# cat nip (how often?)



## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

I give Squiggy a big pinch of cat nip a day. Needless to say he enjoys it. Is there such a thing as too much/often? I don't want to be a "cat-nip-enabler". I'm sure that this question has been posted a thousand times. Too bad there isn't a search option for these forums.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Once you sign in there is a search feature, on the top black bar there is "Search" and you click it for some drop-down options. 

As for cat nip, it's to the owners disgression. I don't give my cats it very often (every few weeks), they like it but it's messy and I've read if you give it too often cats can become desensitized to it. One thing I do know though is that when my father was giving it often to my cat she would sit on the paper on the floor and look around expectantly. That bugged me because I didn't want her to come to expect it, I wanted her to think of it was a treat.


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## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

That's what I've noticed, that he sits and waits for the cat nip now. I've got a bit of a soft spot cause he's a stray living in the garage and his life is pretty treat-free, but I don't want to "over indulge" if it may be detrimental for some reason.


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## catnip (Aug 19, 2003)

Once every 6-8 weeks or when the stress level becomes high enough I can tell they need a buzz/crash/burn type of night.

My ladies love the 'nip, and I use it to my advantage. Thats about the ONLY time I can get one up on them. :wink:


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

I like to keep my cats drugged as much and as often as possible. OK, no, but they do have access to 'nip most of the time. Their outdoor area has several catnip plants and they bite and rub on them, but not excessively. When I give them some dried 'nip or catnip toys, they still go nuts and act like they've never 'used' before. They know where the stuff is stored, but they only get excited when they hear me open the bags.


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## Janis (Aug 26, 2010)

I have the remains of a live catnip plant in the garage; took it out of ground in late fall, October I think. Amazingly enough, it still is producing leaves to some degree, even tho we have no windows in the garage. Enough that every time I come home I pick a leaf or two & bring it in. Have trained Lucky to enjoy sitting on the couch with me by doing this! (He's a feral) He loves catnip more than any of my cats did, and doesn't ever seem to tire of it. He is spoiled & expects it when I come in, though. Will put it back in the ground late April I guess, keeping it in its pot so it doesn't go crazy.


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## Modra (Jan 17, 2011)

Modra doesn't care about catnip either, some cats simply don't have an appeal for this plant and apparently it's genetic, so one of her parents must have had this too. Other cats, including the neighbour cat, enter a sort of frenzy each time they smell/chew on catnip. None of the less, my Modra has the same reaction to my perfume. She picks up the sweater and rolls in it, licks it, plays with it, drools, purrs, it's a full spectacle. It all stops after a while of course and she gets back to her regular business of chasing things outside.


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## bastetsha (Feb 27, 2011)

I put a pinch of dried catnip on their cardboard scratcher about two times a week. I had a catnip plant growing but they crushed it so I just use dried catnip. Salem is so funny when he rolls in it on the scratcher and comes up to me with his cheek covered in catnip.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

The only negative effects I've heard of from giving too much catnip or giving it too often are (a) some cats might throw up if they receive too much at one sitting, or (b) too much catnip sometimes makes an already aggressive cat even more aggressive. Other than those two things, I'm not aware of any potential negatives from catnip "overuse". 

My girls have their catnip toys (bananas, cigars, mice) and I sprinkle a bit of catnip on their scratching posts once every few weeks.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

I don't purposely give my cats catnip. Miu doesn't react to it, Cap'n Jack drools so much that I would be cleaning up a lot of things. 

Rocky the dog goes insane over their toys (unfortunately, a lot of the toys contain catnip but luckily in small amounts). He acts like a little puppy (he's 6), throwing the toy in the air, rubbing all over it on his back and kicking his heels, doing donuts around the toy. It's such an odd sight that the cats sit there watching him and then sometimes, they look at me as if to say 'what's wrong with him?'


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