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5 things to know about catnip
MNN ^
| Wed, Feb 02 2011 at 10:05 AM
| Morieka Johnson
Posted on 01/04/2013 11:25:57 AM PST by Slings and Arrows
Everyone has a weakness. For me, its salted caramel ice cream. For my dog, Lulu, its expensive shoes. For most cats, its catnip. Here are five things every cat lover should know about this mysterious product that drives cats batty.
1. Catnip is an actual plant.
A member of the mint family, Nepeta cataria L. (aka catnip) grows throughout the United States. The plant features small, lavender flowers and jagged, heart-shaped leaves that smell faintly of mint.
2. Its easy to grow.
Cat lovers who possess a green thumb can grow catnip from seed after the last hard frost of the season. As a perennial, this herbaceous flowering plant will return each year with proper care. Keep in mind that catnip requires plenty of room to grow and flourish, much like most felines. Once it grows, you will have the most popular house in the neighborhood at least among the feline population.
3. Most cats love it.
Catnip leaves and flowers can trigger chemicals in a cats brain that lead to bouts of energetic euphoria or laid-back laziness. For that reason, dried catnip and catnip-laced toys make regular appearances on pet store shelves. Mary Ellen Burgoon of
Park Pet Supply in Atlanta advises cat owners to sprinkle dried catnip leaves on scratching posts as a training tool. Pinch the leaves first to release essential oils, and a little goes a long way. You also can refresh old toys by placing them in a sealed jar along with a sachet of catnip. Its a great way to jump-start a fat cats exercise regimen.
4. Use with care.
Once cats get a whiff of catnip, its best to leave them alone until theyve lost that loving feeling. Catnip also can cause excessive drooling, so you may want to retrieve those cat toys after use. No one wants to step on a soaking wet cat toy. Burgoon also suggests storing catnip and catnip-laced toys in an airtight container or a cat-proof area.
5. People like catnip, too.
Catnip also can be used for tea. The presence of a chemical called nepetalactone produces sedative-like affects in humans, making catnip a popular home remedy for headaches as well as insomnia. To make
catnip tea, add one teaspoon of dried catnip leaves or three to four teaspoons of fresh catnip leaves to a mug of boiling water and let it steep.
As a pet lover, I get much more enjoyment out of watching cats enjoy catnip. Weird Natures
video of cats catching a whiff of the plant is pretty entertaining. I also like to partake in a bit of digital catnip, courtesy of sites like
LOLCats or
Catbook. My feline-loving friends also may want to bookmark Animal Planets
Secret Society of Cat People site, although its not so secret anymore. Enjoy!
TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: catnip; kittyping
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To: Slings and Arrows
Prime Rib has a very similar effect on me.
2
posted on
01/04/2013 11:31:50 AM PST
by
Gay State Conservative
(When Robbing Peter To Pay Paul,One Can Always Count On Paul's Cooperation)
To: Slings and Arrows
Very interesting and I don’t have a cat.
3
posted on
01/04/2013 11:33:29 AM PST
by
onyx
(FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY! DONATE MONTHLY! IF YOU WANT ON SARAH PALIN''S PING LIST, LET ME KNOW)
To: Slings and Arrows
Also the Japanese band Shonen Knife had a song which described it as "a kittycat drug"
To: Slings and Arrows; Glenn; republicangel; Beaker; BADROTOFINGER; etabeta; asgardshill; devane617; ...
5
posted on
01/04/2013 11:39:30 AM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: Slings and Arrows; Glenn; republicangel; Beaker; BADROTOFINGER; etabeta; asgardshill; devane617; ...
6
posted on
01/04/2013 11:40:20 AM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: Slings and Arrows; Glenn; republicangel; Beaker; BADROTOFINGER; etabeta; asgardshill; devane617; ...
7
posted on
01/04/2013 11:41:28 AM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: raccoonradio
“Kitty crack” is one of its many nicknames.
8
posted on
01/04/2013 11:42:29 AM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: raccoonradio
P.S. I heard Shonen Knife’s version of “Daydream Believer.” So wrong, yet so irresistible...
9
posted on
01/04/2013 11:44:11 AM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: Slings and Arrows
Cats also go ‘whack’ for Greenies and freeze-dried chicken...
10
posted on
01/04/2013 11:45:00 AM PST
by
who knows what evil?
(G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
To: onyx
"...and it's adic, adic, adic, habit formin"
11
posted on
01/04/2013 11:50:33 AM PST
by
Doogle
(USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
To: Slings and Arrows
Both of my girls love catnip. Mao actually begs for it. Hu likes it, but she goes completely nuts over,
FRESH CELERY LEAVES!
I don’t understand it!
To: Doogle
...when I had my guy he used to get “bud muscles”...got very aggressive
13
posted on
01/04/2013 11:56:10 AM PST
by
Doogle
(USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
To: who knows what evil?
Didn’t know about the Greenies.
14
posted on
01/04/2013 11:56:52 AM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: Slings and Arrows
15
posted on
01/04/2013 11:58:39 AM PST
by
ZirconEncrustedTweezers
(Some cultures are destined to remain stupid and we need to quit trying to uplift them.)
To: Slings and Arrows
Funny thing about catnip around our house. Shelly seems immune to the stuff, but our orange male Miles goes crazy over it (it doesn't help that he's half crazy already).
16
posted on
01/04/2013 11:59:48 AM PST
by
fidelis
(Zonie and USAF Cold Warrior)
To: Slings and Arrows
The presence of a chemical called nepetalactone produces sedative-like affects in humans, making catnip a popular home remedy for headaches as well as insomnia.Does anyone here have personal experience with using catnip for insomnia? Seriously.
17
posted on
01/04/2013 12:01:47 PM PST
by
Lizavetta
(You get what you tolerate)
To: Slings and Arrows
If you need to know where your cats are at a given moment, just shake the bag. They will come from near and far...one of mine has learned to open the cupboard door to get at them.
18
posted on
01/04/2013 12:02:40 PM PST
by
who knows what evil?
(G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers
Kitteh is feelin’ fiiiiiiiine.
19
posted on
01/04/2013 12:05:13 PM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: Gay State Conservative
Prime Rib has a very similar effect on me. I have the family over on Christmas to enjoy same. I swear it looks like a pack of wild dogs.
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