Caring For Your Cat

Is Catnip Bad For Your Cat And Why was written by Elise Rogers

 Most people are familiar with the affinity cats have for catnip.
After viewing your cat’s reaction to catnip, you may become
concerned and ask some common questions in relation to products
composed of this substance. Here are a few facts and answers to
common questions about catnip.

What exactly is catnip? Catnip is an herb from the Lamiaceae
family group, and it is known as Nepeta cataria in scientific
terms. It originated in the Mediterranean area, but is now
commonly found in England, North America and Canada, though it
can be grown almost anywhere. Most of these plants are
herbaceous perennials, but some grow annually as well.

What does a catnip plant look like? It has a thick and sturdy
stem, with heart shaped green to grayish leaves. The catnip
plant has flowers, and they are usually pink, lilac, blue, or
white in color. The flowers are tube shaped, and are sometimes
flecked with tiny purple dots.

What are the effects of catnip on cats? Some cats react more
dramatically to catnip than others. Common effects of catnip
include running, jumping, excessive meowing or growling,
licking, salivating, sniffing, pupil dilation, and rubbing or
rolling on catnip. Instead, some cats may become sedated,
tranquilized, or tired. Once a cat experiences a reaction to
catnip, they lose interest and cannot be affected by it for at
least an hour, sometimes two after their original exposure.

How does catnip work? The primary active ingredient in catnip is
called Nepetalactone, which stimulates a response from the cat’s
olfactory system. Some people believe that catnip may also be
tied to stimulating a cat’s pheromonic receptor. That is, a
pheromone produces a chemical reaction within a body (or plant)
and produces an effect on behavior. Some common pheromones
include: aggregation, primer, territorial, and sex pheromones.

How does catnip effect kittens and elderly cats? Catnip does not
effects kittens under the age of 3 months, and elderly cats are
generally not effected either. In fact, approximately ten to
thirty percent of the entire cat population does not respond to
the effects of catnip, no matter what their age. The reaction to
catnip is also genetically based. Some cats are “made” to
respond to catnip, while others simply aren’t.

Can catnip be dangerous? Catnip is often inhaled by cats, not
ingested. This means that they cannot “overdose” or consume too
much. If a cat happens to consume catnip, they may vomit, but it
is not harmful or toxic. Most times, when you see a cat nibbling
on catnip, it is not because they want to eat it; they are
simply trying to release the scent of the plant that activates
their senses.

Cats love catnip. It is an herb that triggers their senses that
elicits a playful response. It is not dangerous or toxic to your
cat, as the scent is inhaled and the plant is not usually
consumed. So, catnip toys and scratch posts are fine for your
kitty; let them have a little fun, and enjoy their treat of
catnip!

About the author:
Elise Rogers is an avid pet enthusiast who writes articles for
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Have you ever walked into the toy section for pets and wondered
which toy to buy?  I have on several occasions meandered over to
the pet toy section when I am out shopping only to get totally
confused by the vast array of choices.  There are so many toys of
all different sizes, shapes, and colors to choose from for your cat.
As I stand there looking, which sometimes could be almost an hour,
for a toy for my cats I am just not sure which one I should get.  I do
tend to buy the toys that have more than one in a package as they
often get lost behind or under appliances or furniture. 

I do not buy a lot of the toys from the store, as I have discovered
that my cats do not always like the toys I bring home from the store
and will find their own amusement in something that you would least
expect and that you already have around the house.  My cats are often
attacking shoes that are lying around on the floor and dragging them
from one room to the other by the shoe strings.  Most cats just love to
play with string and my cats all love to play with string. I can get all of
them to sit around in a circle while I bounce the string around from one
to the other.  It is so much fun to watch them trying to get the little piece
of string.  It is also about the only time that I can get all of mine to be in
close proximity to each other without any hissing or growling.  It is amazing
how they interact when they are concentrating on something so intently. 
I also do not let them play with the string when I am not around, it can be
dangerous for them if they were to swallow it. 

I have also found that a cardboard box or paper bag are great tools of
amusement for a cat.  I will often find one of my cats curled up in a box
sleeping.  Cooper also just loves to play in the box, jumping in and out and
scratching inside of it as if he is digging for gold.  He also loves to play in a
paper bag; it will keep him occupied for hours.  It is so much fun to watch
him jump in the sack and peek his head out.  Another homemade toy that
Cooper loves to play with is the empty toilet paper roll.  At first I didn’t
know how the empty rolls were getting all over the house, until we caught
him taking it out of the basket and batting and chasing it all over the floor. 
It was so funny to see him play with that empty roll.  Then he started to
play with the toilet paper that was still full, I am not sure if he wanted to
get to the empty roll or if he just wanted to have toilet paper all over, it
was something else that amused him, although; that did not amuse me as
I had to pick up all that he had unrolled onto the floor. 

The few toys that I have purchased for my cats that they have loved to play
with are the little plastic balls with bells inside.  They love to bat them around
the floor, but they do tend to get under furniture and I have to drag them out
from time to time.  Cuddles really enjoyed playing with a little cloth ball that
was soft enough that she could grab it in her mouth and run around with it, now
that was a cute sight to see.  There are two toys that Cooper gets the most
enjoyment out of that I bought from the store. One is a little stuffed animal that
he will pick up in his mouth and toss it in the air and chase after it.  It is the most
comical thing to see him do.  He also loves playing with a plastic tube with a ball
that rolls inside.  He will lay by it for hours pushing the ball around inside, but
I have to keep that toy up at night as he tends to get a little noisy when he gets
really excited and pushes it across the floor. 

I have also purchased the toys with feathers on the end, but they do not last
very long.  The feathers get all mangled and wet from being chewed on a lot. 
I have even bought some toys that you can hang from a doorknob for your cat
to play with, but they do not pay too much attention to it.  I find that they have
more fun when I take the same toy and just play with them instead of hanging
it on the doorknob for them to play themselves. 

The next time you are standing in the toy section and wondering what to get
your cat, pick out something that you can both play with or something that you
will enjoy watching them being silly.  Some of the best toys are already in your
house waiting for your cat to discover them, and for the adventure to begin. 

Cooper is playing in a paper bag in the video clip below.