How 2 use Cat nip??

Question

I have jut brought some catnip as ive heard love it, well as i live in Germany i cant read how to give it 2 the cat.
Do i just let her smell it, or put in in her food?and how much do i give a tablespoon?
Also what execlty does it do to the cat?
Thnaks

Answer 1

I usually sprinkle some on a toy.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a plant in the mint family that grows wild as a weed and is found throughout the United States, particularly in the Midwest.

Cats under three months of age usually do not respond to catnip. Most older cats typically become excited or aroused as they smell, chew and eat catnip. They will frequently salivate, roll and rub, and sometimes run and leap in the air when responding to the catnip. It may be applied to scratching posts or used in stuffed toys.

Not all cats are stimulated by catnip to the same degree, and over a third of cats will not respond at all. Strange as it may seem, the different responses are probably due to environmental factors, genetics, and the gender of the cat (males are more likely to respond than females). If a cat who normally reacts to catnip is in a strange environment or is anxious, she may not react to the catnip. Cats in certain genetic 'lines' do not react to catnip. No one really understands the genetic trait, but it can be bred into a line through genetic selection.

The cat-active ingredient in catnip is 'nepatalactone.' This substance closely resembles a chemical found in the urine of female cats. This may be why unneutered males generally have more of a reaction to catnip than females and neutered males.

Give catnip no more than once a week or the effects may diminish. Cats love it green and fresh. Bruise it slightly before giving freshly cut stems or leaves. If using dried catnip, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator and give up to a teaspoon per cat weekly.

Answer 2

If you put it on the rug it'll get into the fibers, so it's easier to give a tablespoon size amount on a wood or linoleum floor. The cat will sniff it, roll in it, get all dreamy, and eat it. It's ok for them to eat. The only part of the plant they shouldn't have is the thick stems, which splinter like needles when they're dry.

I grow the stuff here, our cats eat the leaves and flowers, aren't too interested in the roots, but they don't need the stems, I take the plants apart for them when the plant is fully dried, and throw the stems away.

They COULD throw up if they eat too much, but that usually only happens with fresh catnip that hasn't been dried yet.

Answer 3

Its not good to let a cat eat it. I find that putting a few tablespoons in a sock and then not it will give the cat something to play with. You can also buy cat toys that you can put the catnip in. They will smell it and get a little bit high from it. all cats react differently to it and some don't seem to like it at all. others will react similar as when a person gets high.. and roll around and get playful but then fall asleep.

Answer 4

Most adult cats like it but some, Oriental breeds in particular, do not react to it. It does not appear to cause brain damage but cats continuously exposed to large amounts of it can permanently lose their ability to react to it.

Do not put it on your wall-to-wall carpeting or upholstery. It is an herb and it does have green pigment plus your cat may just scratch its way through the carpet to get what falls through. It is best to enclose it in something like an old sock.

Cats can indeed eat it and you can make it into a tea for you as well. It is a mint after all. I think fresh is nice if you can grow it outside where cats cannot get to it.

Otherwise, get a good, high quality catnip that has leaves and blossoms instead of twigs. As far as anyone knows, it gives a nice 'high' for the cat.

Answer 5

Hi! I am in Sweden. I sprinkle about a teaspoon of it on the floor on a rug or carpet and my cat rolls in it and eats it and gets a little high. It is sort of cat marjuiana I guess. Don't let you cat find the bag and open it. Mine did and she was stoned for about 12 hours. Jumped on the dogs back dug her claws in and he howled and ran through the house and she wouldn't let go. Now it is funny but she terrorized him. Slept for hours after racing through the house and was still stoned hours later. It makes cat play and move around If you want to get them to scratch on a scratching post rub some on there. When I have some I give her a teaspoon a couple times a week. Sometimes a little more. Catnip toys are fun for them and I plan on buying some big jars of catnip in America next month and bringing it home for toys. Just sew up a little pillow shaped piece of cloth and stuff it with catnip and they will play till they shred it. WHAT FUN!!
Hope that helped.

http://catinfo.org/ This will tell you the perfect diet for any cat.

http://www.geocities.com/jmpeerson/canfood.html pick a high protein low under 10% carb canned food. Fish no more than 1 or two meals a week if you must feed it.

Answer 6

Sadly cats are very, very territorial. Your older cat is behavior as my older can did years ago, when I brought a kitten home. I tried still giving him attention, but slowly he just wouldn't come back inside when I let him out, then he wondered off and never came back. When I later asked a VET about this, he said it was becuase his territory had been infringed upon and when they get older they don't do well with another cat coming into the home. GOOD LUCK, give him lots of attention and just try to pick him up when you see him going for the kittens, maybe that will help.

Answer 7

I have put it in a jingle ball and on my cat's scratching post. He goes crazy with it on the scratching post. He rubs himself all over it.
My other cat doesn't seem to like it. She walks away from it, so I don't give her any.
My suggestion, try it on the scratching post.
Oh, and the catnip spray works just as good as the solid stuff, but with less mess.
Also, it's not recommended for cats under the age of 1, as it can cause brain damage.

Answer 8

a new way that i found works is to put the cat nip in a baggie with a few toys in it and put it in the fridge for a little while, shake the loose cat nip off the toy and let them have fun! do it again every few weeks. also, store the extra cat nip in the fridge for best results! enjoy!

Answer 9

lol you can put a pinch on the floor and watch you cat smell, lick, and roll around in it
a less messy way is to rub it on cat toys
have fun watching your cat go crazy! --not all cats respond to it so dont worry if your cat doesnt take to it