Catnip Effects
Well, speaking of catnip effects - Everyone has heard stories about cats leaping into the air or ripping bags to shreds to get at catnip while others could take or leave the precious leaves.
What is this strange effect that catnip has on some cats of making them race around the house and leap tall cat trees in a single bound while other cats seem unmoved by its taste or smell.
It is now time to separate "the clean litter from the dirty" as they say in the cat world about cats and catnip.
According to some, probably those who have seen their cats react like bullets shot out of a gun, catnip is the kitty equivalent of crack, the reality is that catnip is an herb, a relative of the mint family.
In the botanical world catnip goes by Nepeta Cataria Within Catnip's makeup there is a chemical compound called monoterpene nepetalactone that affects some cats very strongly.
Monoterpene nepetalactone's concentration is stronger in the plant's leaves than it is in the stems, roots or seeds.
Lowered inhibitions and possibly mild hallucinations are the typical results of monoterpene nepetalactone on the average cat nervous system.
Cats on catnip have been compared to humans on LSD or marijuana and chemically, catnip does have similar characteristics in its makeup.
Research has shown that each cat will react differently when given catnip.
Some cats will become more sexually aroused, others will go into what is termed a "catnip high" and still others become more aggressive.
So why do some cats not respond to catnip at all? One in three cats do not have the necessary inherited gene required to respond to catnip, according to new studies.
Another important factor in determining reaction to catnip was the cat's age.
Catnip has little to no effect on kittens until they are about 9 to 10 months old.
Catnip has no actual addictive properties, even though cats will respond to it as if it were a drug.
If you're concerned about your kitty becoming an addict, don't be.
Fluffy will never suffer from jonesing for a catnip fix.
The average catnip high lasts about 10 minutes and as catnip's toxicity level is fairly low you should rest assured that allowing your cat to enjoy catnip as a treat is fine, if it doesn't result in over-aggressive behavior
What is this strange effect that catnip has on some cats of making them race around the house and leap tall cat trees in a single bound while other cats seem unmoved by its taste or smell.
It is now time to separate "the clean litter from the dirty" as they say in the cat world about cats and catnip.
According to some, probably those who have seen their cats react like bullets shot out of a gun, catnip is the kitty equivalent of crack, the reality is that catnip is an herb, a relative of the mint family.
In the botanical world catnip goes by Nepeta Cataria Within Catnip's makeup there is a chemical compound called monoterpene nepetalactone that affects some cats very strongly.
Monoterpene nepetalactone's concentration is stronger in the plant's leaves than it is in the stems, roots or seeds.
Lowered inhibitions and possibly mild hallucinations are the typical results of monoterpene nepetalactone on the average cat nervous system.
Cats on catnip have been compared to humans on LSD or marijuana and chemically, catnip does have similar characteristics in its makeup.
Research has shown that each cat will react differently when given catnip.
Some cats will become more sexually aroused, others will go into what is termed a "catnip high" and still others become more aggressive.
So why do some cats not respond to catnip at all? One in three cats do not have the necessary inherited gene required to respond to catnip, according to new studies.
Another important factor in determining reaction to catnip was the cat's age.
Catnip has little to no effect on kittens until they are about 9 to 10 months old.
Catnip has no actual addictive properties, even though cats will respond to it as if it were a drug.
If you're concerned about your kitty becoming an addict, don't be.
Fluffy will never suffer from jonesing for a catnip fix.
The average catnip high lasts about 10 minutes and as catnip's toxicity level is fairly low you should rest assured that allowing your cat to enjoy catnip as a treat is fine, if it doesn't result in over-aggressive behavior
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