| Paw Colors | Points |
|---|---|
| Grey | 0-49 |
| Red | 50-149 |
| Orange | 150-299 |
| Green | 300-599 |
| Magenta | 600-1499 |
| Purple | 1500-4999 |
| Blue | 5000-9999 |
| Brown | 10000-24999 |
| Black | 25000+ |
How good is Catnip for a cat? And why?
Keywords: catnip
Answers to this question
10 Answers
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From: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question303.htm/printable
How does catnip work?
“Catnip” is the common name for a perennial herb of the mint family. It is native to Europe and is an import to the United States and other countries. The catnip plant is now a widespread weed in North America.
Given to the right cat, catnip can cause an amazing reaction! The cat will rub it, roll over it, kick at it, and generally go nuts for several minutes. Then the cat will lose interest and walk away. Two hours later, the cat may come back and have exactly the same response.
Because there really isn’t any scent that causes this sort of reaction in humans, catnip is hard for us to understand. However, it is not an uncommon behavior in animals that rely heavily on their noses. For example, there are many scents that will trigger intense hunting behavior in dogs, and other scents will cause dogs to stop in their tracks and roll all over the scent.
Although no one knows exactly what happens in the cat’s brain, it is known that the chemical nepetalactone in catnip is the thing that triggers the response. Apparently, it somehow kicks off a stereotypical pattern in cats that are sensitive to the chemical. The catnip reaction is inherited, and some cats are totally unaffected by it. Large cats like tigers can be sensitive to it as well.
The reaction to catnip only lasts a few minutes. Then the cat acclimates to it, and it can take an hour or two away from catnip for the cat to “reset.” Then, the same reaction can occur again. Very young kittens and older cats seem less likely to have a reaction to catnip.
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I hardly give my cats catnip.they play just fine without it.i did read that also in cat fancy magazine about the catnip becoming very addictive for cats. to were the cats will not play much because the only time they will play is when they get cat nip.catnip can be very addicting to your cats just like drugs are for people.
Comments to Answer
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Hey warriorcat11.DUH TO YOU!!!!!!! Iam only saying what i read.i know that catnip is a plant and is made by different herbs.so don’t be smart to people on cats .com if you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all.try to be nice it won’t hurt.
Comments to Answer
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I sort of figured Warriorcat11 would be a kid. Yup, he's 11. So that explains his "DUH". Sadly I think they come here because they have nothing better to do with their time and enjoy being disruptive. Too bad. He could learn a thing or two if he'd stop being so annoying. Last I knew marijuana came from a plant or am I "DUH" wrong???? Catnip-plant….Today there are at least 120 distinct chemical substances derived from plants that are considered as important drugs currently in use in one or more countries in the world.
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"DUH" plant=catnip=drug.........Good answer Daisy. I hardly ever give ours catnip. Once in a GREAT while as a treat but we have a couple cats that get very nasty.
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You are correct catsofmany.that is why i said DUH!!!!! to him. i was going to say that marijuana is a plant just like catnip.but i was not sure if it would be safe saying that word on cats.com with kids being on the website.but you are right. and i did read that in cat fancy magazine.i gave you a plus catsofmany.lets hope that warriorcat11 is done giving people minus.maybe he will learn to be nice.
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I sure hope so. If they can't be nice, they don't belong here.
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catnip is not really good for a cat. i have read in cat fancy magazine that cat fancy druggs a cat and the cat becomes a drug addict
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its ok for cats but they should not give it to yuor cat alot or it might get your cat sick
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Catnip is kindof like a treat for some cats. Its not really “good” for a cat.
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the cat does not become a drug addict.sorry but duh, cat nip is not a drug it is a plant and it is not dangerous, my friends cats use it and they are not obsessed with it!!
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