Do You Give Catnip to Your Cats?

Discussion in Pets started by Spectre456 • Sep 17, 2014.

  1. Spectre456

    Spectre456Active Member

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    It's weird, but even though I had heard about Catnip I had never gotten any for my cat. About a month ago I was at the store, I saw some and decided to get it just to see what the deal with it was.
    So I get home and immediately proceed to give some to He was wary and somewhat confused at first, but I put some on the floor and soon enough he was rolling around on it and just having a blast with the stuff. It was a hilarious experience since I had never seen him act that way before, so I decided to give him some from time to time just so we could both have some fun.

    What's your experience with Catnip?
     
  2. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    From what I understand it only works on some cats, not all of them. It's basically the scent that does something to them. One of the first times I bought it though, I had a rather large tin of it, and went to dump out a tiny bit for my cat but accidentally dropped it and spilled the whole thing on her. Needless to say, she was in heaven, rolling around on the driveway having the time of her life. Many pet toys have catnip in them as well, but I am assuming it loses its strength over time because our cats don't bother with them anymore.

    I look at it this way, if I can enjoy some booze and other herbal substances from time to time, my cats can have their equivalent of such things too, lol.

    Also, if you have multiple cats, it can help calm them down if they are starting to get snippy with each other and fighting a lot.
     
  3. sthrngypsy

    sthrngypsyActive Member

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    Yes, I give my cats catnip. I have to store it in the fridge, otherwise they will try their best to get at it I have had cats roll around with the tub it comes in, bite it, try anything to get the lid off.
     
  4. pennylane

    pennylaneActive Member

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    I have given it to my cat a handful of times before but she's just not interested in it. I'm not sure why. Too bad because I would love to see her rolling around in it and acting loopy :) Is there anything else similar to catnip I could try?
     
  5. insertkittyface

    insertkittyfaceActive Member

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    I haven't had a cat in a few years, but when i did, from time to time I would give it to him and he absolutely loved it. He would beg for it, meow really loud, then once he got it, roll around in it. I used to get a pretty good kick out of it. I wouldn't give it to him very often, usually just on his birthday and Christmas (Yes, I did that kind of thing, I bought him presents) and he would always get really excited about getting it anytime he saw the bag.
     
  6. Danyel72

    Danyel72Active Member

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    We have had cats over the years but we really have never given them catnip! That's so funny right? I guess I just don't know how to actually give it to them. I have seen catnip plants in our local pet store but what are you supposed to actually do with it? I know that you can buy cat toys that contain catnip and I'm sure at one time or another I have purchased something with it and didn't even realize.

    I have watched cats online go absolutely crazy over it so I guess I should buy it more often. Looks like they would love it, plus we would get a kick out of watching them. :)

    Cats are so funny. :)
     
  7. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I haven't given a catnip yet to my cat since they are only found in pet stores if I'm not mistaken, so I only use toys that are commonly found at home like string or paper if he wants to play.
     
  8. mariee

    marieeActive Member

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    I give them catnip from time to time. I notice it works less on my older cat. She used to react more to it when she was younger. The other cats love it and like to roll around or lick it. It's a fun experience.
     
  9. chiofthenorns

    chiofthenornsActive Member

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    Not really. I know that there are no ill-effects, but I still don't give catnip to my cats.
     
  10. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

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    In the past, when I lived in the country, I had plenty of catnip growing in my garden, together with other herbs. My cat was never interested in it. I think, just like humans react to herbs in all kind of different manners, so do animals. For example, my dog was really attracted to lemon grass. He loved sleeping near a big lemongrass bush in our garden and enjoyed sniffing it. Often, when I took cuttings for making tea, he would get excited about the smell and follow me around the house. Sometimes I would put a bit of lemongrass tea in his water bowl and watch him drink it. He just liked the taste and smell of it.