Yes. According to an article in Science, catnip affects your cat much like heroin and opioids affect people. The difference? Catnip is harmless and not addictive.
What Is Catnip?
Catnip is a herb in the mint family. The chemical nepetalactone is in the plant’s leaves. This is what creates a euphoric response in a cat’s brain. Catnip is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa but is now also grown in North America.
How Does It Work?
Cats have a vomeronasal gland, an extra scent organ, in the roof of their mouth. This gland sends whatever scent a cat inhales to its brain. A cat has to smell catnip to experience its euphoric effects.
After they breathe in catnip, most cats’ eyes dilate. They roll around in the catnip, purring loudly. Some even salivate. Catnip relaxes most cats into a sleepy state—but some get the zoomies before feeling calm.
In a multi-cat household, cats high on catnip often smack each other. They may tilt their head and stare at a housemate, as if to ask, “Did you know you have two heads and eight eyes?”
The effects of catnip only last about 10 or 15 minutes. Giving a cat more doesn’t work (although the cat will still eat it). After a cat has catnip, it’s immune to it for a few hours.
Not all cats respond to catnip. Only about 70 percent can feel its effects, most likely because of genetics. In other words, cats inherit a love of catnip from their parents.
Catnip doesn’t affect kittens until they’re about six months old. This has something to do with sexual maturation.
Forms of Catnip
Catnip comes in several forms:
- Dried catnip
- Fresh catnip
- Toys stuffed with catnip
- Catnip spray
Dried Catnip
You can buy dried catnip online, at a pet supply store, or at a grocery store. Rub it between your fingers under a cat’s nose and sprinkle it on the floor.
Fresh Catnip
Fresh catnip refers to a catnip plant. The stem and leaves of a plant have an even stronger effect on cats. Catnip plants and seeds are available online. The plants are sometimes also sold at pet supply stores and grocery stores.
Catnip Toys
Dried catnip is also stuffed in toys. Our cats love Yeowww! catnip bananas. However, when they rip open the banana to get at the catnip—and they eventually will—it makes a mess. You need a dustpan to clean it up.
Catnip Spray
You can also give your cats catnip in a spray form. Spray the catnip on your cat’s toys or its cat tree. Never spray the catnip directly onto your cat. This form of catnip is weaker than the others.
The Benefits of Catnip
Catnip helps anxious cats relax. Your cat might enjoy catnip after a vet visit.
You can use catnip as a training tool. Sprinkle it on a new scratching post or cat tree. Your cat will be more likely to give it a whirl if you do this.
Cats that inhale catnip often play, which stimulates the cats mentally and physically. This is especially good for sedentary, couch-potato cats.
A Word of Caution
Veterinarians warn against giving your cat too much catnip. A tablespoon once in a while is plenty. Catnip is not toxic, but if you give your cat too much, it might suffer gastrointestinal distress or feel nauseous and throw up. Most veterinarians recommend giving cats catnip only about once a week.
Ask your vet if it’s okay to give your cat catnip if it has a chronic condition like asthma.
Resources
Moutinho, Sofia. “Why Cats Are Crazy for Catnip.” Science, 20 Jan. 2021, https://www.science.org/content/article/why-cats-are-crazy-catnip