by I. Michael Akbar

Created on: November 26, 2008   Last Updated: December 23, 2008

You walk into the room to find your cat rolling, jumping, drooling, running and growling. Or he may be uncharacteristically drowsy or listless. Not to worry; he probably just got a whiff or two of catnip. Catnip is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family.

The cat's behavior is in response to the herb's powerful natural chemical, trans-nepetalactone, a compound is very similar in composition to a pheromone excreted by female cats, which is why tom cats seem to love catnip the most. Cats may rub against it, roll in it, sniff it or even scratch it. The effect lasts for 5 to 15 minutes, after which it can take an hour or more before the cat might react to it again.

Catnip is not toxic to cats and they very rarely overdo it. In the rare cases where they do, there may be some vomiting or diarrhea. Simply restrict their access to catnip at that point; the affects are strictly temporary. Thank goodness he won't need to go to rehab.

Besides the fun of watching your cat's antics, catnip can be used to help train your cat. A little catnip in the litter box can help attract the cat to it. Rubbing a little catnip on a scratching post will help it get used to scratching there instead of your furniture. Many cat toys come with catnip in them to help encourage your cat to have fun chasing them and thus get plenty of exercise.

Here are a few interesting facts about catnip:

- Tigers and some other big cats have a similar reaction to this herb. I wouldn't suggested testing this at the local zoo!

- It is the scent of the herb that produces the reaction, ingesting it seems to have no effect.

- Kittens are not affected by catnip until they are two months old or more. If introduced to catnip at this early age, most cats will not respond much to it when they are older.

- About 30% of cats do not respond to catnip. This immunity is thought to be hereditary.

- The herb Valerian will give cats the same sense of ecstasy as catnip. Valerian is a mild stimulant and, though it doesn't do any harm, it shouldn't be offered to cats with kidney ailments.

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