Overview
If you divvy up your household with one of the 70 percent of cats who are genetically hardwired to go cuckoo for catmint , you have probably drop some time contemplate what , exactly , is happening to your pool while under the brief magic spell of this garden variety perennial ?
Is it safe ? Is there any biologic purpose for your cat ’s bonkers chemical reaction to catnip ?
Catnip ’s effect on behavior depart widely from one computed axial tomography to the next , and kitty do n’t develop the “ catnip response ” until they are 3 - 6 month old . Different word form of the herbaceous plant can have different gist on khat , straddle from merriment to aggression to balmy sedation .
Its effects are n’t trammel to housecats , either . Lions and jaguars are also attracted to catnip , though tigers seem not to be pretend . ( 1 )
Learn about catnip in all of its form , and how to use it safely with your khat .
What is Catnip?
Catnip is a flowering perennial herb in the mint family that originate in Asia and now farm in the wild on almost every continent . Over the 100 , humans have used catmint in various descriptor for medicinal and recreational purpose , for everything from headache and toothaches to a balmy sedative drug to calm the nerves .
Common Catnip ( Nepeta cataria ) and Catmint ( Nepeta mussinii ) are the most common varieties of the plant , with Common Catnip being the one cats seem to enjoy the most .
Catnip contains an participating organic compound called nepetalactone , a natural dirt ball repellant the plant liberate to deter pestilence like aphids while attracting aphids ’ natural predators , like wasps and butterfly . Nepetalactone also happens to be very attractive to cats and is responsible for for catnip ’s famed — or notorious — behavioural effects .
Catnip is harvested in the spring and summer , when the plants are in full bloom , by clipping the stem about 10 to 12 centimetre above the crownwork . To dry out the herbaceous plant , it can be hung upside down in a dark , well - vent lieu . Dried leaves , halt , and flowers can be stored in deep-freeze bags to maintain the essential oil inside them , which is the hooey that drives your true cat wild .
Benefitsof Catnip
Every CT responds differently to catnip , but in general , chewing on a bit of catnip be given to have a calming effect , while smell out or sniffing it tends to elicit a more gumptious reaction .
It can also be a helpful pecker in grooming as well as for reducinganxiety , particularly for indoor cats , who can become bored and stressed more easily than cats that roam freely outdoors . Making sure indoor cats have chance to play and pursual allows them to work on their rude instincts and can resist off trouble behaviors ensue from tedium or anxiousness .
A Nepeta cataria - stuffed toy can tally some hullabaloo to your cat ’s playday , and when its effects wear out off , most cat will also experience a pleasant equanimity for the next few 60 minutes .
“ It ’s a utile style to keep indoor true cat stimulated and felicitous , even when their environment is n’t in particular electrifying , ” saysDr . Michael Topper , past chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association . It can also help some shy cat build confidence , he says .
Dr. Sara Ochoa , an alien and pocket-sized animal vet , says sheswears by catnip to help her cat palpate less anxious about a sojourn to the clinic . “ My cat hates car rides or get to go to the clinic with me , and I will unremarkably give him a little catnip before we leave home and before we forget the clinic , ” she enounce . “ It helps keep him serene through the sojourn and on the way home . ”
She advises cat parents to try out unlike forms of Nepeta cataria to learn your CT ’s chemical reaction before trying any of these trick outside the domicile .
As a training tool , catnip can be used to draw in cats or acclimatise them to new objects in their environment . If your Caterpillar is scratching the sofa , pet parents can use it to encourage scratching on an O.K. object rather . If your cat loves the stuff , it can also be used as a particular treat to repay or reenforce good behavior .
Catnip has another benefit unrelated to its feline namesake — the substantive oil in the industrial plant is more in force than DEET in revolt pests like mosquitoes and cockroaches from large area . So , growing some outside your door might be a profits - win for you and your Caterpillar . ( 2 )
How Does Catnip Work?
Scientists and behaviorist do n’t fully understand how catnip interacts with a kat ’s brain to elicit its dramatic response . expert have long agreed that there is a genetical component to the catnip answer .
Whether catnip inspires your cat to mellow out or spring off the walls , its core is the result of a compound call nepetalactone , a type of chemical scream a terpene , which makes up 70 - 99 percentage of the all important oil color determine in the catnip plant .
When cats get a whiff of nepetalactone , the chemical compound binds with specialized receptor in the tissue lining the cat ’s nose , recognise as the olfactory epithelium .
A smattering of subject field bring home the bacon hint to which brain pathways might be activate during a catnip - induce episode . It ’s widely believed that those receptor in the nasal tissue kick off a chain reaction of neuron that eventually reach the olfactory medulla , the region at the front of the brain responsible for processing odor .
This region then signal the amygdala ( responsible for emotional regulation , relaxation , and anxiousness ) and the hypothalamus ( responsible for behavioral regulation ) . This chemical response in the brain causes the catnip response , which can look very like to cats ’ response to certain pheromones . ( 3 )
CatnipEffects on Cats
The definitive catmint response is a 5- to 15 - minute burst of activity that can range from blissed - out to downright berserk .
Upon smack catnip , cats will usually throw off their psyche , paw at it , clout or jaw on it , rub their faces on it , or go into a full - on body roll . This is usually companion by some purring , meowing , or growling .
CAT with a specially strong reaction to catnip can become hyperactive — zooming around , leaping , jumping , or even becoming aggressive toward the catnip object or the hand holding it . After a little while , computerized axial tomography will begin to turn a loss pursuit and geographical zone out , mayhap drooling a act or becoming very relaxed or fall at peace .
For about two hr after the Nepeta cataria experience , cats become immune to the effects of the leaves and will wholly ignore the object that was so enthralling a few bit ago .
Sniffing catnip seems to prompt a more invigorate reply , while manducate the leaves or ingesting them be given to have a more assuasive core . Either way , the final phase of the catnip answer is one of relaxation , which is why veterinarians often propose big cat parent try out it as an anti - anxiety aid .
Not all cat have the same chemical reaction to catnip , and about a third of cat-o'-nine-tails look not to oppose at all — however , a late survey suggests that all cats may respond to catnip , but some may have an exaggerated gumptious reception , while others may have a more subtle chemical reaction and simply become very relaxed when exposed to the herbaceous plant . ( 4 )
kitten and older cats also seem to be less susceptible to its charms . For mature cats who do not respond to catnip or who seem to become too aggressive , cat parents might try out alternatives such as silvery vine or valerian , suggestsDr . Mikel Maria Delgado , a certified applied animal behaviourist at the University of California Davis .
Can Cats Get Addicted to Catnip?
Many studies have confirmed that while the absolute majority of African tea are draw in to catnip and may seek it out , catnip is not habit-forming for cats . Its euphoric effects are dead - hold out , and then cats become temporarily immune to the aroma , so it ’s punishing for Caterpillar to overindulge . ( 5 )
Catnip is not toxic , but if a cat eats too much of the industrial plant , it can get vomit and diarrhoea , so it should be used under oversight .
“ I do not recommend iterate pic to catnip , ” caution Dr. Mason Romero , ofGeneration Pet Veterinary Clinicin Houston , Texas . “ If you plan to propose it to your kitty , do so in increments . leave a week or more to come about between offering . The more often they are divulge to it , the Caterpillar can uprise a resistance to the effects . ”
Veterinarians say the most rough-cut peril related to catnip is safety related . “ If cats are flipping themselves around , catapult themselves off the back of piece of furniture , or run softheaded through the home , you need to be concerned about them injuring themselves , ” says Romero . “ I have see several catnip - induced injury in my practice , ranging from broken claw to fractured tooth , and even a broken stage from a cat who tried to leap out from the countertop to the top of the kitchen cabinet and fell about 8 - 9 feet . ”
How to Give Cats Catnip
When it fare to catnip - delivery systems , there are many to prefer from . These include :
As a general rule of thumb , expect for Nepeta cataria that contains mostly flush and leaves , which are the most powerful division of the plant . Lower quality forms will let in a lot of dried , ground - up stalks and stem and may be less effective or attractive for cats .
When choose which chassis of the herb to give to your cat , believe the desired event . Catnip - filled toys and balls will further your jackpot to snuff and spiel , while freshly cut catmint is more likely to be chew , and may , therefore , be a good option for easing anxiety . Sprays with a assiduity of 50 percent nepetalactone or higher can be a helpful tool for attract cats to a raw strike post , toy , or layer .
free , dried Nepeta cataria is a versatile selection , since it can be stuff into a sock or refillable toy dog , or sprinkle on food , the storey , or any surface you want to make more attractive to your cat . Cats only need a small amount of good - quality Nepeta cataria to enjoy its consequence , so a pocket-sized bag or container of catnip will last quite a while , depending on how often you use it .
If catnip flake get too mussy for you , opt for pellets , which are compressed catnip in a compact form . They can be put inwardly of toys or used on their own . Although the tight pellets are not debate a bozo treat , some cat will nibble on them , and this is perfectly dependable .
It ’s also well-to-do to grow catnip in a gay window or your garden , and you could give your cat the fresh leave and heyday to jaw on or seethe in . you’re able to also dry the leave and flowers and store them as an occasional treat . If you do arise it , you may find your puss seek it out throughout the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. and maybe even chew on it . If you feel he ’s overindulging , relocate the weed to a spot that ’s out of reach .
dry Nepeta cataria loses its potency over meter , so buying or cutting smaller quantities and hive away it in the freezer can help draw out its crust and effectualness for your cat .
