stone to it. Snuggling up to each of them is a different experience entirely. Paddington will force himself on to your lap, regardless of whether you have a bowl of food, a laptop or a cushion, whereas Rupert wakes you up purring like a champ, gently biting your arm until you give him attention.

Anyway, enough of how lovely they smell, I’ve just heard a crash in the kitchen followed by feverish miaowing. I reckon Paddington is trashing the camp in the search for food. I best go check it out…

Join the Discussion

Over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing other smells that I love and I’d love to hear yours. I’ll be inviting some guests from the perfume world to join me too! Either leave a comment below or tweet me @candyperfumeb0y using the hashtag #SmellsILove, letting me know what worldly smells you enjoy.

Other smells I love: Chimney Smoke and L’Oreal Elnette.