Can My Kittens Have Catnip

Kittens get catnip for the first time and some new toys.

Can my kittens have catnip. While most cats do about 15 percent reportedly do not. Since catnip has no nutritional benefits it would serve no purpose as a food additive. Although catnip is totally harmless and safe around kittens both to smell and to eat it isn t necessarily effective. These hard wired preferences aren t immediately apparent though since kittens under the age of 3 months don t react to catnip at all.

Your cat is among the lucky ones by the way since some cats don t react to catnip at all. Kittens can respond to catnip as early as 8 weeks old. The herb s influence is genetic so not all cats respond to it according to the humane society of the united states. This kitten goes crazy after been given catnip and decides everything is interesting.

If he s still young give it some time. But you also must know. He may wind up falling in love with his catnip toys when he gets a little older but don t be discouraged if he never seems to care. One thing that is important to note about using catnip for kittens is that some may attempt to eat it in addition to just sniffing it or playing with it inside of a pet toy.

Eating catnip causes a cat to be more sedate so perhaps it might be a good idea to feed kitty a catnip laced treat before doing something she finds stressful such as taking her on a long trip or a vet or groomer visit. Absolutely catnip is safe for kittens. Not all felines respond to catnip. Try reintroducing the catnip then and you will probably find that your cat will greatly enjoy it.

But of course you won t want to give a kitten too much catnip as over ingesting can lead to vomit and diarrhea and kittens have much smaller bodies and thus lower tolerances in general than full grown cats. The ability to appreciate the herb is genetic with slightly more cats in the fan club than not. If a kitten is going to be a catnip lover you usually can tell that when he is 3 to 6 months old. The positive reaction and desire for catnip is inherited from their mother if mum likes it then kittens will too.

Eating a small amount of catnip is unlikely to cause a cat any harm. All cats in your case. Catnip is generally safe for kittens.