catnip,cats
2007-01-19 02:57:00 · 9 answers · asked by baby a 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Some just do. My Stimpy is Siamese/Tabby and doen't care for catnip. She LOVES BenGay though. Pretty much anything with a really stong smell/odor. Hope this helps.
2007-01-19 03:02:19 · answer #1 · answered by renhoez 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
" 'Catnip' is the common name for a perennial herb of the mint family. It is native to Europe and is an import to the United States and other countries. The catnip plant is now a widespread weed in North America.
"Given to the right cat, catnip can cause an amazing reaction! The cat will rub it, roll over it, kick at it, and generally go nuts for several minutes. Then the cat will lose interest and walk away. Two hours later, the cat may come back and have exactly the same response.
"Because there really isn't any scent that causes this sort of reaction in humans, catnip is hard for us to understand. However, it is not an uncommon behavior in animals that rely heavily on their noses. For example, there are many scents that will trigger intense hunting behavior in dogs, and other scents will cause dogs to stop in their tracks and roll all over the scent.
"Although no one knows exactly what happens in the cat's brain, it is known that the chemical nepetalactone in catnip is the thing that triggers the response. Apparently, it somehow kicks off a stereotypical pattern in cats that are sensitive to the chemical. The catnip reaction is inherited, and some cats are totally unaffected by it. Large cats like tigers can be sensitive to it as well.
"The reaction to catnip only lasts a few minutes. Then the cat acclimates to it, and it can take an hour or two away from catnip for the cat to "reset." Then, the same reaction can occur again. Very young kittens and older cats seem less likely to have a reaction to catnip." Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question303.htm
I read elsewhere that only about 2/3 of the cats are affected with Catnip.
See also:
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/83/8331catnip.html
http://www.penmarric.ns.ca/catcare/usefulinfo/catnip.htm
2007-01-19 03:12:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Catnip for cats is much like X to a teen. Catnip contains the chemical nepetalactone, that triggers the response. It is a psycho-sexual drug for the cat as well. It is a member of the mint family, so your cat may act this way towards anything minty as well.
2007-01-19 03:07:49 · answer #3 · answered by o b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
from what I understand, cats seem to think of catnip as a sort of "aphrodisiac". They tend to get a natural high off it. It has a natural oil in it that cats find irresistible!The flavor also soothes their stomachs if they are upset.
2007-01-22 23:14:21 · answer #4 · answered by Donna B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catnip is to cats, as PCP is to JERKS.
From Berwyn
2007-01-19 03:02:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure, I've gotten it twice and my cats could have cared less. They looked at me like I was nuts...There must be some type of natural scent from it that som can pick up. They get really hyper and excited.
2007-01-19 04:12:34 · answer #6 · answered by monkeysgirl04 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont know but mine go daft as kittens when i spray their scratching post with it
2007-01-22 12:58:01 · answer #7 · answered by Miss Karen Roe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its the same with you, you have cravings too and something fav. food that sends you nuts too
2007-01-22 21:20:20 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cats nip is to cats as pot is to humans
2007-01-19 03:07:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋