Many cat owners often ask themselves which is the best catnip available. They only want what is best for their cat. While not all cats respond to catnip, about two thirds of them love and respond to it.
What is Catnip?
Catnip is a plant that grows wild in Europe and North America. It is indigenous to Europe and was first introduced to North America in the late 18th century. It is a member of the mint family.
The essential oil contained in catnip is nepetalctone which can cause hallucinogenic effects when ingested. Nepetalctone is also said to resemble a chemical found in the female cat’s urine. This would explain why male cats are often more attracted to catnip than female cats are. It is a bit of mystery about the effect the plant has on a cat. Their reactions have been compared to a human who likes to smoke illicit materials. It is more potent when dried and a cat should not be given more than one teaspoonful a week.
Catnip can also be used by humans; it can be made into a tea or can be smoked.
What is the Best Catnip?
As with most things, natural and organic products are always superior to over-processed and partly artificial products. It is the same with catnip; the more superior products are made from natural ingredients.
One way to know if a cat is getting the best catnip is for the cat owner to grow their own. Seeds should be planted in an area in the garden that gets approximately 8 hours of sunlight a day. The plant may attract neighborhood cats but it is less attractive in its natural state. Once the plant reaches 6 inches tall it can be harvested. The catnip is dried by hanging the branches upside down in a sunless area. It then should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place such as the refrigerator.
Beware of Cheap Imitations
There are many commercial catnip products available and some of them are of excellent quality containing natural ingredients. However, some unscrupulous manufacturers try to sell mint and say it is catnip. Others throw everything into the catnip including bits of stem that are inedible. As with anything, reading the ingredients will help. But, legally, ingredients do not need to be listed for items fed to a pet.
Other Ways to Give a Cat Catnip
Many cat toys are now infused with catnip. Cheaper cat toys lose their effectiveness quite rapidly and the cat might lose interest within a day and ignore the toy completely. It’s best to try and find a cat toy with organic cat nip. It’s also best to find one that has a pouch that can be opened and refilled. Even the best catnip will lose its effectiveness over a period of time.
Catnip infused cat toys are numerous and can be found almost anywhere from supermarkets, pet stores, veterinary offices, and even online.
It’s All up to the Cat
Whichever method of introducing a cat to catnip that works best is all up to the individual cat, they are not influenced in the same way. A cat might ignore catnip when given a handful to eat, but will cuddle up to a toy containing it. Or he might ignore the toy and only want to roll in loose catnip.
It can be quite entertaining to see a cat reacting to catnip by rolling on the floor or drooling. While it relaxes most cats, some get very hyper. There are no negative health effects of catnip as long as the cat is not given it too often. As stated above, one teaspoonful a week is plenty.
Source:
Groworganic.com. How to Grow Catnip (Accessed April 22, 2010)
Susan Keeping - Susan has been writing online for over 10 years and is currently developing a website for women.
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