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Whiff of catnip isn't
every cat's cup of tea
April 17, 2008
Love comes in many shapes and forms, and a perfect illustration of
this was a recent donation to our shelter from a cat lover in Oregon
that consisted of a box full of socks stuffed with catnip. It got me
wondering what exactly is catnip and why does it bring such great
pleasure to felines. One of my kittles, Pepper, only has to get a
slight whiff of this magic potion and she's rolling around like a
four-legged Elvis.
Catnip is derived from a perennial herb in the mint family, the
napeta cataria. This weed-like plant's leaves and stem contain a
chemical called nepetalactone. Some view it as a kissing cousin to
cannabis. If that's the case, I guess you could refer to it as legal
weed for felines.
It's believed that nepetalactone acts as a pheromone. It's
interesting that catnip isn't a turn-on for all felines. As it so
happens, catnip is all about a cat's genetic makeup and not their
olfactory sense. About two-thirds of all cats react when exposed to
it, because they are genetically predisposed to do so. To illustrate
this genetic component, in Australia domesticated cats originate
from an extremely small gene pool. This particular gene pool is not
predisposed to having a reaction to the chemical, so as a result,
cats in Australia typically don't respond to catnip.
It's also believed that if your cat's genome originates from a place
where the herb is not indigenous to the region, such as Southeast
Asia, your cat will be in the one-third that does not react to
catnip. Additionally, it's found that very young kitties and senior
cats don't respond. If a kitten is predisposed to the gene, you
won't see a reaction until they are at least 3 months old.
Catnip is not harmful to cats, but it's recommended that you expose
them to it in small doses because too much can lead to vomiting and
diarrhea. If your cat does carry the catnip gene, it's another great
way to bring lots of excitement into their world and enjoy a groovy
time together.
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Gloria Dauphin
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