Fresh Catnip Ok For Cats

They have to be near sexual maturity for it to have effects.

Fresh catnip ok for cats. Catnip is a herb that s a cousin to mint basil and oregano herbs we humans regularly use in the kitchen for cooking and seasoning. However if they eat a lot of the fresh or dried catnip leaves they can get an upset tummy along with vomiting or diarrhea. This oil has also been used as an insect repellent although it isn t effective when applied on the skin. Don t worry catnip is natural completely safe and nonaddictive fun for cats.

There s no evidence that catnip is harmful to cats or young kittens. Catnip is fun for most cats and the response is nearly the same for all. Catnip is a plant related to mint and contains an essential oil called nepetalactone that is known to cause euphoric almost hallucinogenic feelings in cats. This is due to genetics as reactions to catnip are hereditary.

All if this is fine. Fresh catnip is supposedly more attractive to cats when it is bruised as in transplanting rather than growing from seeds. Many people remember a south park episode where cartman s kitty throws a wild party and the catnip is treated like cocaine by all the hard partying cats. However i have certainly seen many cats enjoy the leaves from a fresh catnip plant grown from seeds.

Catnip is an edible herbaceous plant and i like to add its more tender young leaves to fresh salads. Yes catnip is safe for cats to eat. Catnip contains essential oils that act as stimulants to cats. That s why cats roll and paw the dried herb.

Bruising the leaves helps the volatile oil disperse into the air so your cat can get a good sniff. For most cats it gets no better than a few minutes with some fresh catnip or a favorite catnip infused toy. No kitty that s a bad kitty cats love the smell of catnip but is it ok for them to eat it. Very young under 3 months old and senior cats do not respond as much or at all to catnip.

Native to europe catnip nepeta cataria is extremely hardy and useful. Catnip belongs to the mint family and if you crush the fresh leaves you can smell the scent. Lots of cat toys are stuffed with catnip. In fact catnip can even be safely ingested by humans especially when the dried leaves are made into a tea.

Some cats salivate and other cats will groom with gusto or groom each other. Catnip gets its name from the way cats react to it. In fact it s the scent that intoxicates cats when they smell it. Ingestion is not a problem.

Cats are good at self regulating so typically won t overdo it if they get hold of a catnip plant or unexpectedly get into a bag of catnip. Established plants require little water or attention and they grow even in poor soil. First they sniff it then they might lick it and finally they might start rolling around in it.