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Gigi loved it, but her brother Brandy was indifferent. Crispy
loves it, but Ethel was unmoved by it. There you have
it: a quick inventory of my past and present cats’
reaction to the plant from which this magazine derives
its name.
Fourteen chemicals of diverse biologic origin, including
certain plants, are known to affect the behavior of the
cat when their fragrances are inhaled. The most famous
of these, of course, is catnip. For centuries,
ailurophiles (cat lovers) have marveled at the delight
cats seem to get from smelling, nibbling on, and rolling
in the stuff.
With the possible exception of man (i.e. eccentrics who
claim to get a “buzz” when they smoke the stuff), a
behavioral response to catnip is found only in members
of the feline family. Lions in particular demonstrate a
rather spectacular response, and hunters have used
catnip to lure bobcat and lynx. Leopards, jaguars,
pumas, ocelots, and sever other so-called lesser cats
also respond to catnip.
The typical catnip scenario for the domestic cat
initially involves the offering of some catnip leaves,
either fresh or dried. Cats will first smell, and then
lick or chew the stuff for a few minutes. Cat owners
then stand back and watch the fun begin. Some cats show
a “like, wow, man” response and just gaze off into
space, that being the extent of their reaction. Most
“responders” progress to rubbing their cheeks and chin
in the catnip source and act a little dizzy. The intense
responders will rub their bodies on the ground while
rolling from side to side, purring, growling, and
perhaps leaping into the air. Some cats get a little
frisky and will smack a fellow housemate kitty on the
head. Reactions vary, although most cats experience both
a relaxing and a stimulating effect. The complete
response lasts for five to fifteen minutes, with a type
of satiation developing so that a response cannot be
evoked again for at least an hour or two. Approximately
30% of adult cats show zero or minimal response to the
plant, and nearly all kittens under 2 months of age show
no reaction to catnip and often actively avoid it.
Animals that are fearful or under stress will have a
decreased reaction to catnip. Males and females respond
equally, although there’s some evidence that among
susceptible cats, males respond a bit more strongly than
females. Whether a cat is a responder or not is based on
heredity; a recessive gene is involved, so that two cats
from the same litter may have different responses to the
plant, like my Brandy (bored) and Gigi (thrilled). It’s
probably not a good idea to give it to a cat that goes
outdoors, since the cat might not be able to care for
itself while under its influence.
So what exactly is in this stuff? Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
is a member of the mint family. In fact, it has also
been referred to as “catmint”. It is related to common
kitchen herbs like thyme and sage, and can be easily
cultivated as a houseplant. Years ago, in England, dried
catnip leaves put in boiling water was a popular tea for
humans – it was said to have a calming effect. When the
plant is crushed and the oils are distilled, catnip
extract is obtained. Studies have shown the active
ingredient in the oil is nepetalactone. This chemical
repels certain leaf-eating insects, providing protection
for the plant. It is the smell of this oil that triggers
the response in cats. Anesthetizing the nasal passages
and obliterating the sense of smell in a cat will
abolish the catnip reaction.
Interestingly, the plants that belong to the catnip
family are indigenous only to the Old World, and yet,
members of the feline family that respond to catnip are
found in both the Old World and the New World. So, if
you think about the catnip response from an evolutionary
standpoint, it seems clear that some species of cats
have acquired the ability to display the catnip response
even though the natural source of nepetalactone was not
present to influence the evolution of this behavioral
response. (Yet another fun fact that adds to the overall
mystique of the feline).
Why catnip produces the response that it does is not
fully understood, but there are several possible
explanations. There is an unmistakable similarity
between the catnip response and the rolling and
squirming of female cats during courtship and just after
copulation, leading some investigators to conclude that
catnip may be acting like a hormone, activates a neural
system in the brain related to female sexual behavior.
Another school of thought is that catnip produces a form
of pleasurable behavior unrelated to sexuality, and that
the rolling and rubbing is simply a manifestation of a
pleasure response. In 1972, Canadian researcher R.C.
Hatch reported in the American Journal of Veterinary
Research that the chemical structure of the active
ingredient in catnip is very similar to that of LSD,
leading to speculation that the bliss that cats seem to
experience is similar to the reaction humans experience
to these drugs. In other words, if you’ll pardon my
French, the cat is simply stoned out of its mind.
Cat owners are undoubtedly familiar with the myriad of
catnip toys, sprays, and related paraphernalia available
in pet shops and online, as these products are
consistently popular with the cat loving public. Perhaps
the most notable of the catnip items is Cosmic Catnip.
Approximately 25 years ago, Leon Seidman, a graduate
student, went searching for the ultimate catnip for W.B.,
his cat. Avoiding the commercial products, Seidman went
to drugstores where catnip was sometimes kept in jars
and sold along with other pharmaceutical herbs. W.B.
gave it a try. His response, (if cats could speak, mind
you) was “whoa dude, this is killer weed”. That summer,
Seidman visited a friend in Virginia and found catnip
growing wild on his friend’s farm. He grabbed a bunch of
it and zoomed back home to Maryland where he began a
small business selling what he called Cosmic Catnip, an
especially potent variety. Today, Seidman and his wife
Pamela are president and vice president of Cosmic Pet
Products, Inc. which packages and sells around 140,000
pounds of catnip a year in the United States, Canada,
and Europe. According to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory
Council, a Washington-based trade group, no other
company produces more of the stuff than Seidman. When
the scent of my cats’ catnip toys begins to fade,
rubbing a fresh batch over the surface of the toy
freshens it up, and the fun begins anew.
Cat owners who worry about whether they may be indulging
their cat too frequently should be told that, like
anything special, it should be offered for a little
while, then put away for a few days, so that it remains
a special treat. Catnip is safe and not addictive,
however, because of the altered mental state that it
induces in most cats, cat owners should be warned that
they should avoid letting their cat drive the car or
operate heavy machinery while under the influence.
“Hear Dr. Plotnick discuss catnip on the radio program
“Animals Aloud” by
clicking here.
Updated
7/17/06 |
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