Cat urine....quite unpleasant in close proximity.

https://www.hunker.com/13426134/why-do-my-paperwhites-stink

I find the scent pervasive and unpleasant...rather musky or skunky. I no longer grow them for indoors.

The sense of smell is extremely subjective, so what smells very nice to one may smell badly or unpleasant to another. And indoors tends to concentrate scent (closed environment, heat) so what I like the scent of outdoors does not necessarily translate into something I like indoors :-)

I agree with gardengal. I find the smell to be unpleasant even in a very large area. I grew them once and that was enough for me.

I am not a fan of their scent at all, either. It's very unpleasant

I find them cloyingly sweet-smelling. No hint of skunk or urine. Maybe a bit of mothball? They’re pretty and cheerful so they’re worth the occasional whiff of funky scent to me. :)

Mel, that's the way I remember them from long ago, way back before I became a walking pharmacy. It looks to me like the culprit variety is ZIVA which is also the most common. There are other varieties reputed to have a more pleasant smell. Amazon (of all places) has a very large variety still available. I think next year I will try NIR or ARIEL or the Chinese Sacred Lily or maybe Grand Soleil D'or. I do very much like the scent of the normal daffodils (or at least I did once...) Currently it is below zero here in Minneapolis; so I am not going to chance ordering any bulbs in just now.

IIRC one can also get Erlicher pre treated for planting outside this spring for this season's bloom.

I get a headache from indoor paperwhites and hyacinths. Outside is fine, though.

I dislike the odor of paperwhites but love that of Chinese Sacred Lily.

Thanks to everyone who responded. I don't plan to use any more Paperwhites, but the Chinese Sacred lily looks like a good alternative. I had not heard of adverse reactions to hyacinths before, but I will be careful around them, too. Some of my circle are bound to be sensitive if anybody is!

They aren't hardy here; so for peace with my friends and acquaintances I will have to try the Chinese Sacred Lily or some of the other varieties around in the glasses, since outside is out. There are some other candidates in that group:

https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/faq/can-you-list-some-varieties-paperwhite-narcissus

I suspect a lot of the writers were using interviews with long time growers, who probably were of the group that does not find paperwhite fragrance offensive. Over the past few years mention of how offensive it is to many has been getting more notice in the publications and even in some of the nursery catalogs that sell them. IOW more and more authors are writing from their own experience. The stinky ZIVA is still the most commonly available and cheapest. And it is very easy. Brent and Becky's Bulbs is pretty honest about the comparison of the aromas of the various tazetta narcissi - see their INDOOR bulbs tab.