OT: cat question

Sounds like my folk's cat - fool thing is a catnip junkie. When it wouldn't eat after an infection, my dad would sprinkle catnip on the wet food and cat would inhale the whole bowl.

Hyper alert, hyper aggressive and ankle attacker during the "high"....

My understanding is that cats respond differently to catnip and it is genetic. Some adore it, will eat it, roll in it, and generally act goofy. Some like it OK. Some are totally indifferent. We have two that go nuts and one who acts like Rhett Butler - doesn't give a ....

I don't think it is ever harmful but I wouldn't let your kitty eat it free choice, just because it might be tough on his digestion. And if it makes him nervous, probably a small amount every few days as a treat is a good idea.

Also, try not to give them the cheap stuff with all the dried stems. They are tough to chew and can actually cut your kitty's mouth. At least that was our experience. Now we look for the stuff that is mostly leaves!

Pat > We have a fairly old rescue kitty. He's not particularly playful - he

Catnip is not harmful, but not all cats react to it. Apparently the smell is pheromone oriented, that's what they like. I grow my own in summer and both Bucket and now Hidiyeh have both loved it. I am busy trying to knit more mice stuffed with catnip for a benefit for a shelter.

As others have said - each cat is different. However, it doesn't seem to harm them. You can check with your vet. If you don't like the idea of him ingesting it, buy a catnip stuffed toy like a mouse.

I used to grow my own, and keep it in the freezer. As soon as I took the bag out of the freezer, the cats would be right there. You often find it growing wild as well.

MargW

What is the usual reaction? And do cats *eat* the catnip, or just

Sue

My partner's cat is an 18 year old GOW, a downright surly puss. Despite her cattitude towards me I grow catnip for her, and periodically we give her it as a treat. She goes absolutely nuts over it, rolling in it, biting it turning cartwheels (almost). The after effects give us one stoned cat for a short while - very useful for grooming the areas that she won't normally let us touch! She usually recovers from the almost catatonic state in about 40 minutes, but has the look of "oh my, I have a headache" for a little while longer.

Joanne in an unbearably hot Perth, Western Australia

We have always called catnip "kitty drugs" so heroin is a good name for it -- LOL! As everyone else has said, it won't hurt your cat. The fact that the old boy gets more active after the catnip might be good for him -- give him a bit of exercise while on his kitty high :-). My experience is the same as everyone else's -- some cats just ignore it and others go off the deep end and still others have been somewhere in-between. I agree with what Pat said -- if you allow the old guy to actually eat the stuff, then get the best you can find. Better yet, grow your own and you will have a constant supply -- it's easy to grow, and your kitty will LOVE you. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

I wasn't aware that cats ate it. I usually scatter it on the carpet, and then watch them play a while. I use barely a teaspoon at a time so it just makes them playful until the smell wears off.

Catherine

What a great image. My sister's cat Mork would end a binge by laying spread eagle on the living room floor. About an hour later, he'd slink upstairs and hide under a bed or chair until the next day.

I think this bag qualifies as "good stuff" because 20 y.o. DD came to me and asked, "Did you put the catnip in the same cabinet as tea?" She continued, "Either it's that bag of catnip, or else I've come across your hidden stash." LOL!

Sue

LOL! Reminds me of a time, long, long ago, when I lived on a sort of commune outside Armidale. Two of the guys were pretty severe pot-heads and kept their hash in an old tobacco tin in the kitchen cupboard. When Russell's new girlfriend, Chessie, came to stay, she made lovely curried cheese muffins on the first night. Except, she hadn't realised the 'curry powder' was actually Best Hash!

I planted some last year in the garden and I think it lasted about half an hour. My old guy had pulled it out and rolled around on the ground with it until it was pulverized to a pulp. I'd naively thought he would just delicately nibble on it. Oh well. Dora

And just to show another example of the differences between cats, I grow catnip on my balcony. Percy has complete access to it, and totally ignores it. No teeth marks in the leaves, no crunching, nothing. My other plants, however are all fair game so far as he is concerned. *BUT*, as soon as I break some leaves off the catnip plant, he's all over me trying to get at them. He just can't seem to grasp the fact that it's still the same plant and he could help himself!

Heather

The smell is more pungent when you break the leaf off. Love the name Percy lol