Do You Really Know What a Catnip Is?
So john what the hell is catnip? how do I know if its safe? are there other alternatives?
While catnip isn't at all dangerous or harmful for your cat. However, on the rare occasion some cats may start to respond aggressively to catnip - but it's very uncommon.
AS with catnip it is the common name for a perennial herb of the mint family.No one really actually knows for certain what happens in the cat's brain, and as it is known that the chemical nepetalactone contained in catnip is what triggers the response.
with that in mind not all cats react to catnip. The catnip gene is inherited in some cats but they don't seem to be affected by it at all.Little kittens that are under the age of 4-5 months generally do will not have reaction at all.
As for the cats that do react catnip can cause a fun and exciting reaction!
cats will usually rub their bodies on it, roll over it, kick at it, eat it don't worry, this is safe indeed and overall and just go completely nuts over it!
There always a downside to all this fun though. And did you know that cats can actually become immune to catnip if they are constantly be exposed to it.
-39-
Lets go and do this to squeeze the maximum amount of fun and pleasure out of catnip, you should keep the catnip and the catnip toys put away and only bring them back out for 1 day at a time, every 4-5 days or so.
There are others that aren't different kinds of catnip, but there are different parts to a catnip plant, and the good new is that the best parts to get are the leaves or buds, because they're most potent.
Try to avoid catnip stems. They aren't very potent and they can be dangerous to a cat that eats them.
However catnip spray is “OK”, generally but not as good as the actual plant. however, it's very useful and convenient for spraying onto scratching posts, cat trees, and cat beds.
You will find that over time, with all catnip will lose it's potency. So catnip toys need to be replaced or "reshuffled" with new catnip every 6-8 months or so.
This is for maximum potency, to store catnip in a sealed airtight container something like a Tupperware or even a zip lock bag. keeping it in the freezer can also make It so it will last longer.
Right so what alternatives do you have to catnip?
Will honeysuckle is a great alternative to catnip. Does have the effects on cats haven't been as researched, but so far it has been shown to affect more cats than catnip does, however because of the reaction to it isn't inherited like with catnip.
As your cat doesn't necessarily have to have a reaction to catnip in order to like honeysuckle.
There are no studies that have been done before to determine exactly how and why cats react to honeysuckle, but it is known that honeysuckle affects the cat's sense of smell. It gives them extreme pleasure through their olfactory nerves.
How can you start to increase the potency of honeysuckle by getting it wet. However unlike catnip, it never completely loses its potency. simply get it wet and it can be rejuvenated over and over again.
-40-
