Catnip – Everything You Need to Know About Catnip!

Greek   Catnip (Nepeta parnassica)
White, pale pink flowers, grows up to 18 inches.

Lemon   Catnip (Nepeta cataria citriodora)
White flowers, spotted with purple, grows up to 3 feet. The leaves have a   lemony scent.

Catmint   (Nepeta mussinii)
Purple flowers. This plant has smallish, grey/green leaves. It   grows up to 15 inches high.

The   name Nepeta is believed to have come from the town of Nepete in   Italy. Cataria is thought to have come from the Latin word for cat.

Catnip   is also known by the following names:   Cataria,  Catmint,   Catnep, Catrup, Cat’s Heal All,  Cat’s-play, Cat’s Wort, Catswort,   Catwort, Chi Hsueh Tsao, Field Balm, Garden Nep, Herba Cataria, Herba Catti,   Nebada, Nep.

The   active ingredient which causes this is an essential oil called nepetalactone,   which can be found in the leaves & stem of the plant. Other constituents   include Acetic Acid,  Alpha & beta-nepetalactone, Citral,    Nepetalactone,  Geraniol, Dipentene, Citronellol, Nerol, Butyric Acid,   Valeric Acid and Tannins.

When   a cat encounters catnip, it usually sniffs it, rubs against it, licks it   & finally eats it. It’s actually the sniffing that gets produces the   high, it’s believed that cats eat catnip to bruise the catnip & therefore   release more of the nepetalactone. The high produced will usually last   between five & ten minutes.

When   sniffed, catnip will stimulate a cat, however when eaten it will act as a   sedative.

Around   50% of cats are affected by catnip, and those who are, are affected to   differing degrees. Kittens younger than 8 weeks old aren’t  able to   enjoy it’s effects. In fact, they show an aversion to it.  The response   to catnip appears to be inherited as an autosomal gene. It’s not just   domesticated cats who enjoy the effects of catnip, many lot of wild species   also enjoy it.  Cats can smell 1 part in a billion  in the air.   Males & females, entire or desexed, there appears to be no one group who   is more readily affected by catnip than another.

Nepetalactone causes a hallucinogenic effect. Some say the   effects are similar to LSD, others say similar to marijuana. Because cats   roll on the floor, which mimics a female in estrus, it has been suggested   that catnip acts as an aphrodisiac, but this is unlikely as males react in   just the same way. What is likely is the cat is reacting to similar   “feel good” pheromones released during  sexual   courtship/activity. However, non sexual behaviour including playing, chasing   & hunting can also be observed.  The response to catnip is via the   olfactory system. Even cats who can’t smell will can still respond to catnip.

The   effects of catnip seem to change from cat to cat. I have one cat who drools   & rolls on the floor, I have another one who becomes very hyperactive, a   third becomes aggressive, and picks fights with the other cats when he’s had   catnip.

Catnip is not harmful to your cat. They won’t overdose on   it.  Most cats know when they’ve had enough & will refuse any   further offers.

Interestingly,   researchers say that nepetalactone is about ten times more effective at   repelling mosquitos than DEET, which is the active ingredient in most insect   repellents. It was also discovered that catnip repels cockroaches   too!* Plants aren’t alone in containing nepetalactone, some insects   & ants also contain it. It’s been speculated that this protects them from   insects.

Rats   & mice are also believed to have a strong dislike of catnip & will   avoid places where it grows.

If   you set it, the cats will eat it. If you sow it, the cats don’t know it.
Philip Miller, The Gardener’s Dictionary

This   saying came about because fresh catnip is supposedly more attractive to cats   when it is bruised & transplanting catnip bruises the leaves. I   don’t know how much truth there is to that, certainly my cats will have a   nibble on the catnip I keep in their enclosure, which hasn’t been bruised.

Catnip   is usually fairly easy to grow, you should be able to  purchase the   plant from your local garden centre. It likes light sandy soil, and grows   best in full sun.

Most   pet shops either sell catnip toys, or tried catnip. When storing catnip, put   it in an air tight container, in the fridge or freezer.

To   dry fresh catnip, hang upside down in a dry, ventilated area, away from the   sun.

Human   uses:

Catnip   tends to have a sedative effect on humans. It is most often drunk as a tea.

It is   also useful for settling an upset stomach. It has also been used to   treat headaches, scarlet fever, coughing, insomnia & smallpox.

Catnip   can also be used for cuts, studies show it has a natural healing quality.   Crush fresh catnip leaves, damp them & apply to your cut. **

Some   other medicinal uses for catnip are: Anaesthetic, antibiotic, anti rheumatic,   antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, muscular aches and pains,   rheumatism, chills, cold in the joints, haemorrhoids, toothache.

K’Eogh,   in his Irish Herbal (1735) wrote of catnip, “It provokes   urination and menstruation: it expels the stillborn child; it opens   obstructions of the lungs and the womb, and is good for internal bruises and   shortness of breath. Drunk with salt and honey, it expels worms from the body.”   ***

Pregnant   women should avoid catnip.

It   can also be used as an aromatic herb in cooking & salads.

According   to The Herb Garden, “The root when chewed is said to make the most   gentle person fierce and quarrelsome”. In fact, there is a story about   an executioner who would have to chew on the root of catnip so he could bring   himself to do kill.

Valerian   also produces the same reaction in cats. As do plants which contain the   chemical Actinidine.

Bibliography

* Science   Daily

**     277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You to Know by Paulette Cooper & Paul Noble.

*** Herbal   Advisor