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Cats—including leopards, lions, jaguars and bobcats—are the only animal family that goes crazy for this herb. When cats smell catnip, a cluster of behaviors is elicited that can include sniffing, licking and chewing the plant, drooling, head shaking, chin and cheek rubbing, head rolling, body rubbing, vocalizing with purrs and growls, running, and leaping about. This unique response of cats to catnip can be quite dramatic and lasts about 5 to 10 minutes, with some cats only becoming very sedate with exposure. Afterwards, cats will typically be immune/non-responsive to catnip's effects for roughly 30 minutes. Repeated or excessive exposures will dull the response. As much as 30% of cats do not respond at all to catnip. As well, kittens and senior cats do not respond, or do so only mildly. In any case, catnip is considered to be non-addictive and completely harmless to cats. Even if a large quantity is ingested, at most a self-limiting gastrointestinal upset would result. The psychoactive ingredient in catnip, nepetalactone, is one of several volatile oils contained in the plant leaves, whether fresh or dried. Due to random fate, or the wit of the universe, the vapor of this aromatic oil is able to bind to specific receptors in the feline nasal olfactory tissue. The receptor sites are actually sites where feline pheromones would bind, and thru a cascade of neuronal and then endocrine activations create the behavior response familiar as that of female cats in season/heat. It is noted that catnip does not affect kittens until they have begun development towards sexual maturity. This is all to say that catnip's active ingredient essentially appears to mimic or act as an artificial feline pheromone that triggers or elicits a cluster of behaviors in the 70-80% of cats that are susceptible. A perennial, catnip is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. First brought by settlers to North America, this plant is now naturalized throughout the country. The plant is popular in herb gardens, yet also grows in the wild as a weed. Fortunately or not, humans do not react to catnip with the feline "high." Still, humans do have a history of catnip use! It has been used as flavoring in sauces, soups, and stews, in several patented beverages, and in fruit table wines and liquors. The use of catnip leaves and flowers in herbal teas is mentioned at least as early as 1735 in The General Irish Herbal. Medicinally, the plant has been used to cause sweating, induce menstruation, increase appetite, and as a sedative. It has been used to treat intestinal cramps, indigestion, diarrhea, colic, the common cold, and cancer. An herbal paste made of catnip has been used externally to reduce swelling associated with arthritis and soft tissue trauma. And—no surprise— during the 1960s catnip was reportedly smoked for its supposed euphoric effects; likely the main symptom there was cats laughing at us.
Woods Rafter Cat image on banner by Malcolm Riordan.
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