by Tirzah Hawkins

Created on: November 26, 2008   Last Updated: June 03, 2010

We’ve all seen a cat roll, rub, kick, purr and just go crazy for catnip.  They chew, lick and drool all over it.  The reaction lasts up to fifteen minutes and then they seem to tire of it.  Wait a couple of hours, and the fun can start all over again.

 Catnip is a member of the mint family and distantly related to marijuana.  It contains a chemical called nepetalactone that triggers this crazy response in certain cats’ olfactory system.  

 A cat’s first response to catnip is to smell the plant.  It may then brush up against it, lick it and maybe eat it.  It is the aromatic oils in the plant that act as a stimulant to the cat and give it a high.  Don’t worry if your cat doesn’t have the ability to smell; this does not prevent the cat from getting the benefits of catnip.

 The response to nepetalactone is inherited in cats; some cats may not respond to it at all.  Even large cats like tigers may respond to the chemical.  The reaction only lasts a few minutes while the cat becomes used to the chemical.  A few hours the later, the cat is ready to go crazy again.

 Kittens and senior cats don’t react as strongly to catnip and up to a third of cats don’t respond to catnip at all.  A kitten under three months of age won’t normally respond to catnip; so if you are trying to find out if your cat likes it, you should wait until it is older.

 A cat can’t really overdose on catnip, as it is nontoxic to them; but a cat that likes catnip will refuse it, if it has had enough.  Excessive ingestion of catnip, however, can cause diarrhea or vomiting; but this can be remedied by limiting the amount of catnip your cat has access to. 

 You can grow catnip yourself to provide your cat enjoyment.  Catnip kits can be found at just about any pet store.  These allow you to be able to grow catnip indoors.  It can also survive year after year outside in your garden.  You might want to grow it in a container though as catnip has a tendency of spreading all over the place.

 Catnip toys and products are also available in abundance.  Your cat might prefer a toy mouse filled with dried catnip that it can play with at its leisure or having its scratching post sprayed with a catnip product.  If your cat likes to eat its catnip, you can provide it with dried or fresh catnip. 

 Just take a trip to the pet store and experiment with the different options to find out what your cat likes best.  Be sure to find out if your cat is receptive to the nepetalactone in catnip before spending a lot of money on it.

 Another benefit of providing your cat with catnip to roll in is that catnip is a great insect repellent.  Your cat will be free from bother from mosquitoes.  Cockroaches, mice and rats are also bothered by the herb and will avoid areas it is grown.

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