C  a  t  n  i  p

Fact

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a herbaceous member of the mint family that drives cats crazy, the plant features small, lavender flowers and jagged, heart-shaped leaves that smell faintly of mint.

Historically, catnip was used for diarrhea, gas, and stomach cramps. It's said to relieve muscle spasms in the intestinal tract. Drinking catnip tea may soothe the digestive system. Many groups of people have traditionally used catnip tea to relieve infants' colic and help babies to sleep at night.

Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip, catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a species of the genus Nepeta in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of China. It is widely naturalized in northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America.

There’s something about the smell of catnip that drives cats crazy. The plant it comes from, Nepeta cataria, is a herbaceous member of the mint family, native to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

   Why    do    cats    like Catnip?

The key chemical in Nepeta cataria is a compound called nepetalactone. It produces its effect through smell alone: the molecule doesn’t have to be ingested or get into the brain to send cats wild. Although some have suggested that cats experience a drug-like euphoria or hallucinations, there is no evidence for this. They do not become addicted or suffer any ill effects from the herb.

    What    does   it   do   to  cats?

Its aroma compels cats to sniff, lick and chew its flowers and leaves, rub their faces and bodies on the plant, shake their heads, roll around and drool. This frenzy of excitement usually lasts around 15 minutes – after that, they seem immune to its effects for around an hour.

But not all kitties respond to catnip: around 70 percent of cats go wild for its scent. Kittens show no interest, and neither do almost a third of adults. This is due to genetics: a dominant gene variant makes cats susceptible to the plant’s allure.

                   Taste 

Catnip tea has a woodsy, almost grassy taste. The longer it sits with lemon in it, the more you'll taste the natural underlying minty, citrusy flavor. Some people prefer this to drinking the tea immediately after cooling.

                  Usage

• Rub catnip into your cat's scratching post to encourage use.
•  Place catnip in toys to promote active play and exercise.
• Sprinkle catnip in a new environment to encourage shy cats to be comfortable and help cat-to-cat introductions go smoothly.

                 Curing

If you've just harvested a few leaves, dry them on a plate in the sun. You may also dry catnip herb in the oven on low heat (200 degrees F. or 93 C.). This takes several hours to get them to appropriate dryness.

It is always wisest to use a small pinch of catnip because, again, a little goes a long way. You don't need to sprinkle any more than a quarter-sized patch of it. There is no such thing as “too much” for catnip toys because your cat does not ingest these products.