Cat Nip?

[lute]

what is cat nip? and how does it affect your cat? how much do you give? etc?

THANKS!

[moosmom]

Catnip (aka "kitty weed") is an herb that gets cats stoned. It's all natural and they love it!! My friend in Michigan grows it in her garden. Mellows them right out.

[lute]

it makes them calm? i always heard it made them crazy.

[moosmom]

Well I know it mellows MY cats out. It could be that every cat's reaction to nip is different.

[RedHedd]

Catnip is part of the mint family of plants and is also sometimes referred to as catmint.

This is what Wikipedia says:

Effects on cats
Catnip and catmints are mainly known for, and named after, the effects they have on cats, particularly domestic cats. Approximately two thirds of cats are susceptible to the effects of catnip, as the phenomenon is hereditary.

Catnip contains nepetalactone, a terpene, that is thought to mimic feline sex pheromones. Cats detect it through their vomeronasal organs. When cats sense the bruised leaves or stems of catnip, they will rub in it, roll over it, paw at it, chew it, lick it, leap about and purr. Some cats will also growl and meow. This reaction only lasts for several minutes before the cat loses interest. It takes up to two hours for the cat to "reset" and then it can come back to the catnip and have the same response as before. Young kittens and older cats are less likely to have a reaction to catnip but big cats, such as tigers, seem to be extremely sensitive to it.

Cat owners do not need to worry about allowing their cats access to catnip because there are, for the most part, no negative side effects to doing so. However, some cats become overly excited when exposed to catnip, so aging cats with heart troubles should be kept away from it.

Other plants that also have this effect on cats include Valerian and plants that contain actinidine or dihydroactinidiolide (Smith, 2005).

At least three species attract cats: Nepeta cataria, N. grandiflora and N. × faassenii, but most other species have not been tested. Of these, both true catnip and Faassen's catnip have a sharp, biting taste, while the taste of giant catmint is bland.

[FuzzyBunnyChainsaw]

I've spent exorbitant amounts of money on catnip sprays, catnip mice, dried catnip herb itself but not one of my cats has ever reacted to it!!
The only thing they seem to like is Kookamunga Catnip treats, but it's probably because it's tuna flavoured.
I guess the problem is that I adopt cats from around my neighbourhood and they're all from the same gene pool that is not pre-disposed to react to catnip. It's a damn pity though, I'd LOVE to see my kitties stoned : P

[Donnaj4962]

My girls enjoy a good "nip party" every few weekends!

Tabitha (17 years old) loves to lick it, and she becomes quite mellow.

Sasha (2 years old) rolls in it, gets mellow, then becomes mean(er) toward her sister! I have to separate them!

Your cats will love it! I bought a jar of it at PetSmart for about $4.00. It is dried!

[Jessika]

Yup I heard it makes them... well... it mimicks a sex phermone and that's what makes them "crazy" hehe

[lute]

i'll definatly have to get some. it'll be ok for me to give it to PiddyBob even though she's pregnant?

[AllAmericanPUP]

my cats arent allowed to have cat nips because it makes them very agressive

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Not all cats react to catnip. My cats all react in a different way!
Maya doesn't care, Inka goes bananas, Zazou plays in it, and Snoopy eats it!!!
This is the dried stuff I am talking about. We have the real thing in our garden, but none of the cats is interested.....