Blog

What is Catnip?

Catnip, Nepeta Cataria, is a herbaceous, perineal belonging to the mint family of plants. It is native to Europe, Middle East and Central Asia and is a vibrant green colour with triangle shaped leaves. It’s flowers form in small clumps of pale purple or pink but only come into bloom for a few weeks of the year. Other common names for the catnip plant include Catmint, Catswort and Cat-Tea.

Why do cats find catnip appealing?

The catnip plant contains a chemical compound that attracts cats to it called Nepetalactone. This compound is found in the oils in the plants leaves and gives off a very strong scent. After biting or smelling the plant, cats utilise the scent gland in the roof of their mouth (the Vomeronasal Gland) to transmit the scent that has collected in their mouth or nose to the brain. This then in turn causes the cats behaviour to alter dependant on how their brain responds to the scent. Nepetalactone is known to effect leopards, cougars, servals, and lynxes to the plant, however, tigers and lions seem to be less tempted by it.

Why don’t some cats react to catnip?

For some cats the effect of the catnip plant is instant and very noticeable, whereas some cats have no reaction to the scent whatsoever. Studies have found that a cat’s genetics will determine if they have a reaction to the plant or not and often referred to as the ‘Catnip Gene’. It is estimated that approximately 60% of cats will be affected by the catnip plant.

What will a cat do when affected by catnip?

Catnip is known to have many different effects on cats; however, some studies have likened the sensation to be that of a female cat on heat.

The most common behaviours displayed by cats who have been exposed to catnip include:

• Rolling around on the ground
• Rubbing their faces on objects or the ground
• Meowing or vocalising
• Drooling
• Zoomies or excessive bursts of energy
• Sudden need to lick themself
• Relaxation and deep sleep (usually if ingested rather than from smelling)

These behaviours are usually short-lived averaging around 10 minutes. Cats will not continue to react to the smell and need around 3 or 4 hours to reset before any reaction will occur again.

For some cats, they can turn aggressive towards other cats, stationary objects or even their owner. If this happens, remove the catnip source permanently as it can negatively affect their health or promote anxiety or aggression in the future.

Why give a cat catnip?

Though it may seem like an odd idea to some, giving a Catnip to domestic cats can have many positive benefits which include:

• Entertainment – assists with the prevention of cats becoming bored
• Exercise – especially useful for overweight or sedentary cats
• Enrichment – give old toys a new lease on life by rubbing the herb on them
• Anti-depressant – encourages cats to interact with their environment and family again
• Anti-anxiety – makes them act braver and more willing to socialise with other cats or people
• Positive reinforcement – useful tool to channel their behaviour towards something else (eg; sprinkling some on a scratching pole to encourage use, or in a bed to encourage them to hang out in that spot more)

Can a cat have too much catnip?

Catnip is non-toxic and extremely safe. Cats cannot overdose on it, however, if a cat is eating it in excessive amounts, they may get an upset stomach or vomit.

Whilst it is safe to give to cats every day, overusing will end up dulling the effects and be rendered useless after a while. For this reason, offer it to your cat a couple of times a week and continue to let them enjoy the ‘catnip high’.  

Catnip alternatives

For cats that do not have a catnip gene, there are some alternative plants and scents that you can try to offer them to elicit a similar reaction. Dried valerian is a very popular and readily available alternative; however it is extremely pungent for the human nose, resembling parmesan cheese or stinky feet. Silver Vine and Tatarian Honeysuckle can also be offered to cats to induce a response but is less effective than the valerian.

Follow us:.