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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
Brings out the *Kitten attitude* in ours, especially with older toys they have lost interest in.
Sprinkle catnip on the old toys, instant new toys to them.
21
posted on
01/04/2013 12:11:35 PM PST
by
The Cajun
(Sarah Palin, Mark Levin......Nuff said.)
To: who knows what evil?
I gave a friend a bag of catnip once. She put it on top of her refrigerator. The next morning she came into her kitchen and the contents of the bag were all over the kitchen.
It was her first cat. She didn’t know much about them. Obviously.
22
posted on
01/04/2013 12:16:51 PM PST
by
ladyjane
(For the first time in my life I am not proud of my country.)
To: Slings and Arrows
To: Slings and Arrows
We have it growing all over the place here. Of course, right now it's not doing so well. Probably due to the globull warming... ;-)
Looks like this:
24
posted on
01/04/2013 12:33:13 PM PST
by
NoCmpromiz
(John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
To: Slings and Arrows
25
posted on
01/04/2013 12:35:41 PM PST
by
FlJoePa
("Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good")
To: FlJoePa
“It iz all mine. All mine”.
To: Slings and Arrows
We use to have two cats (sisters, actually). One smelled the cat nip and walked off... uninterested as usual. The other one went BONKERS. I mean “eyes went black, running like a crazy person, trying to climb the walls” bonkers. Needless to say, no more cat nip. Maybe that is a small % of cats that react to it like bath salts but it scared the heck out of me!
To: Slings and Arrows
6. It makes a lousy cigar.
To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
I had a cat who loved green olives. She would go crazy over them. My sister’s cat loves to lie on top of “his” catnip plant in the garden.
29
posted on
01/04/2013 1:06:30 PM PST
by
stayathomemom
(Beware of kittens modifying your posts.)
To: raccoonradio
catnip is pot for catsMust watch the cat lest he become a headline on the nightly mews...
30
posted on
01/04/2013 1:08:25 PM PST
by
NoCmpromiz
(John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
To: Slings and Arrows; All
6. It makes a lousy cigar. For teh pipples, dat iz.
To: stayathomemom
I had a Briard that just loved salty green olives too! But they didn’t intoxicate him. Hu goes abdo-lutely bonkers around celery leaves. Gets way mo stoned than on catnip! She’ll even attack me!
To: martin_fierro; Slings and Arrows; Revolting cat!
To: Lizavetta
Catnip is a mint family plant and like mints it has a cooling and mild sedative effect. I wouldn't expect it to have any stronger effect than any other mint or chamomile but it would be good in combination with them. It's safe and good for small children who are feverish when you don't want to use stronger things.
Don't use catnip sold for cats though. A lot of that is cheap crap that is old and full of big stems. Get some at the whole foods store, herb store or best of all grow your own.
34
posted on
01/04/2013 1:16:43 PM PST
by
TigersEye
(Who is John Galt?)
To: a fool in paradise
...and thaaaaaaaat’s why they call it “dope!”
35
posted on
01/04/2013 1:18:17 PM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
To: Lizavetta
It works for me....I use homegrown catnip, usually fresh leaves. Puts me out like a light but it’s kind of hard keeping the kitties out of it.
To: martin_fierro
37
posted on
01/04/2013 1:26:46 PM PST
by
NoCmpromiz
(John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
To: Slings and Arrows
LOL! Catnip always reminds me of my late Rocket, who was a “mean drunk.” He’d get
on the ‘nip mouse, and anyone who tried to take it away from him would get growled at
and swiped at. He never actually hurt anybody, but the other three learned to leave him
alone when he was “in his cups.”
Lucas Prince of Darkness and the girls do not appreciate ‘nip as my Rocket did.
I haven’t bought any Kitty Hooch mice since he passed.
To: FlJoePa
That cat looks just like my Apple!
39
posted on
01/04/2013 2:05:17 PM PST
by
ZirconEncrustedTweezers
(Some cultures are destined to remain stupid and we need to quit trying to uplift them.)
To: TheOldLady
RIP Rocket. You were loved.
40
posted on
01/04/2013 2:10:23 PM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
(You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
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