{"id":35960,"date":"2024-04-09T16:17:51","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T14:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/d241ad25-ec78-4588-a188-e3316b014d6f"},"modified":"2024-04-09T16:39:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T14:39:22","slug":"what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"What is catnip and what does catnip do to cats?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is catnip and why does it send cats so crazy? Veterinary surgeon Sarah Elliott explains the herb’s magic <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 09 April 2024 at 14:17 PM<\/p>

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With its\u00a0small flowers and delicate soft green leaves, catnip is a fairly\u00a0unassuming\u00a0garden plant.\u00a0But when it comes to our feline friends, there is something\u00a0pretty special\u00a0about catnip.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Sarah Elliott,\u00a0Central Veterinary Officer<\/a>\u00a0from the charity Cats Protection<\/a>,\u00a0explains why cats go wild for this aromatic herb.<\/p>

Grown at home or dried and used in a toy, cats love the effect of catnip. Credit: Getty<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>What is catnip?\u00a0<\/h2>
Catnip \u2013 or to give it the official name, Nepeta cataria<\/em> \u2013 is a member of the mint family and is sometimes referred to as catmint. Native to Europe,\u00a0Asia\u00a0and Africa,\u00a0it makes for a pretty addition to\u00a0UK gardens where it is enjoyed by\u00a0gardeners and\u00a0wildlife, as well as cats.\u00a0<\/p>
11 poisonous plants to cats: garden plants to avoid if you have cats<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
What does catnip do to cats?<\/h2>
If you\u2019ve ever witnessed it, you\u2019ll know there\u2019s nothing quite like watching a cat enjoy a \u2018catnip frenzy\u2019.\u00a0Just a few sniffs and they may become exceptionally blissed-out\u00a0–\u00a0rolling\u00a0around on the floor excitedly, vigorously rubbing their head\u00a0and even drooling.<\/p>
The phenomenon was first discovered in the 1700s, but it\u2019s only recently that scientists have been able to explain why cats react so excitedly to this humble herb.\u00a0<\/p>
Why do cats go crazy for catnip?<\/h2>
Catnip contains a chemical compound called nepetalactone,\u00a0which enters a cat\u2019s nasal tissue when\u00a0sniffed.\u00a0This then\u00a0binds\u00a0to protein receptors,\u00a0stimulating\u00a0sensory neurons\u00a0and sending\u00a0a signal to the brain. <\/p>
<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Watch these kittens experiencing the joys of catnip. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>These signals travel to parts of the brain called the amygdala \u2013 which controls emotional response \u2013 and the hypothalamus \u2013 responsible for behavioural responses – and together they create a reaction\u00a0similar to the one caused by cat\u2019s sex pheromones. <\/p><p>The effect lasts around 10 minutes before wearing off and cats tend not to be receptive to catnip again for the next hour or so.\u00a0<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do all cats love catnip?<\/h2><p>No \u2013 in fact, catnip\u00a0has\u00a0no effect at all on some cats. This is because response to catnip is a trait which must be inherited from one or both their parents. It\u2019s estimated that only around 70-80% of cats are susceptible to catnip\u2019s charms.<\/p><p>If you\u2019re not sure, try your cat with a catnip toy, widely available at pet shops. Or if you\u2019re feeling creative, you\u00a0can have great fun making your own by purchasing a bag of dried catnip.\u00a0For a no-sew option, try filling old socks with a couple of tablespoons of catnip and then secure with a knot.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\/homemade-cat-toys-how-to-make-cat-toys\">Homemade cat toys: how to make cat toys that will entertain felines for hours<\/a><\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I grow catnip in my garden?<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/catnip_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-182193\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Nepeta cataria makes a lovely addition to the garden in summer. Credit: Getty<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Yes! Catnip is available\u00a0to buy as young plants\u00a0from garden centres, or you can try growing from seed. It\u2019s also easy to grow from cuttings, so once you\u2019ve\u00a0got one\u00a0plant you can grow more for free. <\/p><p>What\u2019s even better is that catnip is loved by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/insects-invertebrates\/bee-guide-how-to-identify-where-to-spot-and-how-to-attract-bees-to-your-garden\">bees<\/a> and\u00a0other\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/how-to-identify\/key-insect-pollinators-of-summer\">pollinators<\/a>, so you\u2019ll be helping wildlife as well as keeping your cat happy. <\/p><p>Some owners report their cat\u2019s over-enthusiastic response can result in young plants being trampled before they get established. If this happens, try placing an empty, upturned hanging basket over the plant while it\u2019s\u00a0getting started, or grow in pots out of your cat\u2019s reach until they\u2019re large enough to withstand your cat\u2019s attention.\u00a0<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Find out more feline facts<\/h3><p>For more information about cat behaviour, visit\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/cats.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cats Protection<\/a>, and check out our expert guides to a range of questions about cats, including\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\/how-long-do-cats-live\">how long do cats live?<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\/how-to-stop-cats-scratching-furniture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to stop cats scratching furniture<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\/teach-cat-tricks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to teach a cat tricks<\/a>.<\/p><p\/> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is catnip and why does it send cats so crazy? Veterinary surgeon Sarah Elliott explains the herb’s magic <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":35961,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/what-is-catnip-and-what-does-catnip-do-to-cats-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What is catnip and why does it send cats so crazy? Veterinary surgeon Sarah Elliott explains the herb's magic","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/35960"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}