2007-07-15 15:18:41 · 6 answers · asked by George T 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
How does catnip work?
"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.
Nepetalactone is an unsaturated lactone that does for some cats what marijuana does for some people. Cats take off on a ten minute "trip" during which they appear to be in a state of ecstasy, rubbing and rolling on the plant. All species of cats react in this way, even lions, but not every individual reacts to it. The deciding factor is genetic. Fifty to sixty percent of adult cats show a reaction to catnip. For the first two months of life kittens are repelled by catnip. The positive or neutral response does not appear until they are three months old.
2007-07-15 15:36:47 · answer #1 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catnip is nice for cats, yet lots of the save-offered producers are not one hundred% catnip, they produce different stuff in there as filler. perchance your cat is mushy to 3 of that different stuff. try transforming into your person on a window sill in llittle pots and spot if she does extra suitable with one hundred% catnip.
2016-10-21 10:25:54 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
catnip makes cats hyper and wild. It's sort of like a drug that makes them "high".
2007-07-15 15:24:19 · answer #3 · answered by grawpish 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
acts as a stimulant when they smell it...as to why? No idea, cats get high easier than humans, only needing to smell certain things to get a buzz. I don't recommend it, personally, having seen what too much did to more than one cat I've known that seemingly lost their minds. Over a period of time, not from one use.
2007-07-15 15:30:11 · answer #4 · answered by hausersteve 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
gets them high. i believe catnip is in the cannabis family- the same as marijuana.
2007-07-15 15:31:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's addictive like cigarettes
2007-07-15 15:28:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋