We have three cats Fiddle, Duncan and Jones and each of them
react differently to catnip. Fiddle rolls around in it until he is covered in
it then licks it off himself and goes bonkers.
It does nothing for Duncan but he watches Fiddle then looks at us as if
to say I want what he is having. Jones
couldn’t care less and all but rolls his eyes then walks away.
What is catnip anyway?
It is an herb called Nepeta and is a member of the mint family with the
common name of catmint or catnip. There are 250 species and some are perennial
and some are annual. The organic
compound in some Nepeta species
binds to the olfactory receptors which detect odors in a cats nose, typically
resulting in temporary euphoria. The catnip reaction is inherited, and some
cats are totally unaffected by it like our cat Jones. Large cats like tigers
can be sensitive to it as well. Fresh catnip
picked right from the garden is generally much more potent. Some pet stores and local home and garden
stores usually carry both catnip seeds and small catnip plants ready for
planting. We have also seen catnip plants at local green markets where fresh
vegetables and fruits are sold.
Catnip does not come from the marijuana plant as some
believe and it is dangerous for the lungs if it is smoked. So please refrain
from doing so. Besides humans have plenty of ways to get to euphoria so let the
cats have this one. Just sit back and have fun watching your cat roll around,
jump up and down enjoying their catnip. We say party on little kitty, party on!
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