Just Wondering About Catnip

As others here have related the catnip plant/herb is related to the mint family..that's why sometimes when a human drinks mint tea (which I do before bedtime) is good to help one sleep...There is a difference in how actual catnip and pot plants look and smell, so no worries there about being busted for possession of catnip...uh, if you were arrested and the cops analyzed just think how embarrasses the cops would be to realize they busted you for possession of catnip...mmmm...come to think of it if they did you could probably sue them big time

..the law could test it and know it's not an illegal plant.. I think cops looking at it, and handling it would likely know too.. Especially as it smells very minty..

Catnip is a plant related to the mint family, and its official name is Nepeta Cataria. Strangely enough, only about fifty per cent of cats like catnip... the other fifty per cent hate it. Apparently, this is all down to genetics. An interesting point is that of the big cats, most lions, leopards and pumas react to catnip, but tigers don't. The enticing aroma of the catnip oil triggers certain nerves within both the big cat's and the domestic cat's brain. Some roll and rub on the catnip, purring loudly as they do so, whilst others will wallow in it, eating it and exhibiting a drunken behavior for up to fifteen minutes. After this 'high' period, most cats will sleep, or remain overly calm for several hours. Catnip is a herb, and doesn't create any unpleasant after effects, at all. Brightest Blessings.

I think it's an herb in the mint family and it seems to have no effect on humans. But it definitely gets my cats stoned and they love it. I love watchng them on it. Just like humans, they get stoned in different ways, one gets playful, one gets mellow and the third one gets snippy. (Bet he'd be a nasty drunk. We had some problems getting one of the cats in the cage to go to the vet recently and asked the doctor if it would be okay to give the little guy some catnip ahead of time to mellow him out but the vet said no. Appparently it's not a good idea to give an animal catnip before they get shots so I guess it has quite a strong physical effect on them.

It's some relation to mint,I think..I wondered how it is that it seems to affect mostly adult cats..I'd had some for my cat since he was a Kitten,but it didn't do anything while he was Young..more recently,I found him having got at a bag and was clawing it to get at it :) It doesn't make him go crazy,just perks him up and makes him purr big ..

I think it is an herb related to the mint family - don't think I would smoke it, but it sure gives the cats a buzz doesn't it? I have seen it at seed shops but have never planted it myself. I wonder if we can use it as a flavoring for tea or something, surely there must be a better name to call it if we do.

Catnip, like other plants in the mint family, has square stems. Any cop who can't tell catnip from pot needs to go back to cop school!

When it grows, it actually looks like tall grass.. kind of like chives. It can also look like regular grass, just thicker. I think they would know the difference, the smell is certainly different! Catnip is easy to grow and dry too by the way.

Oh, and did you ever get my reply to your private message? I typed one out thoroughly, but (remember, I'm stilll a wee bit of a dunce at new things to me on MyLot) the message folder doesn't show that I have replied back. I gave you my email address also. Hope so. Good night, friend.

I personally do not give catnip to my cats. They are hyper enough without giving them something that will boost that hyperness. Lots of times I will come home from work and they are chasing each other. Two of them are adult cats and the other two are kittens.