Catnip: Is it safe for my cat?
Posted: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
by Kelly Wolfe
PurrfectPetSupplies.net
First off, I want to let you know that catnip is not a drug; its a perennial herb and a member of the mint family. Cats have a natural attraction to this plant that can result in a mood altering affect. Your cat can become highly active and silly, completely mellow, or she may have no change at all. Your cat may sniff, roll in, or eat catnip.
For indoor cats that dont get out to eat the proper amount of grass, giving her a tablespoon of catnip a day to eat is a healthy way to ensure she is getting the greens she needs. Eating catnip helps your cats digestive system. It also can get your cat frisky and in the mood to play resulting in some much needed exercise.
The Right Kind of Catnip
When purchasing catnip, here are a couple things you need to keep in mind. First, you want to make sure the catnip you are buying contains leaves and flowers, not just stems. Catnip stems have no effect on your cat and some companies even put fillers in their catnip. The second is to make sure the catnip is certified to be pesticide free. You dont want to give your cat an unknown chemical that may make her sick.
Summary
Catnip is safe for your cat and is even an essential part of a healthy digestive system. Cats love it and you will love watching what they do when they are around it.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Two true stories about catnip:I was walking through a vacant lot with my future wife, when I happened upon what I thought was wild spearmint. I pulled a substantial part of the plant for later use as a tea, putting it in a plastic bag.Upon arriving back at her apartment, I put the bag on the porch. An hour later, a local tom cat found the catnip, and devoured every last bit of it. This tom was a "mean drunk": bleary eyed, growling "leave me alone, while I sleep it off."The next story was similar, but involved a cat eating the live catnip growing in my garden, eating it down to the bare stalk. This kitty was more of a jolly drunk.I've seen cats go bonkers on catnip. My sister didn't believe in giving catnip because it was "a drug." That's just anthropomorphic nonsense, hyper-arrogance that cats must be held to the same moral standard as high school teens. Also, they recover in minutes, not hours.- g
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