There has always been a grand debate about the use of catnip with our feline friends. Personally, I never really decided which side of the debate I fell on. Are we drugging our pets, like some believe, or is it just harmless fun? Then it occurred to me that if I was honest I really had no idea what catnip really was or what kind of effects it had on my cats. I know that I have one cat that loves it and two others that could care less. My kitty that enjoys catnip will play, for what seems like hours, with a catnip toy where other toys are of no interest to her. So what is she experiencing when I break out the catnip?
Catnip is a perennial herb from the mint family, Nepeta catera. The plant is believed to have come to North America in the 1600’s from Napete, Italy. (Thus the name.) Catnip contains an essential oil called nepetalactone found in the leaves and stem of the plant. There are all kinds of theories as to the effects these oils have on cats. Some say that the oil has a hallucinogenic effect on cats, other say it has a mellowing effect similar to marijuana, some say it can act as an
aphrodisiac (not sure how they know that one).
The truth is the catnip oils activate a cat’s olfactory receptors that in turn stimulate their sensory neurons, like a pheromone. Not all cats are affected by catnip. In truth only about 50-60% of cats are affected and its effects can vary in degree. Reactions to catnip are hereditary, passed down in their DNA. (Yes there really is a catnip gene.)
Every cat responds differently to catnip – rolling, licking, rubbing, drooling, jumping, running and sometimes growling. BUT the most important fact is that it is completely and totally harmless.
FUN FACT: Who doesn’t like Catnip? Rats, mice, cockroaches and many other insects. It’s a natural bug repellent.