Catnip - Great for Cats and Humans Too

A Mysterious Product That Drives Cats Batty

What's your idea of having a great time? A night down at the local with your friends; an exotic holiday in the sun; some retail therapy, or simply a dish of real Italian ice cream. But whatever enjoyment you derive from these experiences, it's nothing compared with the reaction most cats have to their beloved catnip.

Catnip Plants

For cats it's the ultimate experience. So if you're a cat lover, here are some things you really should know about this mysterious product that drives cats batty.

Catnip is a plant native to the Mediterranean region but over time, has been naturalized in US and Canada. It's actually a member of the mint family, Nepeta cataria L. (aka catnip) of which there are approximately 250 species and this figure doesn't include hybrid species.

It's a really pretty plant with small flowers and jagged, heart-shaped leaves that smell faintly of mint and being a herb, it is capable of growing to about 3 feet high.

It has light green foliage and its flowers are a lovely shade of blue green. The stems are square in shape and hollow in the middle. One of the best things about this fascinating, herbaceous plant is that it is drought resistant and therefore requires very little attention. Catnip plant grows very happily under full sun or even in partial shades such as your patio.

Catnip is usually fairly easy to grow: whether you're a keen gardeners or a forgetful plant owner and you should be able to purchase the plant from your local garden centre. It likes light sandy soil, and grows best in full sun.

Cat lovers who possess a green thumb can grow catnip from seed after the last hard frost of the season. As a perennial, this herbaceous flowering plant will return each year with proper care. Keep in mind that catnip requires plenty of room to grow and flourish, much like most felines. Once it grows, you will have the most popular house in the neighbourhood - at least among the local moggy population.

Here's something interesting to remember from The Gardener's Dictionary by Philip Miller.

"If you set it, the cats will eat it. If you sow it, the cats don't know it."

Why do most cats love it? Catnip leaves and flowers can trigger chemicals in a cat's brain that lead to bouts of energetic euphoria or laid-back laziness. Some say the effects are similar to LSD, others say similar to marijuana.

For that reason, dried catnip and catnip-laced toys and treats make regular appearances on pet store shelves. If you've grown your own plants sprinkle dried catnip leaves on scratching posts where you don't mind cats scratching; this really does avoid damage to furniture. You can even use it as a potty training tool.

If you use fresh leaves, pinch them first to release essential oils, and remember; a little goes a long way. You can use your home grown plants to refresh old toys. Just place them in a sealed jar along with some leave from your catnip plant. It's a great way to jump-start a fat cat's exercise regimen and you can save yourself a lot of money too.

So why do cats like this stuff so much? It's because of the presence of Neptalactone, an active ingredient that makes the cats go bonkers.

Most cats are known to exhibit very out of the ordinary behaviour such as jumping, rolling, sniffing and head shaking just with the smell of a catnip plant. The cats behave like this for about 5 to 15 minutes and most cat owners love to see their cats enjoy this way.

Reactions to catnip can be diverse; when sniffed, catnip will stimulate a cat, however when eaten it will act as a sedative. I have seen cats become very hyperactive; totally laid back and dreamy, whilst others can become aggressive and picks fights with the other cats. But kittens younger than 8 weeks old aren't able to enjoy its effects. In fact, they show an aversion to it.

It is also interesting to note that some cats may not react to the catnip plant at all.

Your cat might like to bite or chew on the catnip plant or even just rub against it. Some cats like them fresh and some like them dried out. So, you can harvest the catnip plant the way your cat prefers it. The best time to harvest catnip plant is just before flowering or during flowering. To dry fresh catnip, hang upside down in a dry, ventilated area, away from the sun.

The response to catnip appears to be inherited genetically, and it's not just domesticated cats that enjoy the effects of catnip, many wild species also enjoy it. It's an amazing fact that cats can smell 1 part in a billion in the air.

Males and females, entire or de-sexed; there appears to be no one group who is more readily affected by catnip than another. You'll be glad to know that despite these reactions, catnip is not harmful to your cat. They won't overdose on it. Most cats know when they've had enough & will refuse any further offers.

Interestingly, researchers say that nepetalactone is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET, which is the active ingredient in most insect repellents. It was also discovered that catnip repels cockroaches too. Rats & mice are also believed to have a strong dislike of catnip and will avoid places where it grows.

One cautionary note; once cats get a whiff of catnip, it's best to leave them alone until they've lost that loving feeling.

Catnip also can cause excessive drooling, so you may want to retrieve those cat toys after use. No one wants to step on a soaking wet cat toy. It may be a good idea also to store catnip and catnip-laced toys in an airtight container or a cat-proof area.

Catnip is enjoyed by humans too. Apart from being a favourite plant for the cats, a catnip plant possesses excellent medicinal values for people too.

It can be used for a relaxing herbal tea. The presence of the chemical nepetalactone produces sedative-like affects in humans, making catnip a popular home remedy for headaches as well as insomnia.To make catnip tea, add one teaspoon of dried catnip leaves or three to four teaspoons of fresh catnip leaves to a mug of boiling water and let it steep.

Catnip plant can be used as a cough relief agent and alleviate cold, flu and fever. Its leaves can be prepared as tea and drunk to relax stressed nerves. It is also useful for settling an upset stomach. It has also been used to treat headaches, scarlet fever, coughing, insomnia and smallpox.

Catnip can also be used for cuts. Studies show it has a natural healing quality. Crush fresh catnip leaves, damp them & apply to your cut.

Some other medicinal uses for catnip are: Anaesthetic, antibiotic, anti rheumatic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, chills, cold in the joints, haemorrhoids, toothache.

K'Eogh, in his Irish Herbal (1735) wrote of catnip,

"It provokes urination and menstruation: it expels the stillborn child; it opens obstructions of the lungs and the womb, and is good for internal bruises and shortness of breath. Drunk with salt and honey, it expels worms from the body."

Whether you believe that or not, it may be a sensible precaution for Pregnant women to avoid catnip.

Catnip - Great for Cats and Humans Too