Why do cats go crazy for catnip?
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) (Image Source: https://michiganflora.net/image.aspx?img=12328&id=1576)
Most cat-owners know that kitties go a bit bonkers over catnip. But what is it about this plant that makes our favorite felines lose their little minds? As a gardener and a cat-enthusiast, I too was curious about catnip so I went in search for some answers about this botanical intoxicant. Catnip is actually part of the mint family and belongs to the genus Nepata (which contains ~250 species). Common catnip (N. cataria) is a perennial mint native to Europe and Asia but is now naturalized in the US where it grows unfettered by disease and insect pressure. This plant, as most weed-like mints, is incredibly easy to grow but will quickly take over a garden if not properly managed. Catnip itself is not the most beautiful of the catmint members as other species and varieties such as Nepeta x faassenii ‘6 Hills Giant’ and Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ which produce pretty foliage and are less weedy but do not necessarily have the same intense effect on our cat friends. Interestingly, catnip has also been used as a tea to alleviate some human ailments like stomach aches and insomnia, though it will not have the same neurological effects we see in cats (sorry!).
So what is it about catnip that drives kitties crazy? Turns out it is a volatile compound called nepetalactone that is released from the plant when it is crushed or withered. The biochemical structure of nepetalactone is very similar to specific cat pheromones, and is thus able to bind with olfactory receptors in the cat’s nose. This binding creates a cascade of signals in the feline brain that result in the behavioral response we witness when giving our cats some fresh or dried catnip cuttings. Only about 80% of cats actually have this reaction to catnip, which is a genetic affect, and all felines are capable of reacting to catnip (not just domestic cats!). The cat becomes “immune” to the effects of catnip after about 10 minutes as receptors are saturated with nepetalactone, but this “immunity” only lasts a short time after which the kitty can enjoy another whiff.
So there you have it! Only cats could trick us into growing a weedy mint plant worldwide just for them.
Written by TPS Fellow Katie D'Amico-Willman
References:
https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/06/08/catnip/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-how-does-catnip-work-on-cats/
https://www.thespruce.com/catmint-plants-fo-ground-covering-2132221
https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/single_weed.php?id=22
