Fresh Catnip Ok For Cats

For most cats it gets no better than a few minutes with some fresh catnip or a favorite catnip infused toy.

Fresh catnip ok for cats. No kitty that s a bad kitty cats love the smell of catnip but is it ok for them to eat it. Catnip contains essential oils that act as stimulants to cats. However if they eat a lot of the fresh or dried catnip leaves they can get an upset tummy along with vomiting or diarrhea. A fact that i find incredible is that cats can smell 1 part nepetalactone to a billion parts air.

Very young under 3 months old and senior cats do not respond as much or at all to catnip. Catnip is a herb that s a cousin to mint basil and oregano herbs we humans regularly use in the kitchen for cooking and seasoning. Catnip is an edible herbaceous plant and i like to add its more tender young leaves to fresh salads. This oil has also been used as an insect repellent although it isn t effective when applied on the skin.

Lots of cat toys are stuffed with catnip. Ingestion is not a problem. Cats are good at self regulating so typically won t overdo it if they get hold of a catnip plant or unexpectedly get into a bag of catnip. Yes catnip is safe for cats to eat.

Native to europe catnip nepeta cataria is extremely hardy and useful. In fact catnip can even be safely ingested by humans especially when the dried leaves are made into a tea. However i have certainly seen many cats enjoy the leaves from a fresh catnip plant grown from seeds. Catnip is a plant related to mint and contains an essential oil called nepetalactone that is known to cause euphoric almost hallucinogenic feelings in cats.

Many people remember a south park episode where cartman s kitty throws a wild party and the catnip is treated like cocaine by all the hard partying cats. This is due to genetics as reactions to catnip are hereditary. Also 10 percent to 30 percent of the cat population does not respond to catnip at all at any age. Established plants require little water or attention and they grow even in poor soil.

All if this is fine. Fresh catnip is supposedly more attractive to cats when it is bruised as in transplanting rather than growing from seeds. There s no evidence that catnip is harmful to cats or young kittens. Catnip belongs to the mint family and if you crush the fresh leaves you can smell the scent.

Some cats salivate and other cats will groom with gusto or groom each other. That s why cats roll and paw the dried herb. They have to be near sexual maturity for it to have effects. Specifically the terpenoid nepetalactone is produced in the oil glands on the underside of the foliage and on the stems.

Bruising the leaves helps the volatile oil disperse into the air so your cat can get a good sniff. Don t worry catnip is natural completely safe and nonaddictive fun for cats. Catnip is fun for most cats and the response is nearly the same for all.