Cats / Behaviour
Watching a normally composed cat roll, drool, and zoom around the room over a pinch of dried leaves is one of the more entertaining sights in cat ownership, and the science behind it is genuinely well
Watching a normally composed cat roll, drool, and zoom around the room over a pinch of dried leaves is one of the more entertaining sights in cat ownership, and the science behind it is genuinely well understood, even if the exact mechanism still has a few gaps.
Catnip, a member of the mint family also known as Nepeta cataria, contains a compound called nepetalactone, released when the plant's leaves are crushed, chewed, or bruised. When a cat sniffs this compound, it binds to receptors in the nasal tissue, triggering signals that reach parts of the brain involved in emotion and behaviour, including regions connected to how cats respond to natural pheromones.
Rolling, rubbing the face and body against the source, drooling, vocalising, and bursts of playful, almost frantic energy are all common. Some cats become notably mellow and relaxed instead of hyperactive, the reaction varies by individual. Either way, the effect is short-lived, typically lasting around ten to fifteen minutes, after which a cat becomes temporarily unresponsive to further catnip for roughly half an hour to two hours while their sensitivity resets.
Sensitivity to catnip is genetic and inherited, and roughly a third of cats simply do not carry the trait, showing no reaction whatsoever regardless of how fresh or potent the catnip is. Kittens generally do not respond until they reach sexual maturity, typically somewhere around six months, so a young kitten showing no interest is not unusual and does not predict how it will react as an adult.
Yes, catnip is non-addictive and safe for the vast majority of cats in reasonable amounts, whether sniffed or occasionally eaten, and there is no evidence of any harmful long-term effect from regular, moderate use. It makes an excellent, low-cost way to encourage play and enrichment, sprinkled on a scratching post, rubbed into a new toy, or offered fresh as a houseplant many cats enjoy nibbling and rolling in directly.
For the third or so of cats that show no response to nepetalactone, a couple of other plants trigger a similar reaction through slightly different chemical pathways and are worth trying instead. Silver vine, increasingly available through Indian online pet stores, affects a notably higher proportion of cats than catnip does, including some cats that do not respond to catnip at all. Valerian root produces a similar excitable response in a smaller subset of cats. Introducing a small amount of either as a one-off test is a reasonable way to find an alternative for a cat that seems entirely unmoved by catnip itself.
Article content © S Vejay Anand. All rights reserved.
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