Why does my cat go crazy with catnip toys

A.� Because of what's inside them. Catnip is the common name of a plant called Nepeta cataria. Catnip is a member of the mint family and is related to the marijuana plant.

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Q.� What's so special about the catnip plant

A.� It contains a chemical, known as a lactone, called nepetalactone, which can have a marked effect on a cat playing with toys stuffed with them.

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Q.� What are lactones

A.� Lactones are a special class of chemicals that can give out scent related signals, they're often found in body fluids like sweat. Research suggests that nepetalactone can set off signals in a cat's brain that imitates pleasurable or exciting events like feeding, sex or hunting.

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Anyone who has seen a cat playing with catnip will certainly agree with these research findings.

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Q.� What sense does nepetalactone appeal to

A.� Researchers aren't completely certain how the brain deals with these signals but it is thought that they're picked up via the cats sense of smell rather than from them sucking or eating the catnip toy.

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Q.� Why doesn't the catnip affect my dog

A.� Unfortunately catnips only seem to provide a source of entertainment for members of the cat family and even then not all cats are affected. Only around half of cats are sensitive to the chemical and it is possibly an inherited characteristic.

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However researchers have found that other animals are adversely affected by the chemical.

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Q.� Which animals and what happens

A.� Rather than sending them into fits of delight cockroaches and mosquitoes are repelled by catnip, so much so that it is hoped that nepetalactone will provide a side effect free pesticide in the near future.

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Got a question about your pet's behaviour Click here to quiz The AnswerBank about it.

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by Lisa Cardy