# Crazy for Catnip



## ThreeCatzGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

This morning,i started my barn job. My boss knows that I have 8 cats. So this morning before I left,she gave me this big cat nip plant. 

So I gave it to Thomas to try and he loved it! he chomped on it. and was sniffing it for a bit. So I let him snack on it fofr a bit and then I put it away. I didn't want to leave it on the floor. 

Then a few hours later,i let Juno take a sniff at the plant and he also loved it! He was rubbing his face all over this plant.  

Ive added 2 pictures of Juno and the catnip plant.


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## furryfriend (Apr 1, 2015)

Yummy!


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## BotanyBlack (Apr 6, 2011)

LOL bet they did go nuts on that! Very nice of your boss to give you a plant. Might want to snap off a piece and root it, that way when your furballs finish this one. you have another ready to go. BTW. after they are done mangling that one.. just cut it to a few inches and water. They grow back pretty good.


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## ThreeCatzGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Im going to keep the plant outside on the back deck where the light is. Every now and then I will bring it inside for the cats to chomp on. 

I was a little confused at first because once they were chomping on it...I could get a hint smell of mint. So I thought it was a mint plant instead.

but I do remember seeing a show on animal planet about cat nip and the guy did say it has a minty smell to it. 

Thank you BB for the plant tip.


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

Cat nip is part of the mint family and will spread like a weed in your garden! I have one in a pot upstairs that the Puddies complain about (it is locked in a room where they can't help themselves).


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

If you have strays they'll destroy it when it's left outside.


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## ThreeCatzGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

MowMow said:


> If you have strays they'll destroy it when it's left outside.


Its on a closed in deck. they cant get to it. 

Besides.....we've never had cats in the backyard. :wiggle


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## BotanyBlack (Apr 6, 2011)

I had a patch in my backyard forever. I just would pull off leaves or cut a few stems.. bruise them and let the cats roll on them. Cats generally don't get much from eating it, They inhale the oils. eating it is just to bruise the leaves to release the scent.

but yes they are a mint and will spread if you let it. so just pot it in a nice Large pot and let it fill up. When it flowers and goes to seed, snip off the heads and shake back into the pot or another pot or they will spread ALL OVER.

BTW the more you snip it the better it grows. And don't forget to cut it back and dry the leaves before winter!


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

Cats will face and body rub, chew and headshake to bruise to release nepetalactone which gives them that "high" and makes them go bonkers. Catnip that is eaten, not just chewed but consumed has the opposite effect and is more like a sedative kind of like how camomile works.

I've got two bruisers and sniffers and one that just wants to eat it and go relax on her lightly warm heating pad for a nice cozy sleep.
The other two act like furry turbo rockets for about 20 min then go take a snooze lol


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

My downstairs neighbors gave me a catnip plant last summer. It was gorgeous and bushy and healthy when I left for work in the morning.

When I got home 8.5 hours later and they chewed it to a stump....then they pulled the stump out of the dirt and dragged the roots around the house.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

I used to have a contained bed of catmint (similar) and my old boy, Shadow, not only loved it, he would sleep in it!! You used to be able to smell it on him!!


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## ThreeCatzGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Is it okay for them to eat a leaf from it?

I plucked off a leaf and showed it to Thomas and he took it out of my hand and ate it.

Is it like eating a salad?


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## BotanyBlack (Apr 6, 2011)

eating it will not hurt them. I have 2 that bruise/roll on it. 1 that eats it then sleeps it off...


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