Why Cats Flip For Catnip
- By Andrew Markison
If you've ever watched as a cat
"flipped" over fresh catnip perhaps
you've been struck with the question; "what
causes Catnip to affect cats that way?" Catnip
is indeed an unusual phenomenon among cats, it has
the ability to alter your cat's behavior like
nothing else can. So what exactly is the reason for
what scientists have coined as "the Catnip
effect"?
Unfortunately for such inquisitive minds the exact
reason of why Catnip affects cats in such a manner
remains mostly a mystery. There is however much that
we do know about Catnip and cats even if we
don't have the ultimate answer of exactly
"why?" yet answered.
The Science Stuff
Catnip is scientifically classified as Nepeta cataria
and is a perennial herb from the mint family and is
in fact also referred to as "Catmint". It
is a plant indigenous to Europe but has been exported
and is now found all over including the United States
and Canada.
The active ingredient in Catnip is an oil;
Nepetalactone, which is found in the leaves of the
plant. This is the reason you are able to find Catnip
in a bottle or spray form in some pet stores.
Other Uses For Catnip
Catnip is not only good to stimulate activity in
cats, it can also be used by humans as an herb for a
medicinal tea which may soothe toothaches, help
against coughs, and may also perform as a sleep aid.
Furthermore, Catnip can be used as an herb on salads
or other foods as has been the case for centuries in
France. Lately Catnip has also been garnering favor
as a natural insect repellant rivaling the
effectiveness of many store bought varieties of
repellant.
Catnip and Kitty
Catnip affects approximately half of all cats. What
determines whether or not a cat will react to Catnip
is a genome that is inherited (or not inherited as
the case may be) at birth. Kittens, regardless of
whether or not they carry this genome, do not react
to Catnip until reaching about 3 or 4 months of age
and becoming sexually mature. Older cats are also
more likely to have a diminished or non-existing
reaction to Catnip, which leads scientists to believe
that the Catnip effect is based at least partially on
sexuality and that the reaction may be something like
an aphrodisiac. Further adding to this belief is the
similarity of a sexual pheromone found in the urine
of the male cat to nepetalactone (the active product
in Catnip).
Cats that can be traced to regions where Catnip is
not indigenous appear to be unaffected by Catnip. The
domesticated housecat is not the only cat that may be
affected by Catnip. Larger cats can also be affected
by the Catnip effect, felines such as the bobcat,
lynx, tiger and even lion are known to react much the
same way the common housecat would. It is interesting
to note that while Catnip can act as a stimulant when
a cat sniffs it, it can conversely act as a relaxant
if ingested. Therefore, you may see a different,
nearly opposite result depending on whether your cat
chooses to eat the Catnip you provide for him/her or
merely sniffs it (the latter being the more typical
behavior).
How to Use Catnip With Your Cat
Catnip can prove to be a very useful tool for a few
common problems with your cat. If you are lucky
enough to have a cat that does react favorably to
Catnip then here are a couple of ideas for you and
your furry little friend.
Catnip and Lazy Cats:
Catnip can be used to get a lazy cat off his or her
butt. Some cats are notoriously lazy, choosing to
sleep much of their day away in a nice golden patch
of sunlight on the living room carpet, only waking up
to eat and gather some necessary attention from their
indulgent owners. If this sounds like your cat, you
may soon see (if you haven't already) that your
cat is becoming more and more round. This is
generally not a good thing. Catnip may be able to
help. Presenting catnip to your cat encourages
activity (of course provided the cat sniffs rather
than eats the herb).
Many adult cats will respond to Catnip in a manner
that resembles their childlike kitten hyperactivity,
jumping, playing and running around as if it was
given an injection of kitty adrenaline, which in
essence, is the case. The effect of Catnip on a cat
can last somewhere between two and fifteen minutes.
If the latter is the case, then this is a decent
amount of exercise and will help keep your cat a
little more svelte than without a Catnip treatment.
Furthermore, if you leave the Catnip out for a few
hours then your cat may return to the herb later (an
hour or two after the effect has worn off) and again
react in an energetic fashion. So in this sense you
may consider Catnip sort of like a kitty energy
drink.
Catnip and Cats That Scratch Furniture:
If you have a cat that seems bent on the destruction
of your furniture then Catnip may again be able to
come to the rescue. Cats can be frustratingly picky
about just about anything under the sun including
where they want to sharpen their furniture destroying
claws. It is not uncommon for a cat to damage or
destroy a piece of furniture just because the owners
finally gave up on trying to redirect their cat to
the unused cat scratching post that set them back
anywhere up to a hundred dollars and more. A good way
to attempt to change this frustrating and expensive
behavior is to rub some Catnip or Catnip oil on a
scratching post that you are attempting to get the
cat to use. Introduce your cat to the newly
"Catnipped" scratching post and see how
he/she reacts. If all goes well, your cat will sniff
and inspect the post and then begin clawing at it.
After a few times (you may have to re-Catnip the
post) hopefully kitty will be trained to use the post
rather than the sofa.
Using Catnip with Multiple Cats
If you've never used Catnip before and you have
more than one cat it is advisable to try it out
individually on each cat before introducing it to all
of your cats at the same time. The reason is because
Catnip affects some cats in a negative manner causing
the cat in question to become aggressive rather than
merely playful. Introducing it to your cats
individually enables you to control the situation and
keep a cat that may react aggressively isolated from
your other cats. This of course means avoiding a
possible catfight that could result in broken
furniture, hurt kitties (possibly requiring a vet
visit), annoyed neighbors (and probably owners), or a
combination of all of the above.
Growing and Keeping Catnip
Growing your own Catnip can be rewarding as it can
save you money, give you the satisfaction of doing
something yourself and ensuring that you always get
fresh, high-quality Catnip for your cat. A word of
caution however; the exact kitty reaction you want to
grow your own Catnip is something to be wary of. If
you plan on growing your Catnip out of doors and
other cats can access your Catnip garden then be
prepared for unwelcome feline visitors. This may not
be a problem for you personally, but cats are by
nature territorial and if you have a cat that lives
alone without the company of other cats this could
prove to be an area of stress for your cat. Even if
you keep your cat inside at all times, your cat may
get agitated if he/she looks out the window to see
another cat frolicking in territory your cat
considers his or her own. If you choose to grow your
Catnip indoors, be careful to keep it out of reach of
kitty. Otherwise you'll likely have Fluffy
jumping up on furniture even to the most out of the
way place to get access to the tempting herb. Cats
are great jumpers and not really known for respecting
precious household knick-knacks. So if you do decide
to grow it indoors for a cat that reacts to Catnip,
be careful to grow it in a place that your cat
won't be able to access it. A room that you
always keep closed to the cat is probably the best
solution for indoor grown Catnip.
If you do find that your cat reacts positively to
Catnip you should be sure to use it sparingly so as
not to dull the effect which can be the result of
overexposure. A good rule of thumb is to not treat
your kitty more than once a week on average to
Catnip.
Given all the positive effects that Catnip may have
on your cat you owe it to yourself (and naturally
your fluffy little ball of affection) to see how
he/she reacts to this strange and well known herb. It
will provide enjoyment and exercise for your cat and
most likely an entertaining show for yourself as
well. It's a win win situation.
Andy Markison is an illustrator, graphic designer,
animal lover and pet owner living in Germany. His
website, ZapGraphix.com, sells fun and
humorous pet related merchandise.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Markison
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