How do cats tend to respond to catnip? Like it’s playful kittenhood all over again. They rub their faces in it, roll their bodies all over it, lick it, and eat it. They appear a little drunk.
Catnip (Nepeta cateria) leaves and blossoms contain the chemical nepetalactone which targets the cat’s pleasure center in the brain. Catmint (Nepeta faassenii) which has small silver-green leaves, blue flowers, and spreads rapidly in the garden also contains nepetalactone. Some cats like one more than the other.
Whatever you give your cats, be sure to get containers of the dried leaves and blossoms (no stems) so that you can keep it fresh and potent. To release the chemical rub the leaves and blossoms between your hand then give it to them. Also catnip toys, which are exposed to the air and sometimes get dunked in water dishes, lose their chemical attraction very quickly.
The great thing about catnip, or catmint, is that that it is non-addictive, harmless if eaten, lasts up to 15 minutes, and can easily and quickly de-stress your cat. It can also get a couch potato off its butt, moving around, active, and having fun.
But you don’t want to expose your cats to catnip with great frequency. Once a week is about right. You want them to really enjoy it each time they encounter it. Anything chemically-stimulating that is available to them all the time will lose its fun and effectiveness.
Be sure to consider your individual cat’s personality when giving catnip. Some cats who have a tendency to be aggressive may become uninhibited on catnip and show even more aggression. For these special cases it is safer to separate them from the others before letting them have their catnip high.
Keep in mind that not all cats are interested in or respond to catnip. They are quite normal but do not have brain receptors, or activated brain receptors, for the chemical. Several of my cats look at the others in their nepeta-induced ecstasy and seemingly shake their heads at the outlandish behavior and total lack of kitty dignity.
With a little awareness, you can ensure your cats individually and collectively can enjoy the pleasure of catnip as a special treat and share that fun with you.