All About Cat Care

10 Facts About Catnip And Cats

June 1st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

1. Catnip is the popular name for a plant of Asiatic origin called Nepeta Cataria.The stem and leaves have a volatile oil containing a chemical called Nepetalacone which is responsible for creating that ‘catnip effect’

2. Catnip” and “catmint” are two different varieties of nepeta, a perennial ground cover and member of the mint family, growing 2- to 3-feet high. Catmint is Nepeta Faassenii which forms soft mounds about 2-feet high. Both varieties grow throughout North America.

3. Catnip is native to Europe and Asia. Over 2000 years ago Romans used it for cooking and healing. During the Middle Ages, catnip was used for the treatment of nervousness, colds, and gastrointestinal complaints. It was introduced to the New World by early settlers who cultivated the herb for medicinal purposes and food.

4. Not all cats have the same response to catnip. Only about 2/3 of the cat population will feel the effects of catnip. The other 1/3 will not feel anything because they do not possess the inherited gene that is needed to respond to to catnip.

5 Young kittens don’t show the typical reactions to catnip until they are over 3 months old, and are often repulsed by it.

6. A cat can eventually become immune to catnip if continually exposed to it. Care should be taken not to overexpose a cat to catnip if it is being used to modify behaviour.

7. Sniffing catnip is harmless and non-addictive to the cat

8. Catnip is easy to grow, and the fresher the product, the more the reaction a cat will show. Many toys for cats are sold as “with catnip”. These are supposed to encourage the cat to play,but if they have been on the shelf for any length of time I find that they lose some of their effectiveness. Toys which are made with fresh catnip are better.

9. Catnip has a completely different effect if taken internally - instead of making the cat frisky it actually sedates the cat.

10.There are other plants which have the same effects as catnip on felines. Valerian is one example,as are plants which contain Actinidine.