What is catnip used for? Can she be dangerous?

If your feline leads an indoor life, there is unfortunately a good chance that it will attack your plants: he scratches the ground, scratches the trunks, chews the leaves, knocks over the pots… This can cause as much inconvenience as risk to his health. Because ? Many indoor plants have a risk of poisoning. This is notably the case of the ficus, the philodendron or the dumb canes (dieffenbachia). An effective solution is to provide him with catnip, completely harmless and intended for improve digestive comfort.

Catnip actually means several plant families which can act as food supplements for our friends the cats:

• tiger nut,
• cereals (wheat, barley)
• and the phalanx.

They can be sold in sachets, in the form of seeds to be sown, or in ready-to-use trays (seeds which continue to germinate or which can already be devoured). Their maintenance is also simple: just water them once or twice a week and place them in a sunny room. A balcony will also do just fine. Their lifespan generally varies between one and two months.

Catmint, also called catmint (Nepeta cataria), catmint, or chataire is often confused with catnip. However, they have neither the same properties nor the same uses.

If our companions ingest tiger nut, cereals or phalanx, they are content to breathe catnip. This plant contains in particular nepetalactone, an active ingredient that stimulates the nervous system of our four-legged friends and triggers sex pheromones in their brain. Not all cats have the same sensitivity, but the reactions of felines can sometimes be impressive: they start running around, rolling in the grass, drooling, etc.

Catnip is usually sold as ground dried herb, or as a spray.

Catnip doesn’t have much nutritional value. On the other hand, chewing these herbs allows our animals to purge themselves of the hair they ingest while grooming. After having nibbled them, they therefore regurgitate the indigestible lumps present in their stomach, which can lead to bowel obstructions.

Note: if you have a garden, their usefulness will be less, because your cat will certainly use outdoor grass for its digestive comfort.

As stated earlier, the effects of catnip vary between cats they may start sniffing the grass frantically, licking it, rolling on the ground, jumping, shaking their head, salivating, running around, adopting hunting behaviors, etc. We sometimes talk about cat drugat the origin of the famous “quarter of an hour of madness”.

This sensitivity is thought to be hereditary and it is believed that nearly 30% of cats are insensitive to it (including kittens and senior cats)

You can grow catnip at home, ideally away from your poisonous plants, in a quiet area, which will allow your feline to “graze” in peace. Replace the pot after one to two months, when the plant dries out, withers or becomes soiled. Leave the plant available, your cat will self-regulate.

You can use catnip to please your pet or to reward it. It is possible to use it to draw attention to specific toys, scratching posts or cat trees to encourage him to exert himself and prevent him from scratching the furniture or the sofa. So that she does not lose her virtues, it is best not to offer her more than once a week.

Another option: you can plant some in a corner of your garden!

Neither catnip nor catnip poses a health hazard to your pet. There is also no risk of addiction to catnip; on the contrary, its effects tend to diminish if the cat is exposed to it too often.