catnip?

[clairdy-cat]

Hello guys
Just wondered if any of you could answer some questions regarding catnip!
What is it? I believe cats love it..if so, what does it do and is it bad for them? I've no idea!

[Cleo]

Get some for your cat, it's truly a riot to watch them react! Found this info on the web:


"Catnip" is the common name for a perennial herb of the mint family. It is native to Europe and is an import to the United States and other countries. The catnip plant is now a widespread weed in North America.

Given to the right cat, catnip can cause an amazing reaction! The cat will rub it, roll over it, kick at it, and generally go nuts for several minutes. Then the cat will lose interest and walk away. Two hours later, the cat may come back and have exactly the same response.

Because there really isn't any scent that causes this sort of reaction in humans, catnip is hard for us to understand. However, it is not an uncommon behavior in animals that rely heavily on their noses. For example, there are many scents that will trigger intense hunting behavior in dogs, and other scents will cause dogs to stop in their tracks and roll all over the scent.

Although no one knows exactly what happens in the cat's brain, it is known that the chemical nepetalactone in catnip is the thing that triggers the response. Apparently, it somehow kicks off a stereotypical pattern in cats that are sensitive to the chemical. The catnip reaction is inherited, and some cats are totally unaffected by it. Large cats like tigers can be sensitive to it as well.

The reaction to catnip only lasts a few minutes. Then the cat acclimates to it, and it can take an hour or two away from catnip for the cat to "reset." Then, the same reaction can occur again. Very young kittens and older cats seem less likely to have a reaction to catnip.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question303.htm

[clairdy-cat]

thankyou Cleo!
I'm definitely going to get some, it sounds great!
My cats are mad enough as it is, but I reckon it would be a right laugh to watch them off their heads!
I hope its legal in the cat world, wouldn't want the moggy drug squad banging on my door!!

[LinZ]

Yeah, catnip drives 'em nuts, because it smells like a *beep* hormone they release O.o so if they get a long, hard noseful of its scent, they will be off the walls!

I advise, though...don't get those sewn toys filled with little catnip seeds or pellets or what-not, because a cat, declawed or not, can easily tear it apart and get the insides everywhere, and let me tell you, it is NOT easy to clean up those seeds out of a carpet. Perhaps you could buy some catnip seeds and grow it in a small pot. But remember to pick it for them and not let them help themselves; I have heard a story before of someone keeping their catnip plant pot within Kitty's reach, and the cat dug the soil out of the pot and scattered it all over! Ack! That's worse to clean than seeds!

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I'll share this amusing experience I've had with catnip; once when I had gotten my kitties one of those catnip toys I hate so much, I went to wash off the saliva from their hours of playtime. Then I got an idea - I took the soaked toy and rang it out into a small dish; the water had a green tint to it from the catnip. And my three cats licked the bowl dry ^-^

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So yeah, have fun with your cats and catnip!

.....

LinZ

[clairdy-cat]

That's great!
Trouble is, I don't know where I can get it from, my local pet shop doesn't sell it. Any ideas?

[Cleo]

Trouble is, I don't know where I can get it from, my local pet shop doesn't sell it. Any ideas?

Really? Is it not allowed in the UK?

You can order it online from this company - they are in the US though.

Catnip

[LinZ]

Not in a pet shop? Hmm, that's odd. Well, have you looked in any garden shops? Or perhaps in the pet supplies section of the local supermarket?

That's weird, though, that the UK wouldn't sell catnip. But I hope you can find this delectable treat for your kitties nevertheless.

Good luck on your quest!

.......

LinZ