I remember the first time I got my hands on some catnip spray, I didn’t know at all what to expect from it. I was a bit worried what it would do to my cat, cause I’ve heard how different and how energetic it can make your cat. However I also knew that my cat would love it, so a few days later I decided to spray some catnip on some of his toys, the result was hilarious he was rolling around the floor with big wide open eyes, fighting imaginary creatures and meowing occasionally. Worth every penny.
But what’s catnip and how does it work?
Catnip, or the more fancy way of saying it, Nepeta Cataria, is a plant. A very special plant for any feline if smelled by the cat or any other species in the feline family, it can make him go completely crazy. Or if consumed will act as a sedative, the complete opposite.
Catnip contains Nepetalactone which attracts cats, it’s not yet sure why exactly but it is thought to be due to it mimicking the feline pheromone thus stimulating the cat.
Sadly it doesn’t work on all cats, in fact only works on two out of tree cats. but when it works it’s worth it, grab your phone and start filming the hilariousness about to ensue, your cat would react immediately to its effect and it would usually last between 5-15 min before it bring your cat back to earth.
The active chemical in Catnip Nepetalactone does not have any effects on humans. So don’t worry, you won’t be rolling around the floors going crazy if you smell it accidentally. Catnip is still a very commonly used ingredient in tea and will still have a sedative effect on humans, so don’t eat too much of it.
Very often, like me, people are concerned about the health of the cat after using catnip. It’s basically drugs for cats… Well not exactly it’s actually mostly safe but for sure doesn’t have any negative, addicting or long lasting effects on your cat, in the worst cases it can cause diarrhea if your cat consumes too much of it but that’s rare and not the end of the world.
So what’s best for my cat?
If you want to get catnip for your cat you can buy two different kinds mainly. Fresh catnip that’s meant for consumption or catnip that’s meant for being sniffed. The fresh one will make your cat restful and the other one will make him restless.
I recommend getting a spray so you’ll avoid having a mess all over the floors afterwards, and also if you buy a bag full of catnip your cat might track it down, one day while you’re at work and when you get home you’ll find catnip all over the house and one crazy looking cat trying to act innocent in the middle.
