Your cat, your loving and lovable family pet is not usually what you
would call a bundle of energy. In fact she spends a good deal of the
day taking a siesta. When she moves she does so at her own pace and in
her own time.
But should your sedate kitty have a whiff of catnip . . . well, wop bop
a lula blim bam boom! The party is on baby. Suddenly your cat is
rollicking and rolling around, frisky, excited and running about as if
the clock had been turned back and she is a kitten once again.
Then as little as two, but up to fifteen minutes later your cat is back
to her slothful, normal self, the catnip effect completely worn off.
What causes the catnip effect, why do cats react in to it in that way?
First, not all cats do react to catnip. It is estimated that one third
to half of the domestic cat population is unaffected by the herb. The
reaction to catnip is inherited. Kittens that have only one parent that
reacts have a one in two chance of reacting themselves, and kittens
that have parents that both react have a three in four chance. Kittens
under three to four months old do not react to catnip and with older
cats the effect is considerably lessened.
Also, if a cat that would normally have a reaction to catnip is in a
threatening situation, or is outside of its usual surroundings, it may
not respond to the catnip.
Anyway, as to what causes the catnip effect, the experts do know that
nepetalactone, an oil found in catnip causes cats that are sensitive to
it to go ga-ga. What they don't know is why certain cats react that
way.
It's not just the domestic cat that can experience the catnip effect.
Big cats too can react to it lions, leopards, cheetahs and pumas can
get catnip high but interestingly not tigers.
When a cat finds catnip it will usually sniff at it, rub up against it,
lick it and nibble at it. It is the sniffing at it that gets the
reaction, it is thought that cats nibble and rub against the catnip to
bruise it and thereby cause more of the nepetalactone oil to be
released. Strangely, if a cat actually eats the catnip it will likely
act as a sedative as opposed to giving the kitty a high.
So, is catnip dangerous for your kitty? After all, the response that
some felines have to catnip is not unlike the response that some humans
have to stuff that they shouldn't smoke.
Although it said that catnip is bio-chemically related to cannabis cats
will come to no harm by enjoying it and will not become dependent. The
catnip effect very seldom lasts longer than 15 minutes maximum until
the cat loses interest. After this a cat will not react again for a
minimum of one hour.
Not all cats react to the herb in exactly the same way though. The
typical response is an uninhibited friskiness and silliness, but a few
cats, usually male, become aggressive rather than frisky.
Catnip has long been thought safe for humans. It has been prescribed by
herbalists to treat nervousness, stomach complaints, flatulence, and
even smallpox! Its leaves have been chewed to relieve toothache and it
has been drunk as a tea and as a cough remedy.
Catnip is not dangerous for cats rather it is a very effective kitty
treat for some cats, those that are susceptible to it, to enjoy.
Larry Chamberlain lives in London, England, and has had a lifelong fascination with domestic cats. His web site http://www.best-cat-art.com
provides information about all that is best in cat art. Also pages
about cat and kitten care and information on cat breeds and types.
This author of this Article has choosen to make this article available with free reprint rights. Click here to copy this article.
» left by Larry Chamberlain(1,837) (139 days 10 hours ago.)
Hi,
If your cat has been diagnosed as having a thyroid condition you
will find information at the thyroid-info site which should help
you.
I wish you and your cat all the best.
Larry. Respond to this comment
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