The truth about catnip

We’ve all heard the stories about cats going crazy, hung up on catnip, while my cat couldn’t care less. So why do some cats take a mouthful of catnip and seem to defy gravity and other cats seem to be unaffected by its magic? Well, it’s time to separate fact from fiction when it comes to catnip and cats.

Depending on who you ask, some might say that catnip is like cocaine for cats, but the truth is that catnip is an herb in the mint family. The botanical name for Catnip is Nepeta cataria. Within Catnip is a monoterpene compound called nepetalactone that has a strong effect on some cats. The monoterpene nepetalactone is present throughout the plant, but is especially strong in the leaves of the plant. The monoterpene nepetalactone lowers cats’ inhibitions and may cause mild hallucinations. Some people compare cats’ reactions to catnip to humans’ reactions to LSD or marijuana, and catnip has some similar chemical characteristics.

Researchers have shown that each cat reacts differently to catnip. Some seem to get into a catnip high, while others become more aggressive and still others become more sexually aroused.

So why doesn’t my cat react to catnip? New studies have shown that one in three cats do not respond to catnip due to an inherited gene that not all cats have. Another factor that helped determine a cat’s reaction to catnip was age. Kittens don’t seem to be affected by catnip until they are 9 to 10 months old.

Although cats respond to catnip like a drug, catnip has been shown not to have addictive properties. There have been no known reports of cats not being able to get through the day without a dose of catnip. Capnip has a low toxicity level and high capnip only lasts about 10 minutes, so as long as it doesn’t make your cat more aggressive, there’s no harm in letting your kitty enjoy a little catnip once in a while from time to time