# home grown catnip for my kitty



## Tages (Dec 10, 2009)

I have grown my kitty cat some fresh catnip. Sadly it turns out not all cats are able to benefit from it and he loves to eat it, but it does not seem to make him happy. I have been giving it to my coworkers.










Anyone else have pics of their home grown?


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

It's PURTY!!


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## ETrescued (Oct 22, 2009)

Oh my gosh I want some! ET has been nibbling on non-catnip plants lately... and I know he likes it... where did you get it? I've seen little pots of it at petshops for ridiculous prices. Is there anywhere else you can get it?

And what a great gift for cat-owned coworkers/friends!


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## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

ETrescued said:


> Oh my gosh I want some! ET has been nibbling on non-catnip plants lately... and I know he likes it...


If he wants to nibble on plants, buy some cat grass. It looks like this:









That's one of the only kinds of plants cats can eat without making them ill. Honestly I wouldn't let my cat eat catnip all day unless you wanted him constantly high out of his gourd.


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## Tages (Dec 10, 2009)

I bought the little pot at petco and divided it into four pots and let it grow.


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

I don't think it has the same effect from eating it.

What I do with mine is pick off the leaves and let them dry out (I think I put them in a paper bag, pressed it flat and stuck it in a drawer for a while). Then you can crush up the dried leaves and sprinkle on the floor, toys, scratching posts, etc.

I think its more the smell that gets them. Mine roll around, rubbing all over it and go all crazy. Good fun 

Mine have never really had any interest in eating it, though one will chow down on grass every time she gets the chance.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Tages said:


> I bought the little pot at petco and divided it into four pots and let it grow.


How long did it take to get large? What I mean, does it grow fast? I have seeds, but lassitude has stopped me from planting it yet.


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## Bethany (Jul 19, 2006)

It's a kind of mint, so I'd imagine it would grow well. I bought one once hoping Stormy would eat it instead of my house plants, but apparently catnip is one of the few plants she won't eat. I'm the only one who ate any (I occasionally made it into tea.)

You can buy packets of "cat grass" seeds at the pet store for cheaper than you can buy the little kits. Cat grass grows freakishly fast and even people like me who don't have a green thumb can do it. Seriously, it goes from seed to kitty salad in about a week. But it doesn't seem to live long --at least it never does for me -- so expect to replace it a lot. That's why cheap seeds are good!

I believe cat grass is generally just a cereal like oats, wheat, or barley. So if you happen to know a place that will sell you small quantities of seed wheat you can presumably get it even cheaper than you can at the pet store.


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## Tages (Dec 10, 2009)

Now there are flowers for my kitty to nibble


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Tages said:


> I have been giving it to my coworkers.


I tried to give it to my co-workers, too, but they wouldn't eat it. One of them did, however, try to smoke it! 8O


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Tages, that 'nip beautiful. It looks just like the mint that grew wild in my back yard when I was a kid.
What kind of mint is it?


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Some friends of mine grow wheat and barley grass for the blind kitties Im 
fostering. They love it. They eat it down to the nubs like little goats!

My cats have never shown interest in the grass from the pet store but the
home grown they go crazy over.

My tabby goats!


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Love those tabby goats! :heart
Arianwen is a longhaired, silver mackerel tabby goat also. :lol: She even has her favorite grazing patches in the yard which change from season to season. 
What a precious lil' goat! :luv


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Tages, did you prune yours? I grew some this summer (sadly it died this winter) and I pruned it heavily as it went along, and it grew into a huge, pleasant little bush instead of a spindly tall flopsy plant (which my previous crop had). It grows FAST though! Fun plant!


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## Tages (Dec 10, 2009)

I only pruned them as in cutting off to feed to my cat on a daily basis.

Today I harvested! Kind of sad to make the harvest, but I left enough to grow a whole new cycle.


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## kush kitty (Apr 20, 2010)

Hello. So I'm trying out hydroponic catnip for my kitties. Any advices? I've had soil plants also but I'm amazed at how fast the catnip grows under water! 










So far... Ive found one baby flower. But the cats are just fine with cut up live leaves  
I'll upload Mojo's video soon!


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

This is very cool! Good job! I heard on NPR about hydroponic window gardens. Neet concept. I like what your doing.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

I had a large cat nip plant last year that my Taz (RB) loved to sleep under. He would roll on the lower bracnhes to crush the leaves and release the essential oil which are the source of all that is wonderful. I thought that I had a picture of him in it, but it was of him coming out from under the tomato plant that grew next to it.

I also grew cat mint last year which no one was too thrilled about. I found my cat nip and cat mint at a garden store much cheaper than buying it at PetSmart. You can even look at Lowes or Home Depot. I saw cat mint at Lowes just last week.


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## kush kitty (Apr 20, 2010)

This deep water culture only uses 1/20th of regular farm  Ive purchased aquarium air stone to use as a filter. Only downside is the noise of the filter running all day.. So I keep my plants outside on my balcony - - nowhere near where I sleep! :lol: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E4CNdUg13c
Mojo keeps marking the catnip plant 'HIS' then gets distracted by a bird... 

I live on a 3rd floor of an apartment building without a garden, lawn or a backyard, so these plants work out great for me! I let the cats out on the balcony few minutes a day so they can get some fresh air and catnip! 

I bought the catnip seeds from Bristol Farms and prepared them in rockwool cubes for few days before I dipped them completely under water. I'll update more detailed pictures of the set-up.

Has any one else had experience with growing with hydroponic system?


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

That is sooo neat! I want to grow some for Arianwen


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