Catnip..What is it?
Catnip is a plant derived from the mint family. The scientific name of the herb is Nepeta Cataria.
The oil in the plant that has an effect on cats is called Nepetalactone.
Catnip is apparently thought to mimic feline pheromone triggering receptors.
Effects of catnip
Only 50% -70% of cats respond to catnip, only 3 out of our 8 cats show any response or attraction to it at all.
Normally the effects can last anywhere from 5-15 minutes.
When a cat eats catnip it can act as sedative and when it’s smelled can act as stimulant.
The effects are different with every cat, some will get very playful rolling around the floor or rubbing their face on things that have the catnip on them while others will just relax and chill out.
Make sure your cat is supervised when it’s playing around or eating catnip and ensure windows and doors are always closed just in case they go a bit silly.
Exposure to catnip
Catnip is one plant or extract that is safe for cats and is non toxic or addictive. What house plants and flowers are poisonous to cats and kittens
While there are no problems with moderate exposure make sure it’s only moderate as over exposure could lead to aggressive behaviour in some cats.
How often can you give cats catnip?
There is no rule of thumbs as some experts say once or twice a week others say once a day is safe. It’s not bad for them but the effects are less when they are given it to often.
Can you give your cat too much catnip?
In most cases cats know when they have had enough and are unlikely to overdose but in a rare case scenario it may get nausea or diarrhea if it’s had too much.
Benefits of catnip
Catnip provides the following benefits:
- It makes it easier for them to stay a bit more active.
- It encourages play and movement.
- It provides enrichment due to increased play and activity.
- It provides relaxation for some cats.
Where can you get catnip?
You can get catnip spray and dried catnip from leading pet stores both online and offline or alternatively nurseries carry catnip plants or catnip seeds.
Most of us have seen cats high on catnip, or at least seen videos of the antics cats pull after sniffing nepetalactone, the volatile compound in catnip that makes felines feel fine. Of course cat brains don’t respond to drugs like ours do. Most popular drugs act fairly directly on our brains to enhance “feel good” chemicals like dopamine and endorphins. But nepetalactone acts on a cat’s brain through a series of Rube Goldberg-like pathways that stretch from the olfactory bulb to the amygdala and then to the hippocampus, which triggers an endocrine reaction in the pituitary gland to produce a sexual pheromone. In short, catnip feels as good as sex. To cats, anyway.