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  #1  
Old November 13th, 2006, 07:51 AM
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Catnip

Catnip is an herb in the mint family that 50 percent of cats seem to react to. Catnip grows wild in many places in North America and Europe and the plant can grow to 3 feet high. Once picked and processed for cats it looks quite a lot like tea but much greener. It can also come in a concentrated liquid form. You can buy either form of catnip in most pet stores.

Many cat toys are filled with catnip or have catnip rubbed on them or sprayed on them. The cats that react to catnip rub and lick and knead at the objects, often with incredible vigour. They put on quite a show when toys are sprayed with liquid catnip or rubbed with raw catnip. We have entertained guests on many occasions with this activity.

Interestingly enough it seems like cats are not black or white with regard to if they react to catnip. Our cat Ziglet showed no reaction to catnip for 13 years, while his brother from another mother Zak, always went bonkers for it. Now Zig loves the stuff and reacts to it as well.
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  #2  
Old November 13th, 2006, 10:02 AM
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When I had cats I used to buy toys sprayed with capnip - they all loved it
I just thought of something:
Quote:
Originally Posted by marko View Post
The cats that react to catnip rub and lick and knead at the objects, often with incredible vigour
if I secretly put one of these toys say under the man's pillow - ya think humans might have the same reaction?
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  #3  
Old November 13th, 2006, 10:18 AM
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I also used catnip when I first introduced (after the first few hours) my 2 cats to each other. I put some catnip on Ziglet and Zak started licking him.

I think it made the introduction go more smoothly.

I would say that strict supervision is required if you are to try this though.
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  #4  
Old March 9th, 2007, 05:39 PM
katwoman katwoman is offline
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That was really interesting,when i had my cat i put some catnip on her toys and she loved it.
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Old March 9th, 2007, 09:01 PM
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omg! Roland is banned from catnip unless it is a terribly special occasion! he goes completly loopy. he has more than enough energy and mischief without it! i found honeysuckle a much better alternative!
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Old March 30th, 2007, 04:17 PM
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All my cats love it,they have their own patch outside and even eat it,they refer the fresh stuff from outside,rather than store-bought.
I usually rub their toys with a leaf and they are in la-la land for a while
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Old March 30th, 2007, 05:47 PM
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I have a grown patch of it too and YY thinks it's hers but she shares, lol I find it rather like shamrock in terms of keeping it growing and healthy.
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  #8  
Old April 1st, 2007, 12:46 PM
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Our two cats have always gone bonkers for catnip.

Our newly rescued addition, Feather, he didn't know what to make of it at first (he's very young by comparison). At first he just watched the other two rolling about and seemed quite alarmed. Then he tried it - it was really funny, the other two are so active but the first time Feather had it he was in slow motion. If he could speak it would have been like HAL at the end of 2001. "Shall I sing you a song, Dave? It's called... Daisies."

Feather's first catnip experience:



Now he's more or less like them, they twirl and twirl on the floor.

Here's the other two ... Zotz is twirling her way to a higher plane of existance:

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Old April 1st, 2007, 03:28 PM
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That's funny my cats do the same.
Usually kittens and young cats are not bothered ny catnip..
Here's Rocky somewhere on another planet
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Old April 2nd, 2007, 12:48 AM
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hehe, very cute pics.
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  #11  
Old April 4th, 2007, 10:00 PM
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Onnie discovered where I put the catnip tub

I don't think I'm gonna get any sleep tonight, my carpet is peppered with catnip and my cat is just a little bit high
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Old April 4th, 2007, 10:03 PM
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he got it good...
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Old April 4th, 2007, 10:14 PM
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I love the zotz twirling to higher plane of existance one!

Rocky is beautiful
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  #14  
Old April 10th, 2007, 08:24 PM
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We have one cat who loves the stuff. I make little pouches of thin coton and fill them with it and he will carry them around the house. We have another who will roll and play with it on the floor but doesn't care for toys filled with it. The third one won't even look at it twice.

My brother once had a cat who would guard his stash... complete with kitty cat growling if you can imagine that!
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  #15  
Old April 12th, 2007, 04:17 PM
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I love watching the cats after they've had some catnip.Their reactions are always hilarious.
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  #16  
Old May 1st, 2007, 06:10 PM
zpilot55 zpilot55 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ravenheart View Post
I love watching the cats after they've had some catnip.Their reactions are always hilarious.
Definitely have to agree with you. Cats + Catnip = better than Mardi Gras
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  #17  
Old May 4th, 2007, 04:37 PM
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I was just at the garden center and bought a catnip plant for friends who have 3 cats.

I looked up some info. on the web and it says that the oil in the leaves is 10x more effective then DEET to repell mosquitoes!

Has anyone tried it as a mosquito repellant? I'm thinking or just taking a leaf and rubbing it on my skin but I'm sure you could make a spray or put the leaves in a carrier oil.

Might keep the mosquitoes away but would you become a cat magnet instead?
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Old May 4th, 2007, 04:45 PM
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Probably I know my cats would go for you,they love their cat-nip patch.
I take some inside in the winter and dry it,much more potent than the storebought stuff.
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Old May 4th, 2007, 05:13 PM
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Roxy has no interest at all in catnip,why do some cats care less about it??
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Old May 4th, 2007, 05:35 PM
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My boys are the same, I have bought dried and grown fresh. They could care less about it. They just look at it, sniff, and then walk away from it. They have never liked it. On the otherhand, my parent's ferrel farm cats love it. It grows like weeds down there and whenever my mom digs it out of the gardens they are all over it especially the root ball. I think I read somewhere that it is a gene or something to that effect that determines whether or not a cat reacts to it, but who knows
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Old May 4th, 2007, 05:44 PM
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She does the same thing checks it out,finds it of no use to her,and walks away,kind of sucks i would love to watch her get all feelin good off of it and going nuts,oh well..
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Old May 4th, 2007, 05:55 PM
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From what I read today, it says that only 50% of cats react to the stuff. Apparently it is a genetic thing.
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  #23  
Old August 13th, 2007, 06:54 AM
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Hi!

I just wanted to interject here, that I inherited a box of catnip tea bags, the kind for human consumption, and TC loves them.

After he bum-rushes the cupboard where I keep them (he has figured out how to open the cupboard now) I toss one and he pounces on it. He goes ape over it just like the other posters' cats do.

I wish I could catch an audio clip of him asking for a tea bag---he almost sounds human with some of the noises he makes.

I'm told that the tea bags are somehow a better "grade" of product, so I might keep getting those.

Bye all---
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  #24  
Old August 13th, 2007, 08:07 AM
Jim Hall Jim Hall is offline
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i buy fresh organoc cattnip from a farm near me and crumble up some in a little bowl when d u is having a bad day it really clalms her down

i hae been using cat nip as a mosquito reppelent for a long time

i put some in warm water and let it steep and fill up a spry bottle snd spritz it on my skin it works great
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Old August 13th, 2007, 09:01 AM
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yep! ive been using catnip for a year or so now. we live on a creek so our mosquitoes are just horrible here. also works great on the dog!!

warning though, it STINKS! so brew up equal parts of either peppermint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, thyme or another good smelling herb to help with the smell a little. that MAY give you a fighting chance to the shower before your cats go ape ****.

i must say though, my husband can smell it but i cant. i have a funky nose.

also, they say that cats under the age of 6 months dont typically react to it.

is the reaction rate really 50%?? i figured it would be higher than that.

anyone else use honeysuckle?? we have tons here in the south. never knew it had the same effect.

-ashley
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  #26  
Old August 13th, 2007, 01:07 PM
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I didn't know about honeysuckle.

I have a wild catnip plant on the side of my house that Jasper discovered. Now on our daily walk around the perimeter of the cleared part of my lot for Jasper to check his territory, he stops for a chew and a roll in it. Then he drools and rubs his face on my leg. Meanwhile I am waiting for him to finish with the catnip, I am getting attacked by deerflies.

Last edited by Love4himies; August 13th, 2007 at 01:08 PM. Reason: spelling
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  #27  
Old August 13th, 2007, 01:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by want4rain View Post
anyone else use honeysuckle?? we have tons here in the south. never knew it had the same effect.
I have 3 huge Honeysuckle bushes in my yard and well, lets just say my yard is cat central for all the cats in the 'hood. I recently had to chop down a few big branches that were damaged in a storm and I just left them lying on the ground. Should have taken before and after pictures because it's hilarious how shredded they've become from the cats going nuts all over them. Not to mention that they're also now the hairiest logs you'll ever see.
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  #28  
Old August 13th, 2007, 02:03 PM
Jim Hall Jim Hall is offline
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ah haa i had a honeysuckle by my bedroom wondow where i used to live and always had strays around there. i just thought it was bacause it was quiet
and cool ,
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  #29  
Old August 13th, 2007, 04:10 PM
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I had a Honeysuckle and my cats could noy care less for it,but their catnip-patch they all 3 love...Rocky and Chico in la-la-land
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  #30  
Old August 14th, 2007, 10:12 AM
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All such beautiful cats...

That tub pic is so funny... that happened to just about every tub I bought, no matter where I hid it, they found it and punctured it, so that if they kicked it and rolled it it spilled out everywhere. Smart little buggers aren't they?

Now I buy the super huge barrel like tub, and they seem to leave it alone, I guess it's too big to get their teeth into and kick around.
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