Fresh Catnip Ok For Cats

That s why cats roll and paw the dried herb.

Fresh catnip ok for cats. All if this is fine. A fact that i find incredible is that cats can smell 1 part nepetalactone to a billion parts air. Don t worry catnip is natural completely safe and nonaddictive fun for cats. However if they eat a lot of the fresh or dried catnip leaves they can get an upset tummy along with vomiting or diarrhea.

For most cats it gets no better than a few minutes with some fresh catnip or a favorite catnip infused toy. Native to europe catnip nepeta cataria is extremely hardy and useful. In fact catnip can even be safely ingested by humans especially when the dried leaves are made into a tea. Catnip contains essential oils that act as stimulants to cats.

No kitty that s a bad kitty cats love the smell of catnip but is it ok for them to eat it. Specifically the terpenoid nepetalactone is produced in the oil glands on the underside of the foliage and on the stems. However i have certainly seen many cats enjoy the leaves from a fresh catnip plant grown from seeds. There s no evidence that catnip is harmful to cats or young kittens.

Some cats salivate and other cats will groom with gusto or groom each other. This oil has also been used as an insect repellent although it isn t effective when applied on the skin. Fresh catnip is supposedly more attractive to cats when it is bruised as in transplanting rather than growing from seeds. Catnip is a herb that s a cousin to mint basil and oregano herbs we humans regularly use in the kitchen for cooking and seasoning.

Established plants require little water or attention and they grow even in poor soil. They have to be near sexual maturity for it to have effects. Also 10 percent to 30 percent of the cat population does not respond to catnip at all at any age. Ingestion is not a problem.

Very young under 3 months old and senior cats do not respond as much or at all to catnip. Catnip belongs to the mint family and if you crush the fresh leaves you can smell the scent. Bruising the leaves helps the volatile oil disperse into the air so your cat can get a good sniff. Catnip is fun for most cats and the response is nearly the same for all.

This is due to genetics as reactions to catnip are hereditary. Many people remember a south park episode where cartman s kitty throws a wild party and the catnip is treated like cocaine by all the hard partying cats. First they sniff it then they might lick it and finally they might start rolling around in it. Catnip is a plant related to mint and contains an essential oil called nepetalactone that is known to cause euphoric almost hallucinogenic feelings in cats.

Cats are good at self regulating so typically won t overdo it if they get hold of a catnip plant or unexpectedly get into a bag of catnip. Yes catnip is safe for cats to eat. In fact it s the scent that intoxicates cats when they smell it.