Why Does My Cat Go Crazy for Catnip?

On this episode of our Pet Question of the Day, Stephanie Goodman talks about why your cat goes ballistic for catnip!

Many of you know what Catnip is but there are some who haven’t yet learned about this wonderful plant. Catnip is a recreational herb. You can grow it on your own or you can buy it It’s a perennial herb which means it will come back if you take proper care of it. If you grow it you can look for it under names like catmint or catswort. If you buy it in toys you have LOTS of options! So what is it in catnip that makes it so delectable? The actual chemical is called Nepetalactone. It’s found in the leaves and the stem of the plant This chemical, or oil if you will, is what gives them that crazy high and likely the zoomies all around the house. There are some interesting aspects to catnip. For one, not all cats are affected by it! Researchers call it an inherited sensitivity if a cat reacts to catnip, but some of them just don’t. Now they also may have more of a delayed reaction to it as they age, so, if you try it out on them when they’re babies you may see nothing. If you try it again when they are six months old or older. I’ve seen that happen with one of mine. Catnip never fazed him until one day when he was about a year old and then, oh wow, he went ballistic.

Which brings me to another point, not every cat has the same reaction to catnip or even different brands of catnip! Most cats will primarily sniff it, and researchers have proven that the chemical gets stuck to their olfactory receptors in the nose. But Some cats will EAT it. Either way it still mushes up the leaves and the stems, triggering the oil secretion and their happy buttons. It’s like a full state of euphoria. You’ll see them start rolling about on the floor or rubbing their face against the toy or the free nip, they’ll become very talkative, or dash about the house until they get sleepy. Sometimes they can even become a little aggressive. I have one cat nip brand that I love to give mine and I literally watched one of my girls become aggressive. She wanted to hoard all the nip! She started bapping her brother for the toy! So yes, they can sometimes fight over it. Lessons learned. More toys were purchased. You can buy lots of different kind of toys including ones that are pre filled, ones you can stuff yourself or refill when it gets old or drooled on, and even free form catnip that you can sprinkle about the house. In any case, it is a sight to behold when they go bonkers over it. Those are the times I joke that a good time was had by all and thankfully cats don’t drive!

Now these aren’t something you want to give every day, it’s more like a treat. Otherwise your cat can stop responding to it or they might feel a little sick afterwards. That shows up in ways like diarrhea or vomiting. So we temper the catnip. Also, until you know how your cat will react to it, try to give it to them by themselves, that way you can see what happens first in a safe environment. Your Cat will thank you though!

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Got a question or suggestion for Stephanie and the show? Book a call with Steph at TalkWithStephanieGoodman.com