If you've ever watched as a cat "flipped" over fresh catnip perhaps you've been struck with the question; "what causes Catnip to affect cats that way?" Catnip is indeed an unusual phenomenon among cats, it has the ability to alter your cat's behavior like nothing else can. So what exactly is the reason for what scientists have coined as "the Catnip effect"?
Unfortunately for such inquisitive minds the exact reason of why Catnip affects cats
in such a manner remains mostly a mystery. There is however much that we do
know about Catnip and cats even if we don't have the ultimate answer of exactly
"why?" yet answered.
The Science Stuff
Catnip is scientifically classified as Nepeta cataria and is a perennial herb from
the
mint family and is in fact also referred to as "Catmint". It is a plant indigenous to
Europe but has been exported and is now found all over including the United States
and Canada.
The active ingredient in Catnip is an oil; Nepetalactone, which is found in the leaves
of the plant. This is the reason you are able to find Catnip in a bottle or spray form
in some pet stores.
Other Uses For Catnip
Catnip is not only good to stimulate activity in cats, it can also be used by
humans
as an herb for a medicinal tea which may soothe toothaches, help against coughs,
and may also perform as a sleep aid. Furthermore, Catnip can be used as an herb
on salads or other foods as has been the case for centuries in France. Lately Catnip
has also been garnering favor as a natural insect repellant rivaling the effectiveness
of many store bought varieties of repellant.
Catnip and Kitty
Catnip affects approximately half of all cats. What determines whether or not
a cat
will react to Catnip is a genome that is inherited (or not inherited as the case may
be) at birth. Kittens, regardless of whether or not they carry this genome, do not
react to Catnip until reaching about 3 or 4 months of age and becoming sexually
mature. Older cats are also more likely to have a diminished or non-existing
reaction to Catnip, which leads scientists to believe that the Catnip effect is based at
least partially on sexuality and that the reaction may be something like an
aphrodisiac. Further adding to this belief is the similarity of a sexual pheromone
found in the urine of the male cat to nepetalactone (the active product in Catnip).
Cats that can be traced to regions where Catnip is not indigenous appear to be
unaffected by Catnip. The domesticated housecat is not the only cat that may be
affected by Catnip. Larger cats can also be affected by the Catnip effect, felines
such as the bobcat, lynx, tiger and even lion are known to react much the same way
the common housecat would. It is interesting to note that while Catnip can act as a
stimulant when a cat sniffs it, it can conversely act as a relaxant if ingested.
Therefore, you may see a different, nearly opposite result depending on whether
your cat chooses to eat the Catnip you provide for him/her or merely sniffs it (the
latter being the more typical behavior).
How to Use Catnip With Your Cat
Catnip can prove to be a very useful tool for a few common problems with
your cat.
If you are lucky enough to have a cat that does react favorably to Catnip then here
are a couple of ideas for you and your furry little friend.
Catnip and Lazy Cats:
Catnip can be used to get a lazy cat off his or her butt. Some cats are
notoriously
lazy, choosing to sleep much of their day away in a nice golden patch of sunlight on
the living room carpet, only waking up to eat and gather some necessary attention
from their indulgent owners. If this sounds like your cat, you may soon see (if you
haven't already) that your cat is becoming more and more round. This is generally
not a good thing. Catnip may be able to help. Presenting catnip to your cat
encourages activity (of course provided the cat sniffs rather than eats the herb).
Many adult cats will respond to Catnip in a manner that resembles their childlike
kitten hyperactivity, jumping, playing and running around as if it was given an
injection of kitty adrenaline, which in essence, is the case. The effect of Catnip on a
cat can last somewhere between two and fifteen minutes. If the latter is the case,
then this is a decent amount of exercise and will help keep your cat a little more
svelte than without a Catnip treatment. Furthermore, if you leave the Catnip out for
a few hours then your cat may return to the herb later (an hour or two after the
effect has worn off) and again react in an energetic fashion. So in this sense you
may consider Catnip sort of like a kitty energy drink.
Catnip and Cats That Scratch Furniture:
If you have a cat that seems bent on the destruction of your furniture then
Catnip
may again be able to come to the rescue. Cats can be frustratingly picky about just
about anything under the sun including where they want to sharpen their furniture
destroying claws. It is not uncommon for a cat to damage or destroy a piece of
furniture just because the owners finally gave up on trying to redirect their cat to
the unused cat scratching post that set them back anywhere up to a hundred dollars
and more. A good way to attempt to change this frustrating and expensive behavior
is to rub some Catnip or Catnip oil on a scratching post that you are attempting to
get the cat to use. Introduce your cat to the newly "Catnipped" scratching post and
see how he/she reacts. If all goes well, your cat will sniff and inspect the post and
then begin clawing at it. After a few times (you may have to re-Catnip the post)
hopefully kitty will be trained to use the post rather than the sofa.
Using Catnip with Multiple Cats
If you've never used Catnip before and you have more than one cat it is
advisable to
try it out individually on each cat before introducing it to all of your cats at the same
time. The reason is because Catnip affects some cats in a negative manner causing
the cat in question to become aggressive rather than merely playful. Introducing it
to your cats individually enables you to control the situation and keep a cat that may
react aggressively isolated from your other cats. This of course means avoiding a
possible catfight that could result in broken furniture, hurt kitties (possibly
requiring a vet visit), annoyed neighbors (and probably owners), or a combination of
all of the above.
Growing and Keeping Catnip
Growing your own Catnip can be rewarding as it can save you money, give you
the
satisfaction of doing something yourself and ensuring that you always get fresh,
high-quality Catnip for your cat. A word of caution however; the exact kitty
reaction you want to grow your own Catnip is something to be wary of. If you plan
on growing your Catnip out of doors and other cats can access your Catnip garden
then be prepared for unwelcome feline visitors. This may not be a problem for you
personally, but cats are by nature territorial and if you have a cat that lives alone
without the company of other cats this could prove to be an area of stress for your
cat. Even if you keep your cat inside at all times, your cat may get agitated if he/she
looks out the window to see another cat frolicking in territory your cat considers his
or her own. If you choose to grow your Catnip indoors, be careful to keep it out of
reach of kitty. Otherwise you'll likely have Fluffy jumping up on furniture even to
the most out of the way place to get access to the tempting herb. Cats are great
jumpers and not really known for respecting precious household knick-knacks. So
if you do decide to grow it indoors for a cat that reacts to Catnip, be careful to grow
it in a place that your cat won't be able to access it. A room that you always keep
closed to the cat is probably the best solution for indoor grown Catnip.
If you do find that your cat reacts positively to Catnip you should be sure to use it
sparingly so as not to dull the effect which can be the result of overexposure. A
good rule of thumb is to not treat your kitty more than once a week on average to
Catnip.
Given all the positive effects that Catnip may have on your cat you owe it to yourself
(and naturally your fluffy little ball of affection) to see how he/she reacts to this
strange and well known herb. It will provide enjoyment and exercise for your cat
and most likely an entertaining show for yourself as well. It's a win win situation.
Andy Markison is an illustrator, graphic designer, animal lover and pet owner living in Germany. His website, ZapGraphix.com, sells fun and humorous pet related merchandise.
