What Is Catnip Anyway?

By Robert Blake

Catnip, or Nepeta Cataria to be appropriately scientific and technical about it, is a perennial herb of the mint family, and could also be referred to as catwort or catmint. It's obvious enough by the name that we are dealing with an association to the feline persuasion. The effect will be addressed by momentarily.

From its European beginnings, catnip has spread throughout the world. Mints in general are viable and rabidly proliferate. Aspiring to a meter tall, the multi-branched stem has small, purple-spotted white flowers on them. These delicate leaves contain catnip oil, which is the primary ingredient and is emitted when the leaves are split or smashed.

How does catnip affect cats? They are a sight to see, and generally quite playful and energetic. A small percentage of cats will actually become rather aggressive, so you should be careful not to give it to them. Who wants to cause themselves problems? Now of course, that said, some cats are not affected at all. Kittens and sometimes senior cats tend not to be affected, and somewhere around a 1/4 to 1/3 of cats are not genetically predisposed to react at all. Those who do will become hyperactive or super-loving, as if sexually aroused. They will lick, sniff, roll all in it to get it all over their scent pads, and eat it. After a few minutes of delirium, they'll saunter off to something else, "immune" to the effect for an hour or two. What is catnip if not a drug for cats? Luckily the effects are short lived, it's cheap, and it isn't harmful.

You can dose your cats any of a number of different ways. You can also get sprays for your cat scratching post, to encourage them to claw it instead of your nice furniture. You can buy bulk catnip or even grow your own. You will want to keep it fresh in a sealed container in fridge or freezer to preserve its affects.

Catnip is a joy and delight for cats and their voyeuristic people. They love it and we love to watch them enjoy it.

Robert Blake runs target=_new Happy Healthy Cats and target=_new All Things Catnip. Source article target=_new What Is Catnip?