Catnip
From LoveToKnow Cats
Catnip is for Kitties
Catnip is an herb that some cats go wild over. It's also called catmint and is a member of the mint family. You can grow it in your herb garden for a plentiful supply, but don't be surprised if you find the neighborhood cats enjoying your crop.
What Does It Do?
Catnip has a euphoric effect on some, but not all, cats. The characteristic of being effected by catnip seems to be hereditary, so you may have a cat that is totally indifferent to it.
Kittens don't 'get' catnip, so if you offer your new kitten a catnip mouse and he spurns it, don't be hurt - he's just too young to enjoy it. Some older cats become impervious to the effects as well.
The catnip-loving cat, however, will go wild for a little catnip. If you rub some of the dried herb into the scratching post, he will 'cheek-rub' and lick the post.
For a hilarious spectacle, spread a newspaper on the floor and crumple some of the dried herb onto it. Crumbling the herb in your hands releases the scent into the air and will bring them running. This is especially fun in a multiple cat household. The cats will roll in the mint, lick it off their coats, mush their faces in it and in general act like drunken fools over it. The 'buzz' only lasts for a few minutes and then they become 'saturated' and indifferent to the herb for a while, until their sensors 'reset' and they can enjoy it again.
How Much is Too Much?
Don't worry about your cat's excessive affection for his catnip toys - catnip is completely harmless, both to cats and humans. In fact, it has long been used to make a tea thought to be good for colds and respiratory complaints. It is even safe enough for children. Some people put catmint greens in their salads as a savory.
Buying Guide
You can buy catnip in a variety of forms for your cat, and for yourself. Many manufacturers will stuff some of the herb inside soft toys to make them attractive to cats, and a cat chewing on its mousie is a happy cat indeed. Toys thus treated often have a very short 'play-life', and you may have to keep replacing mousie.
You can buy the dried herb itself and make your own cat toys. If you do this, store the herb not in use in a plastic tub with a tightly fitting lid - a ziplock bag doesn't provide enough protection for the 'nip-hungry cat. Even in a tub, you may have to keep it in the refrigerator to keep cats from trying to bat the container opened.
Stuff the end of an old sock with some catnip and either tie it off with a knot or sew it shut. This can become a kind of comfort-toy for your pet and he may carry it with him from place to place, and sleep with his head on it like a pillow.
If growing your own catmint, harvest the tops of the plant when it is flowering, and tie in bundles to dry hanging head-down. Make sure the bundles are hung well out of reach of your cat, and be warned - some cats will scale any heights to get to it, so make sure there are no handy items of furniture that the cat can use as a launching pad.
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