What is it about catnip?

[Roughquest]

Why do cats go mad for this stuff ? My male cat goes absolutely rampant if I sprinkle this on the carpet, I think it makes him feel a bit randy ! ! He foams at the mouth and allsorts ! Its fun to see him wriggling around in it though, it drives him crazy! Its like a drug for him...

[boxtops]

It's a high. Black Spot lies completely on top of my plants (and my neighbour's) and flattens them, and we can't do anything with him for about an hour afterwards. No 1 son eats the flowers, Rover likes to rub his face in it - but Black Spot is hooked, it's cat narcotics.

[Roughquest]

Awww that sounds sooo cute BoxT...I agree with you it is narcotics to them !

[boxtops]

It's not so sweet when the little devil comes reeling indoors covered in bits of twig and dust (he's long haired) and stinking of catmint.... it's not a pleasant smell in a confined place - but he has to come into sleep it off!

[Roughquest]

Ha..bless him...mine is also a long hairy beast....and he looks a bit messy too now, covered in little scraps of this drug ! He is laid flat out now....cant move him....he must be worn out! haha

[boxtops]

Bet if you poke him, he'll bite you - Black Spot would, evil little...cat. When he's not high, he's still bad-tempered, but deigns to live with us as long as we feed him.

[Polly1958]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE3L8-Tojes
Take a look at this!Polly

[wolf63]

I had a sachet of catnip hidden (I thought) from the cats. I came down one morning to find an open drawer and a chewed sachet of the drug.

I interrogated Princess Merlin but she was innocent. I then found Frankie - lying on the floor with it all over his face. He was having an asthma attack - he must have been breathing the stuff in.

It is now a banned substance in this house - Merlin doesn't care but Frankie misses it.

[Roughquest]

That is lovely to watch Polly, thanks for posting that ! They really do get high on it then, weird...and it has this lovely calming affect on them...cosmic...lol

[Polly1958]

Glad you liked it,yes they really do go into a state of euphoria almost don't they?

[boxtops]

Polly that is fabulous, I'll keep that link. I wonder now whether No 1 son had been eating catmint a few weeks back when he came in frothing - I thought he'd been licking his spot-on flea treatment, but I could be wrong. I love that clip - cats out clubbing.

[Polly1958]

Hi boxtops,I came across it a while ago and thought it was very apt!

[rowanwitch]

I'm the local catnip dealer they come and queue up for me to put some dried catnip on the decking for them,,, seriously happy cats have had half the street's mogs waiting for a fix

[Roughquest]

Do you have CCTV cameras fixed above your front door Rowanwitch ? lol....are you cultivating catnip triffids in your loft ??????

[rowanwitch]

At least its legal....have tried to grow it but unless I cage the plants they get grazed to the ground.... have you noticed you cats get the munchies after about an hour...

[Greedyfly]

I was told by my vet at the time that cat nip wasn't actually good for cats and could very well have caused my kitties death (brain tumor)

I don't give it to my cats now just in case. But cats do love it!