What does catnip really do to cats

Yes No. Share this article. What did you find helpful? What was not helpful? Say more Sign me up for the PetMD Newsletter. Submit Feedback. Still have questions? Continue to Chewy. Connect With a Vet Experienced vets answer all your pet questions via chat or video. I'm talking, of course, about catnip. Catnip is a bizarre phenomenon for a few reasons. It's the only recreational drug we routinely give to animals, and though it basically makes them freak out — rolling on the ground, drooling, and mashing their face into wherever the catnip was sprinkled — it has essentially no effect on us.

Specifically, that plant is Nepeta cataria , a shrub in the mint family. It's native to Europe and Asia but now grows wildly across the Americas as well, along roads and highways.

Matt Lavin. The plant produces a chemical called nepetalactone in microscopic bulbs that coat its leaves, stems, and seedpods. When these fragile bulbs rupture, they release the nepetalactone into the air.

Cats get high off catnip by inhaling the nepetalactone — whether from a live plant, dried plant material, or an oil extract. The chemical binds to receptors inside a cat's nose, which stimulate sensory neurons leading into the brain. This appears to alter activity in several areas of the brain, including the olfactory bulb , the amygdala, and the hypothalamus. This last area, among other things, is involved in regulating the animal's emotions.

Scientists previously hypothesized that the chemical also triggered a reaction in something called the vomeronasal organ — an extra olfactory organ found deep in the nose in many mammals but not humans that's involved in detecting pheromones — but experiments have ruled that out. However, it is hypothesized that nepetalactone might mimic the shape of pheromones when binding to the nasal receptors.

Regardless of the underlying reason, nepetalactone triggers an intense, intoxicated reaction in most cats. Once they're finished reacting, and they just sit there, it's like they're basically just a little bit buzzed. It is released when the plant is crushed, chewed or when your cat rubs up against it.

Nobody quite understands why it causes strange effects in cats, but some scientists believe that the brain interprets them as cat pheromones which causes their behaviour to go haywire.

Aside from this, it acts as a natural mood enhancer, which may explain why cats like catnip so much! The researchers also noticed that both kittens and senior cats are less likely to be affected as well. Catnip can be effectively used to encourage your cat to adopt good behaviour. If your indoor cat needs extra exercise, you can make playtime even more exciting by tucking a bit of catnip in their favourite toys.

Catnip can also be great to encourage your cat to interact with certain toys. If your cat adopts the sedated reaction as opposed to the hyperactive response to the plant you can also use catnip for cats that are anxious about traveling in the car.

Sprinkle catnip in their carrier to help them make it through the journey stress-free. There is no evidence that catnip can be harmful to your dear feline. Experts believe overdosing is unlikely as cats are quite good at limiting their intake.

If they happen to eat a large amount of the herb, they may experience mild tummy upset, but as most cats are attracted to the smell rather than the taste, this is unlikely to happen.

Cats love catnip, but what about us? Are we affected in similar ways? It's possible, but we don't know for sure," Kornreich said. Not all cats respond strongly to catnip. But far more cats may be susceptible to the plant than once thought. But a study published in in the journal Behavioural Processes suggests that some cats may exhibit a less active response to the plant.

Even domestic cats' wild cousins aren't immune to catnip's effects. Hunters have used catnip to trap cougars and mountain lions, hanging dried plants to lure the big cats with their tempting aroma, Simon said. Studies have also shown that lions, leopards and jaguars respond to the compounds found in catnip, though tigers appear to be unaffected, Kornreich said.