Catnip Plant Safe For Cats

As with anything your cat is exposed to all things should be in moderation.

Catnip plant safe for cats. Catnip can drive a mountain lion crazy while a munchkin cat shows no interest. Can humans get high on catnip. Absolutely cats really enjoy this safe non addictive herb from the mint family. It is an essential oil found in the stems and the leaves of the nepeta plant.

There are no health benefits beyond the cat seems to enjoy it. This isn t breed specific either. However if they eat a lot of the fresh or dried catnip leaves they can get an upset tummy along with vomiting or diarrhea. Specifically the terpenoid nepetalactone is produced in the oil glands on the underside of the foliage and on the stems.

If a large quantity of fresh catnip is consumed you may see some vomiting or diarrhea but this is rare and self limiting. Catnip will not have an effect on every cat. While it is one of the plants that are non toxic for feline consumption it has no vitamin taurine or protein benefits. For cats that sniff catnip and rub against the plants they ll get more of the stimulating effects rotman said.

People used to use catnip to brew tea to soothe upset stomachs. This chemical is thought to mimic the effects of a cat pheromone and causes a variety of behaviors. Effects only lasts 5 to 15 minutes. Catnip grows to a height of 3 to 4 feet and has featherlike light green foliage and small clusters of lavender flowers that grow on spikes.

Both garden mint and catmint go by a multitude of common names including lamb mint spearmint catnip and more. Catnip doesn t affect people the way it does cats though. It s all in the genes and if your cat lacks the appropriate dna nothing will happen. For example tea made from the leaves and flowers of nepeta cataria is said to relieve coughs.

Catnip contains essential oils that act as stimulants to cats. Garden mint and catmint are listed as toxic plants for cats according to the animal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals aspca. There s no evidence that catnip is harmful to cats or young kittens. In any case for all of the sometimes entertaining behaviors seen catnip is completely nontoxic to cats.

A member of the mint family catnip is also used in food and herbal remedies. The ingredient that causes a reaction in cats is called nepetalactone. This oil has also been used as an insect repellent although it isn t effective when applied on the skin. If the catnip is ingested it causes fatigue and works as a sedative.

If your cat experiences this limit or withhold catnip.