What Does Catnip Do To Kittens

The active ingredient in catnip is called nepetalactone.

What does catnip do to kittens. This special pathway allows scents that are collected in the nose and mouth to be carried to the brain. It is this naturally occurring chemical that kittens and cats react to by becoming more active purring and rolling or even licking and drooling some may eat the catnip as well. The herb s influence is genetic so not all cats respond to it according to the humane society of the united states. When cats get a whiff of catnip they.

Although catnip is totally harmless and safe around kittens both to smell and to eat it isn t necessarily effective. A very young kitty s response to catnip all over the floor by him will probably be indifference and that s totally normal. Cats have an extra scent organ called the vomeronasal gland in the roof of their mouth. Catnip is a perennial herb which means it grows through more than one growing season and it contains an ingredient called nepetalactone.

So all that will really happen if your kitty decides to break into the secret catnip stash. What does catnip do to cats. So what does catnip do to cats. According towikipedia nepetalactone is an organic compound first isolated from the plant catnip nepeta cataria which acts as a cat attractant this compound is the secret ingredient that will get your cat higher than a kite.

I promise your cat is going to enjoy playing with catnip very much. Nepetalactone is the oil that s found within the catnip plant s leaves that can cause behavioral changes in cats. However with that said not all cats will respond to catnip. It is found in the volatile oil of catnip a member of the mint family.

But you won t know if your kitten is one of them until sometime between ages 3 and 6 months. When catnip is sniffed it acts as a stimulant for cats causing them to display signs of being high including hyperactivity rolling around flipping over and at times even being aggressive. As mentioned in the introduction catnip is safe for cats across the board regardless of age or development. Therefore catnip is safe for kittens.

Catnip s allure is in its volatile oil specifically one chemical in that oil nepetalactone. Cats are receptive to a volatile oil an oil that evaporates in the air found in the stems and leaves of the catnip herb. In fact cats know when they have had enough and will actively refuse catnip when offered. The response it elicits is considered psychosexual in both males and females.

Catnip is natural you can buy seeds to grow it yourself on your kitchen windowsill or in your backyard. If a kitten is going to be a catnip lover you usually can tell that when he is 3 to 6 months old.