A little bit of knowledge about catnip

What is catnip?
Catnip is a perennial herb plant from the mint family “labiatae”.
It was originally grown in the Mediterranean but is now native in North America and Canada.

How does it work?
The active ingredient that causes a reaction in catnip is called Nepetalactone. The cat responds to this chemical through the vomeronasal organ (A sense organ) causing the effects documented below.

What effect will it have on my cat?
The response to catnip depends on the cat itself. Some cats are very relaxed after exposure to cat nip. They start with rubbing their face over the area catnip is distributed and then usually roll over on their back while licking and rubbing.
Other cats can have a more dramatic response to catnip. After exposure they tend to start rolling and rubbing which is then followed by running and jumping
A small percentage of cats do not respond to catnip at all. Kittens under three months and senior cats tend not to have any sort of response to cat nip,
On average 10% of the cat population will not respond to cat nip at all regardless of their age. It’s all down to genetics!!

How long will the affects last?
On average the affects last between 5 to 15 minutes.

Can catnip harm my cat?

Catnip is a natural plant that is non toxic. However please be advised that giving your cat large quantities of catnip can sometimes cause vomiting or diarrhea so keep a watchful eye on your children if they have the catnip bag!!
It is very rare that cats become ill after being exposed to normal amounts of catnip. If they do start to show the above symptoms then lower the amount or withhold altogether.

Could I grow my own catnip?
Yes you could, but bear in mind that Catnip is a perennial plant that will grow back every year.
It also has a nasty habit of spreading like weeds and taking over your garden so we would advise buying it!
There are lots of different types of catnip available so make sure you research into the type of plant you want before going out and buying one.