Civet

#### Civet. **Civet**** **is a glandular secretion collected from various species of the **Civet**** ****Cat,**** **male and female, preferably the male. The Abyssinian variety, Viverra Civetta, is the most important supplier of this animal perfume raw material. Smaller quantities of civet are collected from other species of the civet cat in India, Indonesia, Malaya, China, Belgian Congo, Somali, Kenya, and occasionally in Haiti. The total annual world production runs into several tons, and with respect to value, Civet ranks among the 20 most important perfume raw materials. The crude civet arrives in Europe and the U.S.A. in Zebu horns, containing about 500 to 1200 grams of the buttery yellowish paste which turns darker and more solid on age. The contents of one average Zebu horn represents the production from one civet cat in **Four**** ****Years**. During this period, the animal will consume something like the raw meat from 50 (fifty) sheep, and the poor cat, frequently teased in its narrow cage, will have undergone 400 to 800 painful “scrapings” of its glands. The raw meat, the narrow cage and the teasing are all means of increasing the production of the civet secretion which is scraped off with regular intervals while the cat is caged. It is no wonder that **Civet **is one of the most expensive perfume raw materials! But, thanks to the outstanding power of civet, its price does not prohibit its use by any means. From the crude natural civet, a **Concrète of Civet **is produced by hydrocarbon extraction. In turn, the concrète is usually further processed to an absolute by the conventional method. The yield of **Concrète**** **is about 50 to 60% of the crude secretion, and the larger part of the concrète is alcohol-soluble **Civet Absolute**. **Civet**** ****Absolute**** **dilutions, or **Civet**** ****Tincture**, are very commonly used perfume materials. They not only present excellent fixative value, but, most important, they lend a distinct natural-animal note when used with care and with an experienced touch. Overdoses produce obnoxious notes, and it should be kept in mind that civet products tends to “grow” in a perfume. A mellow and well aged civet tincture is less capricious in this respect. **Civet Tincture **may be produced directly from the crude civet by maceration with 95% ethyl alcohol. It is customary to use either 5 or 10 parts by weight of alcohol to one part by weight of civet. The tinctures may be prepared with or without the application of heat. In any case, the tincture must be well chilled prior to filtration which can take place after a maceration time of several months. The tinctures are labelled **Civet Tincture **20% (respectively 10%). See also the monograph **Tincture **in Part One of this book. It seems to be a general conception among older perfumers that civet is no longer what it used to be. This suspicion is not uncommon. Similar worries are expressed about opopanax, guaiacwood oil, patchouli oil, etc. In a few cases these worries can be traced back to the very human tendency of glorifying the “good old times”. Among other reasons, one of the most frequently given is the fact that the exotic perfumery raw materials come to the consumer much more quickly today than they did 20 or 30 years ago. But this excuse certainly does not cover all the obvious differences. Civet products are used in a ‘great variety of perfume types, particularly in the better lotion perfumes of the rose-type, Oriental types, “honey”- notes, narcissus bases, ambre types, etc. It blends well with the nitromusks, coumarin derivatives, quinoline derivatives, vanillin and related materials, etc. and many commercial fixative specialties are based upon such mixtures. The use of civet extracts or tinctures in muguet and other delicate floral bases may seem surprising to the layman, but this application of civet is well known and highly appreciated. The “lift” and radiation (diffusive power) derived from minute quantities of civet tincture in certain types of perfumes is quite unique and this effect can only be adequately understood through long experience with good grades of civet. The odor of **Civet **extracts (tinctures, absolutes, etc.) and of crude civet, too, should be typically animal-sweet, free from faecal notes, urine notes or the like. The undertone bears some resemblance to that of ambrette seed oil and of a well cured goat skin. The odor of civet preparations appears not immediately powerful, but it is very tenacious, an upon dilution the true richness becomes quite apparent. The, recently developed synthetic materials **Civettone **and **Civettol **represent individual notes from the civet complex, and cannot fully replace the natural civet or its extracts. The main advantage of the synthetic materials is in the total absence of faecal notes, and in the constant availability in a uniform quality and cost. An **Anhydrol**** **of **Civet**** **has been prepared by molecular co-distillation of a civet extract with a high- boiling, odorless solvent. Civet Anhydrol is a viscous, almost colorless liquid. Its odor is free from faecal notes, but it is not typical of the entire gamut of odor principles in natural civet. **Civet **is frequently adulterated (mainly before shipping out of Africa) with “ghee” butter (another product of the zebu!), honey, beeswax, soybean oil, baby excrements, etc. Some of the most experienced importers of civet actually *taste** *the unctuous substance from the horns, before they pay for it. Honey can be detected this way, but the other adulterants — !