My brother wants to know if catnip is safe?

Question

for Conures. He has a Conure that was picking at some catnip. Does it effect birds like it does cats?

Thanks!

I did check the internet before posting, but wasn't able to find anything useful.

Answer 1

He should keep a close eye on the conure. If he is really worried, then take it to the vet.

I wouldn't risk letting it come in contact with catnip again, just in case.

I don't know if you saw this while browsing the web, but here is a disturbing email about a parrot getting sick, possibly due to catnip: http://www.cleos-corner.com/catnip.html

Answer 2

Catnip is NOT safe for cats let alone birds. For those of you who don't know what cat nip really is, it's the female hemp plant. It puts cats in a ephoria state and gets them high. Which is why you see them go nuts and crazy when they play with it. It messes with the frontal lobes of the brain.

Conures have a blood clotting disorder and for that reason alone i would not suggest you use or give them any cat nip, or tea leaves as someone suggested. But to combat this disorder they need dark green leafy veggies to keep them from bleeding out if a blood feather should happen to be busted in the middle of the night or an emergency surgery needed. This is why a lot of conures die suddenly.

Feeding a proper diet to a conure is so very important and often not spoken about. Feed cabbage, kale, collard greens, broccoli, green beans, peas, and the like.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Catnip is safe for cats. It's an herb, a member of the mint family. While I would think it's safe for a bird, you should check with the vet about mint and conures.

If he/she says it's safe, just make SURE the catnip has not been sprayed with any pesticide or liquid fertilizer---and I'm talking even wind blown 'fallout' from someone elses lawn treatment that's been sprayed even a few doors away. Birds are very susceptible to chemicals and can be killed by small portions.

Answer 4

I don't know much about birds, but he can go to your local Library and look it up in the books on birds or he can check on the Internet for that particular bird. I do know that you can make tea out of it and drink it yourself. I don't know how much or anything but I suppose you could find out from your local Vet about either uses for catnip.

Answer 5

I'm not an expert on exotic birds. So, I would have to guess that a little, occasionally won't hurt. They do make catnip tea for human consumption. You might want to call a veterinarian's office and ask, just to make sure.