Is catnip good for cats? It is one of the many questions cat owners ask. Catnip plants are popular among cat owners with all these trendy videos and memes. All that funny cat videos around make us wonder and ask questions like is catnip good for cats or is catnip bad for cats?
Although plants & flowers could be a nice touch that brings life to your house, sometimes you need to reconsider buying or doing extensive research to avoid any harmful plants for your cats.
In today’s article, we will discuss and answer the question is catnip good for cats and, of course, answer the same question we asked before “is catnip bad for cats” But before we answer the question, we must first know a few information about catnip.
Catnip, History, Statistics, & Unknown Facts
Nepeta cataria, catnip, or catmint, is a perennial plant that originates in Europe and grows almost everywhere. People use catnip mostly in herbal medicine and tea.
The plant was first introduced in the eighteenth century and had a growth period between spring and autumn. The name catnip is due to its oppression by cats. Nepetalactone is a chemical ingredient found in catnip that is responsible for making them go crazy after smelling.
Researches have proved that the cat’s sensibility to catnip is genetic, and most cats start to show their opposition to this plan after three to six months from birth.
Mosquitoes, on the other hand, show opposite react towards Nepetalactone present in catnip. They hate it and tend to fly away and close their noses when they are near it.
Is Catnip Good For Cats? The Answer!
Is catnip good for cats? Catnip is 100% safe and non-addictive for your cat and all other cat breeds. There’s definitely no ingredients or chemicals in catnip plants that can hurt your cat. The only risk of your cat overeating catnip is that they may get an upset stomach. Other than that, there is no reason for you to worry if catnip is terrible for cats.
Is catnip bad for cats? Nope!
In fact, catnip is good for cats and humans with man benefits if taken in moderation. Too much of catnip for cats can cause an upset stomach, which’s considered that only harmful effect on cats.
How Does Catnip Work Its Magic On Cats?
From tigers and lions to our domestic cats, they are exquisitely sensitive to the volatile oil found in the catnip plant’s stems and leaves.
When your cats smell catnip, they show several behaviors typical to “females in the heat”: They may show behaviors such as rolling around, vocalizing and drooling, and/or rubbing their heads and body on the herb.
These behaviors can last for about 10 minutes; after that, your cat will become immune briefly to catnip’s effect for around 30 minutes. Also, the response to catnip is hereditary; about 70% – 80% of cats show this behavior in catnip presence. Besides, strangely catnip doesn’t affect young kittens until they are approximately 6 months old and start to approach sexual maturity.
Nepeta cataria and other “Nepeta species” (Catnip plants) are members of the mint family, and they have different ingredients within such as sterols, volatile oils, tannins, and acids. Catnip plants are native to Asia, Europe, and Africa; they were brought to North America by immigrants. Nowadays, the Catnip plant is widespread in herb gardens and grows extensively as a weed. Also, experts proved that catnip is non-addictive and totally safe to cats.
“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” –Hippolyte Taine
So, how does catnip work its magic on cats? One of the catnip’s volatile oils (Nepetalactone) enters your cat’s nasal tissue, where it is supposed to bind to specific protein receptors that stimulate the sensory neurons. These cells begin to produce a response in the neurons located in the olfactory bulb, which extend to various brain regions, including an area called “the amygdala” and “the hypothalamus.“
Now, the area which is called the amygdala combines the data flow from the olfactory bulb cells and projects to regions directing behavior responses. On the other hand, the hypothalamus controls neuroendocrine responses within the pituitary gland, producing a “sexual response.” That is, the cat typically responds to an artificial cat pheromone.
Also, many herbalists generally recommend catnip in alternative medicine to lessen migraine headaches and relieve cramps, indigestion, gas, insomnia, anorexia, nervousness, or herbal paste to reduce swelling with arthritis and soft tissue injury.
So, Is My Cat Considered “High” Now!
When my friend asked me the question, is catnip good for cats, he thought the answer would be “yes, it makes your cat high.” While catnip a different effect on cats than humans, as we discussed before, “High” isn’t the most appropriate word to use.
Despite the intense feeling for your cat, catnip isn’t as strong as to reach the level of “High,” as you may think. So, long story short, your cat isn’t high. He is just having a good time that memic the sexual response.
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Is Catnip Good For Cats With Benefits?
Due to their attraction to catnip, cats often are ready to do whatever it takes to taste some of that flower, which puts you as an owner is a great advantage and a place of control. You can use catnip to encourage your cat to eat, sleep, play, exercise, do whatever you want in a matter of seconds, and guess what? It works.
Also, the catnip is excellent to let your cat chill out as they got a mild sedative effect, which is also great to relieve stress in cats.
Top 3 Catnip Products For Your Cat
The great thing about catnip is that it comes in various forms and products, which gives you more options and a wider range of budgets. After running several extensive web searches, we’ve come up with what we think are the top 3 catnip products.
A spray is always a great alternative if you don’t like the idea of scattering catnip powder all around the house. Pet Craft Supply Premium Potent Catnip is currently the top-rated spray in the market now. You can spray it all around the house and on the surfaces.
Catnip is the right way for your cat to be calmed. You can take advantage of this by spraying Pet Craft Supply Premium Potent Catnip in your cat’s bed to give it a better sleep at night.
This is another good choice for your cat, as the name suggests, there are no colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives whatsoever. It is 100% natural and freshly grown. It’s considered a non-addictive catnip due to the organic nature, which could be a good choice if you don’t want your cat jumping around the place.
This scratcher comes with a separated bag of catnip, and cats have shown quick drawn towards it once we spray the catnip on top.
If you wonder if catnip is good for cats, you should first try it cat scratchers and then re-ask the question again. Spoiler alert, you won’t, you will get your definite final answer, which is a big “YES!“
My Answer To The Question, Is Catnip Good For Cats?
Catnip is good for cats and a lovely way for you and your cats to have fun and enjoy catnip benefits. You must remember that catnip is not only good for cats but also useful for you. It is lovely to add to your tea, which will improve your body health.
Finally, I hope you found this article useful and informative enough to answer the question, is catnip good for cats?
Let me know your answer down below. Do you have more information about catnip for cats?
Also, If you have any other questions or different opinions about it, leave a comment below.
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