What IS Catnip?

What the heck IS catnip? Is it safe? Are there alternatives?

Catnip isn't at all dangerous or harmful for your cat. (However, on rare occasions some cats respond aggressively to catnip - but it's very uncommon.)

“Catnip" is the common name for a perennial herb of the mint family.

No one actually knows for certain what happens in the cat's brain, it is known that the chemical nepetalactone contained in catnip is what triggers the response.

Not all cats react to catnip. The catnip "gene" is inherited, and some cats don't seem to be affected by it at all.

Kittens that are under 4-5 months of age generally do not have a reaction.

For cats that do react -- catnip can cause a fun and exciting reaction! Cats usually rub their bodies on it, roll over it, kick at it, eat it (don't worry, this is safe) and overall just go completely nuts over it!

There's a downside to all this fun though. Did you know that cats can actually become "immune" to catnip if they are constantly exposed to it?

So to squeeze the maximum amount of fun and pleasure out of catnip, you should keep the catnip and the catnip toys put away and only bring them out for 1 day at a time, every 4-5 days or so.

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There aren't different kinds of catnip, but there are different parts to a catnip plant, and the best parts to get are the leaves or buds, because they're most potent. Avoid catnip stems. They aren't very potent and they can be dangerous to a cat that eats them.

Catnip spray is “Ok”, but generally not as good as the actual plant. However, it's very useful and convenient for spraying onto scratching posts, cat trees, and cat beds.

Over time, all catnip will lose it's potency. So catnip toys need to be replaced or "restuffed" with new catnip every 6-8 months or so.

For maximum potency, store catnip in a sealed airtight container like a Tupperware or even a ziplock bag. Keeping it in the freezer can also make it last longer.

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What alternatives do you have to catnip?

Honeysuckle is a great alternative to catnip. The effects on cats haven't been as researched, but so far it's been shown to affect more cats than catnip does, because the reaction to it isn't inherited like with catnip.

Your cat doesn't necessarily have to have a reaction to catnip in order to like honeysuckle.

No studies have been done to determine exactly why cats react to honeysuckle, but it is known that honeysuckle affects the cat's sense of smell. It gives them extreme pleasure through their olfactory nerves.

You can increase the potency of honeysuckle by getting it wet. Unlike catnip, it never completely loses its potency. Simply get it wet and it can be "rejuvinated" over and over again!

Get fun Honeysuckle toys at: http://www.secretsofcats.com/p/honeysuckle

 

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