Cats and muscle-ache ointments

I sprained a wrist last week and have been doing various things to treat it, including putting "Icy Hot" or "Traumeel" on it while wearing a brace. 2 of our cats have reacted rather oddly to these ointments, scratching at my brace/arm and even once trying to bite my arm. A handkerchief with the smell of the ointment lay on my quilt for a little while and after that my cat went after that part of the quilt, pulling at it with her claws. She got very agitated when I made her stop.

Of course, I am NOT letting the cats lick any of either ointment but I did not see anything on either list of ingredients that obviously would be of interest to a cat, so I'm a bit puzzled. Anyone else ever experienced this or know what it is they might be after?

Elmer used to go after some kinda cream.. I cant remember which but maybe Ice Hot or something similar.. gosh I wish I could remember for sure, he had such an extreme interest in whatever it was upto the point of trying to lick us to get it.

Could they be reacting to the minty odor? I know when I chew peppermint gum Meish swats at me if I breathe in her face.

I grew up with a cat that loved the smell of Ben-Gay and Vicks vapor rub. 3 of my cats now love the smell of bleach, go figure.

Originally Posted by Ali012281

Could they be reacting to the minty odor? I know when I chew peppermint gum Meish swats at me if I breathe in her face.

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Icy Hot has a menthol/minty odor but not Traumeel - at least not that I can tell (I have a terrible sense of smell).

Sierra loves the smell of peppermint. I have to keep my purse zipped up all the time, because I have a little bottle of peppermint essential oil in there. She will tear everything out of my purse to get to that bottle, then will love all over it! She'll do the same with peppermint candy or gum! Don't know what it is about peppermint!

Lubriderm and other lotions for my boys. Merlin will go nuts trying to get at wherever I've put it on, and then he'll try and lick my skin clean. I think it has something to do with whatever the moisturizers are. (Fat or lanolin or something.)

Pearl loves the smell of Ben-Gay and IcyHot. I have woke up several times with her licking the area where I used it. Not something I would let her do, but it did not hurt her whe she did it.
All of mine love the smell of Vick's Vap-O-Rub.

Originally Posted by Ali012281

Could they be reacting to the minty odor? I know when I chew peppermint gum Meish swats at me if I breathe in her face.

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Yeah, my cats go nuts over the smell of peppermint tea I asked about here the other month and someone told me mint is in the catnip family.