Cats, People to Share Common Scents

July 16, 2001 08:27 AM ET

By Ellen Wulfhorst

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cat lovers may not always admit it, but they often share everything from their breakfast cereal to their bed pillows with their feline friends.

Soon, humans and cats can share and wear the same perfume.

Oh My Cat, a scent designed for both cats and humans, is set to hit U.S. store shelves in mid-August.

Oh My Cat is floral, mixing jasmine, magnolia, freesia, mandarin and bergamot with cedar, sandalwood, vanilla and a touch of olive leaf oil that cats with their sensitive noses can smell but humans can't, according to Nick Munafo, vice president of marketing for Adipar, the New York-based company that is introducing Oh My Cat in the United States.

Since it's for cats, Oh My Cat is completely edible, he said, although it contains no catnip.

People and their pets can bond by wearing the same scent, he said.

"It's to promote harmony between you and your pet," said Munafo, who says his own cats love it.

"On weekends, I put it on them, and they really seem to like it," he said, adding that he dabs a little on himself, but "I'm a little embarrassed to tell people what it is."

Oh My Cat was tested extensively in labs by veterinarians and cosmetics experts, according to its creator, the Paris-based company Dog Generation.

A non-scientific test, using a sample of Oh My Cat sprayed on a piece of felt, among cats at Manhattan animal shelter Bide-A-Wee had mixed results.

Several cats gave a brief sniff and turned away disinterested, one gray cat seemed intrigued, a few kittens tried to chew on the sample and eventually a five-month-old tabby stole it to keep as her toy.

Aimed at affluent cat owners, Oh My Cat will be sold exclusively at first at Saks Fifth Avenue, said Munafo.

It will be priced at $32 for a 50 ml bottle.

Its canine counterpart, Oh My Dog, was launched last year, also at Saks.

-- Anonymous, July 16, 2001

Answers

Hoooooo--Kay!!!! what ever!!!! what will they come up with next...I shudder to think!

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2001