Catnip and the Truth About It

When people talk about catnips, you will get tons of myths and rumors about how cats are getting wild and how these feline pals strung out on this perennial herb. However, many are still wondering why the effects are varied. Some cats seem to defy the gravity when they encounter catnips. On the other hand, there are also some felines that are not affected by the euphoric effect of catnips.

There are some people who would tell you that the catnip creates a high feeling because it contains cocaine. This is definitely far from the truth. Also known as the nepeta cataria, the catnip is a herb that belongs to the family of mint. But it is also related to marijuana as well. Catnips have monoterpene nepetalactone. This is a compound that gives an intense effect on some species of cats. The monoterpene nepetalactone can be found anywhere in the plant. However, a big amount of this compound is usually located at the leaves of the plants. This can actually reduce the inhibitions of the cats. This may cause your pet to have hallucinations. There are times that this reaction is compared to the effects of LSD in humans since the chemicals present in each compound have similarities.

Catnip Plants

Several studies show that each cat has a different reaction when it comes to catnip. Most of the cats are on a high after sniffing catnips. But there are also cats that become aggressive. On the other hand, you can also find some felines that are sexually aroused after being exposed to catnips.

So what's the reason behind the varied reactions of the cats on the catnip? Recent studies showed that there are at least 2 out of 5 cats that do not actually respond to the effects of the catnip. This is because not all cats have the gene that is responsible for making these feline pets react on the perennial herb. Aside from that, experts also said that the age of the cat plays another factor in determining whether your pet would react in catnip or not. More often than not, kittens that are below 8 months old are still invulnerable to the effects of the catnip. These kittens would only start being susceptible to the herb once they are already 9 months old. However, there are still some kittens that would not react on the catnip until they are 10 months old.

Even if you see your cat looking like it has been drugged when exposed to catnip, studies have already proven that the perennial herb does not have any addictive properties. As of today, thousands of cat owners have been using catnips for several reasons. Yet, there are still no reports that a cat or two cannot last a day without being exposed to catnips. This herb actually has a low level of toxicity. Aside from that, the catnip high does not last for long. The cat will only have the euphoric feeling for as much as 10 minutes or even less.

Catnip and the Truth About It