Does catnip seriously alter the behavior of your cat like a drug and make it act funny? I have never given my cats catnip but close friend was telling me that I really should let my cats try it.

I have never given catnip to my cats, but a friend has told me that her cat does act differently with catnip.

(13-08-2008 07:49 AM)Simplyme Wrote:  Does catnip seriously alter the behavior of your cat like a drug and make it act funny? I have never given my cats catnip but close friend was telling me that I really should let my cats try it.

Some cats don't like catnip.

My first cat had a really big does, his first time. I had just taken the little catnip ball out of the bag, filled it, and rolled it toward him. Since it have been sitting int he bag with the catnip itself, it also had catnip cust all over its outside.

He spent about 2 minutes playing with the ball, and than ran under the bed at full speed.

After that, he wouldn't go near catnip!

I use catcip alot on the cat scratching post. It draws them to that instead of your favorite arm chair. They also have catnip which is still growing. I prefer the dried stuff myself, and my cats have never wigged out. It just simply attracts a cat to a positive thing, and distracts them from something you prefer them not to do.

lol. So obviously it is not something that is going to hurt them so I will have to give it a try and see if it helps to get them to play with their toys and maybe leave the furniture alone.

I haven't heard of catnip being bad cats. Cats actually are drawn to catnip. I was told catnip is an herb of some sorts. I asked if it was harmful, and was told no by a vet. All I do know is it a helpful item when training your cat to stay away from your furniture,or anything else you want them to stay away from. If you are having issues with your cat(s) scratching your furniture, I will tell you what we did. We used just plain clear packaging tape and taped all the corners of our couch, loveseat, and chair. When they put their claws into the tape they let go and back away cause they do not like the feeling of the tape on their claws.

I have a lot of catnip growing wild in my yard and I love bringing it in for my kitties. Mystic sort of sniffs it and might love all over it and then feel feisty. Saia doesn't think it's a big deal, but Knives...our baby...is really attracted to it and he rolls all over it and eats it and such. It makes a nice minty flavored tea for humans as well!

OMG-- when I put catnip on something my cat goes crazy! She loves it- I'm not even sure what it is- but I literally have to take the item and put it up for her to stop!

I have never given cat nip to my cats either. I just don't want them to get used to having it.

Catnip is perfectly harmless. Cats react to it differently. 90% of cats have some reaction and of the rest will have some reaction to Valerian which can also effect dogs. If anyone is interested in catnip based toys why not try http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Sanian-Crystals-Empawrium for some cheap catnip toys. You can also buy catnip seeds from here as well. I've started growing it and it's very easy to do. You just have to keep your cats away from it. It smells lovely and the flowers are great for attracting pollinating insects.