Perhaps you have heard of catnip or noticed that many cat toys have catnip inside. What is catnip and how does it affect a cat? Catnip is the common name for a perennial herb of the mint family and is also a distant relative of marijuana.

Only about 50% of cats respond to catnip. Their reactions may include sniffing, rubbing and chewing the catnip leaves. A cat may roll over and over on the catnip distributing the scent. He may become hyperactive or even aggressive. The cat’s reaction to catnip has been described by owners as "going nuts" or "getting high". The reaction wears off in a few minutes and the cat will lose interest.

Although no one knows exactly what happens in the cat’s brain, it is known that the chemical nepetalactone in catnip triggers the response. Based on observations, smelling catnip stimulates a cat, however eaten catnip will act as a sedative. Catnip is not harmful to your cat. They won’t overdose on it and most cats know when they’ve had enough and will just walk away. 

A side comment: researchers say that nepetalactone is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET, which is the active ingredient in most insect repellents.

Posted by Julie.