Catnip and Your Cat

If you are the proud owner of a cat or kitten, you may have explored the joys of giving your feline friend a catnip toy to play with. If so, you may be interested in knowing what it is about this plant that appears to make your cat go wild. The reality is that, although we do know some things about this interesting plant and the effects it has on cats, scientists still aren't completely certain why it causes the reaction that it does.

Your Cat's Response to Catnip

Catnip Plants

Despite the popular conception, not all cats are affected by catnip. In fact, most experts agree that only about 30 to 70% of the feline population appears to be affected by this plant. For those that are affected by catnip, however, the reaction can be quite extraordinary.

Not all cats react the same way when exposed to catnip, but some characteristics that are typically associated with catnip exposure include:

• Chewing, sniffing and batting at the catnip toy
• Profuse salivation
• Head shaking
• Rolling around or rubbing themselves on the floor
• Falling and stumbling
• Seemingly kicking with their hind feet
• Chasing around the room
• Elevated excitement level

In short, cats behave as if they are feeling an uncontrollable amount of joy or ecstasy when they are exposed to the catnip toy or source.

Understanding the Catnip Reaction

Although scientists are not certain why catnip causes the reaction that it does, they have isolated the part of the plant that causes the reaction. What we know as "catnip" is actually part of a mint plant by the name of Nepeta Cataria. The plant, which is characterized by small, pale flowers on spikes, contains a substance called nepetalactone. It is this substance that causes the reaction in cats.

In an effort to better understand why catnip causes the reaction that it does, researchers consider the response that it elicits. For example,

• Playful behaviors indicate the cat is having fun and that catnip alters the feline's mood
• Chewing and salivating indicates an appetite response
• Rubbing and rolling may be a sexual response, as it mimics the behavior seen when a cat is in heat
• Leg kicking and chasing may be a predatory behavioral response

Based on these observations, it appears that catnip may help a cat lose its inhibitions by stimulating the brain in the area around the hypothalamus, which is responsible for controlling predatory, appetitive and sexual behaviors. Recent research has also concluded that the nepetalactone in catnip has an opium-like shape, which means it may stimulate the opioid receptors in a way that is similar to how morphine affects the human brain.

Although this research may lead you to worry about catnip causing harm to your pet, research has shown that it is not harmful in any way. In fact, some research has indicated that catnip exposure may actually be beneficial in some cases. For example, cats that do not get along have actually been able to improve their relationship after one or both cats is exposed. It has also been show that the analgesic properties of the plant may actually be beneficial to cats that are in pain.

Catnip and Your Cat