Is your cat crazy with its catnip? Cats are really fond with catnip, even some of their toys are filled with catnips. You might start wondering what makes catnip so special for cats and why they are really crazy about it. Catnip is definitely favorable for most cats.

Catnip s a plant coming from mint family that has fragrance. Catnip has scientific name, Nepeta cataria, and it has two other popular names: catmint and catswort. Catnip is originated from Africa, Europe and Asia. Surprisingly, there are over 250 species of catnips around the world until now.

Let’s take a closer look on how catnips look like. Catnips grow up to three feet tall and it has sturdy stem with heart-shaped leaves attached on its stems. The tips of the plant’s stems will sprout white, pink, purple or blue flowers.

After looking at the physical features of catnips, you might want to know the reasons why cats are crazy about catnip. Let’s see the reasons if your cat is crazy about catnip.

Why is My Cat Getting Crazy about Catnip?

Catnip is one of cats’ favorite things. If it is favorable, then there are some reason why. It must give positive effects for the cats. Here are some of the reasons why your cat is crazy about it.

The scent of catnips stimulates cats strongly. There is a study conducted by American Chemical Society that discussed about nepetalactone in catnips binds to the receptor in a cat’s nose, called olfactory receptors and stimulates a euphoric neorogical responses.

Catnips bring emotional response to cats. When cats sniffing or smelling the catnip, then the cats’ brain start to react about it.

It is also said that the Nepetalactone in catnips can triggers a lazy cat into a crazy fur ball. Giving catnip might be one of the ways you should do to make your cat happy.

Cats often react to catnip by doing some hilarious actions, such as flipping, rubbing and also zoning out. They might start to growl and meow at the same time. However, catnip can also trigger some bad behavior, such as excessive aggression or biting. It happens because the smell of the herb reacts differently.

Regarding to reaction to catnip, not all cats are crazy about catnips. Mostly it is because of hereditary. And there’s only around 50% of cats are reactive to catnip.

The longest duration your cat can survive with its catnip is around 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cats tend to lose interest on it. Uniquely, it might reset and susceptible to catnip again after 2 hours.

If this happens, you need to be aware of any overindulgence, do not let them eat the catnip too much as it might bring another effect to your cat. Beside catnip, you can also make these easy DIY cat toys to make for your baby.

You might think that catnip is safe to be consumed in a great amount. It is safe to be consumed, but be mindful of the side effect of catnip when it is eaten. Your cat will turn into a mellow cat rather than a happy cat when it eats the catnip. Overdose on catnip should be avoided to prevent it from getting sick.

Catnip is not only good for your cat, but it might be good for you too. Catnip has several good uses, such as it is used as medicines for being sedative to humans.

Besides, it is also made into tea that has calming properties, just like chamomile tea. Therefore, catnip is also useful for being mosquito repellent. However, don’t expect that it will last for hours, just like the other repellent products.

Tips on Catnip

Though mostly cats are happy with catnips, it is very essential for you to initially introduce it to your cat and see its reactions. Remember not all cats are getting positive impacts from the catnips. If your cat turns into the aggressive or anxious, then avoid this treat.

There are some cautions for the use of catnips for cats. The pregnant cat is not suggested to have this catnip with it, regarding to the effect catnips might give to it, such as aggressive behavior that could cause injuries and unwanted effects that are transferred to the unborn kittens. As owner, please also be aware of these common signs that your cat is pregnant.

There are some tips of keeping catnip at home. You need to keep your catnip fresh as over time, it will lose its potency. Make sure you keep it in the freezer and airtight container to keep its maximum effect.

If you are a cat owner, you can also check popular tips to keep your cat happy playing indoors. You can also check on some fruits and vegetables your pets can eat They are really easy to do. Happy cat, happy owner!