feline behaviour

CATNIP AND CATS

Nepeta cataria - catnip or catmint to us humans, has a profound instantaneous behavioral effect on some domestic cats. It's euphoric effects on your household tabby only last a few minutes, the behavior can be quite amusing to watch, as cats will roll onto any area the catnip touches, lick it, try to eat it, roll themselves all over it, then just as quickly sanity returns to your moggy and he/she walks away with a confused "what just happened" air about them. And probably about an hour or two later will rediscover the catnip and display the same wild abandon and antics as before.

Catmint, is the well known name for a grow anywhere, cultivated or wild, perennial herb plant, ranging in size from 50cm to 100cm in height. Native to Europe, it has earned the unfortunate tag of being classed a weed.

Bought prepackaged either in boxes or in bags, there are endless amounts of toys, sprays etc., a quick browse at your local pet store will give you an idea of the range of catnip products available.

cat treats can be liberally treated with catnip for your favorite cat to enjoy. It has been likened to a feline drug, because of cat's strange reaction to it. No-one quite knows for sure why cats are so attracted to it in such a strange way. It has been researched that a cat will not react until they are sexually mature, and the intensity of the reaction lessons with age. Putting forward the theory that the chemicals in catnip that cause the cats to react as they do, may be a very similar attraction to a cats olfactory senses, to that of feline romance.

However, do not be disappointed if your cat sniffs the offered present with disdain and looks at you for an explanation of what they are supposed to do with said offering, because it has been discovered that the behavioral reaction to catnip is also genetic in origin. If both parent cats were not sensitive to the effect of catmint, then their offspring won't be either. If one parent cat was sensitive and the other not, it gives a 50 per cent chance of the offspring getting the catmint sensitive gene.

It is not just your domestic moggy that likes catmint, it has been found that the big cats will react to the euphoric effects of catmint also, but again it is not across the board, in the different big cat breeds, sometimes you can get lions reacting to it where tigers will ignore it, or offer it to a leopard or jaguar and they will play and rub themselves all over it like your favorite tabby on the hearthrug,

On-going research has shown that this diverse reaction in the wild big cat families strengthens the idea of the genetic link for catmint sensitivity also lending weight to the suggestion of mimicking feline romance chemical attraction sensitivity.

If you have a hankering to grow your own catmint, it is apparently quite easy to cultivate and can be grown from seed, set it in a quiet corner of your garden, well away from any particularly delicate flowers or plants that you do not want damaging by a potential rampaging kitty, because when your cat discovers the catmint patch and finds out that by rolling on the plants, bruising the leaves releases the chemicals that instigate the cats attraction to it, your catmint bushes will be flattened in a definite cat shape.

It has been documented that another herb "valerian" has sometimes produced the same reaction as catmint in some cats.

If you want to try your cat with some catmint, purchase a small box and shake it sparingly over your cat's toy or on the scratching post that your loving feline has stubbornly refused to try, and just see what their reaction is.

You will either have a very confused cat wondering what you are doing and more importantly what you expect them to do. Or you will have a very happy cat who thinks that they're not quite sure what this new stuff is, but could you please get some more.

O'h, and one other thing, some cats seem to have some sort of "come down " after a catmint experience, they sleep very, very contentedly after.