The Safetpet Blog

Catnip, or Nepeta Cataria, is a plant within the mint family. The active ingredient in catnip is a substance that closely resembles a chemical found in the urine of female cats (nepatalactone).

Cats And Catnip

Cats don’t normally show much response to this plant until they are around six months old. Some cats never show any interest, while others show interest much earlier than normal. Fresh catnip is the best, however catnip spray works well on toys and scratching posts. It is believed that the oil of the plant triggers nerves within the cat’s brain and causes it to roll and rub all over the catnip area. Some purr quite loudly while indulging while others just wallow in it and eat it. In eating it, some cats show a behavior that closely resembles intoxication. This reaction may last from five to fifteen minutes, though the cat may be very calm, relaxed and pacified for hours beyond that.

Side Effects Of Catnip

Catnip is a harmless herb and doesn’t leave any unpleasant side effects, however, if the herb is used too often, eventually the cats get used to it and loose interest. If this happens with your cat or cats, remove the herb for an extended period of time and then try re-introducing it, keeping the contact time minimal. It’s likely that if you do this, the cat will have cleared the senses and will go back to reacting to it.

Curiously enough, many large cats such as lions, leopards, and cougars react just like our family house cats, while tigers have no reaction to it at all.