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Catnip, good or bad?

post #1 of 27
2/11/10 at 1:40pm
Thread Starter 
Does anyone here already tried using catnip as a toy for their cats?
Is there any bad effects to your cats?
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post #2 of 27
2/11/10 at 3:24pm
No there are no bad effects, unless you consider "going crazy" like my cats do a bad thing!

It is a great way to get sedentary cats moving. I grow it and the feral cats used to flatten it down by rolling in it.

Don't hesitate to let your kitty enjoy this. All I do is ask my cats "I have catnip, anyone want any?" and they all come running.

Enjoy!
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post #3 of 27
2/11/10 at 3:30pm
All I have to do is ask "Who wants 'nip?" and I have a stampede.
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post #4 of 27
2/11/10 at 3:31pm
I don't know if it's good or bad, but it's hilarious!!!!!
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post #5 of 27
2/11/10 at 3:31pm
My cats love it, I put in on all the approved scratching spots regularly. I've also found it to be great when introducing a new cat to the bunch, they're all so happy they forget to squabble.
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post #6 of 27
2/11/10 at 4:22pm
I need to try catnip with Holland again. I got her some when I first adopted her and she had no interest at all. Then I read somewhere that kittens often don't react to it. She could use some "going crazy" exercise since she doesn't really like to play much.
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post #7 of 27
2/11/10 at 5:34pm
hehe I think its fun to put some down for my cats and watch them all roll around and go nuts..

and the dog looks at them with this confused look like "what is their problem? what are they so happy about? I see no food?.. is it some magical food that only cats get? no fair!" He acts like he's missing out on some great thing and just doesnt understand. The dog's reaction is just as amusing as watching the cats.
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post #8 of 27
2/11/10 at 5:56pm
Catnip is not a controlled substance.

Let them have as much as they want. Life is short — and their lives are even shorter!
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post #9 of 27
2/11/10 at 6:00pm
The only negative thing that I've ever experienced with catnip was that it got a couple of my cats so excited that they would hump and pee on the toys that had catnip in/on them. Oh, and Taylor ran into a wall once and then fell over (however she has cerebellar hypoplasia so she's naturally uncoordinated )

(haha this reminds me of a bumper sticker on facebook that a friend sent me. It says something like: If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will??? )
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post #10 of 27
2/11/10 at 7:40pm
Nuts loves it and acts crazy on it. I have no idea is Attitude responds since Nuts always gets hers(on her scratching post) before she does. He will run from his to hers if he knows catnip is involved despite the fact that I just gave him some on his(it's how I get him to use the cardboard scratcher. He prefers his sisal one.)

I need to get more, I keep forgetting to go to Petco or Petsmart and get more.

Taryn
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post #11 of 27
2/11/10 at 9:11pm
Some cats get mellow... some get hyper.. I see both effects in my household. Archie is my biggest nip-head! Loves the stuff!!
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post #12 of 27
2/11/10 at 10:04pm
Some cats do get really aggressive with it. Growing up, we had one cat who we couldn't give catnip to because he would just attack our other cat. Just start with small amounts (like a thumb/forefinger pinch each) and see what happens.

If it's contained within a toy (like a mouse or whatever), they shouldn't have as strong a reaction.
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post #13 of 27
2/12/10 at 3:21am
Thread Starter 
LOL! that was really amazing, I wish I could give him some.
Anyway, does every cat likes it?
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post #14 of 27
2/12/10 at 3:39am
Most cats do, but I would say maybe two in ten don't seem too interested in my own experience. I am a catnip PHD you know!

The dry is just fine, but when I grew my own, they really went nuts! But like one of the posters said, my cat Fetch likes to go and knock his sister and mother over and start wrestling with them. He can get a little over stimulated!
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post #15 of 27
2/12/10 at 3:29pm
Our three all love it, and as far as I know it has no deleterious effects. I saw a thing on PBS once where some scientist did MRIs on cats exposed to nip, and it affected the same areas of the brain that affects human brains that have been exposed to THC - so cats really do get high from it. luckily they don't have to smoke it so the bad effects of pulling particulates and tar into the lungs are avoided!
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post #16 of 27
2/13/10 at 4:54am
Thread Starter 
And how much is it?
Is it expensive?
Is it available in any pet shop?
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post #17 of 27
2/13/10 at 5:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystik Spiral View Post
I need to try catnip with Holland again. I got her some when I first adopted her and she had no interest at all. Then I read somewhere that kittens often don't react to it. She could use some "going crazy" exercise since she doesn't really like to play much.
What kind of Games have you tried playing with Holland? Maybe I can help you get her moving!

back on topic, I, too, grow cat nip and my cats love making forts out of the cat nip bushes in the summer time (I take them out harnessed and supervised in their fenced in little yard)

They also have many cat nip pillows, both home made, and ones I buy from a specific place up in Maine: "Maine Coon Cat Nip".
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post #18 of 27
2/13/10 at 1:51pm
Otto, I have tried several things with Holland. I've got several different wand toys, with feathers, fleece, bells... she will be interested in them for a few minutes and then be done with them. She loves her little furry mice so I tied one of them to a string and tried to get her to chase it, no dice. She was into the laser light that I got her for a while but hasn't shown interest in that at all for a few months.

Honestly, I think getting her teeth pulled/stomatitis fixed will go a long way toward this issue. Last night I was actually able to engage her in play for about 10 minutes, which is a long time for her, in my experience. She loves to run around my condo, and when she's in "that" kind of mood, she will take off like a shot when I approach her, but I'm not 100% sure if my chasing her is fun or scary for her... When she's in this mood she will chase toys that I throw for her, and sometimes play with them, sometimes not. I just can't keep her engaged in any activity for any length of time.

It's not like she's overweight (her doctor actually wants her to GAIN about a pound) but she just doesn't play very much. If you have any advice, I'd love to hear it!!
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post #19 of 27
2/13/10 at 2:18pm
Aya is one of those cats who unfortunately seems to be immune to nip. She couldn't care less about it. Which is too bad as it is a good way to entertain them and get them to do things like sratch where you want them too.
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post #20 of 27
2/13/10 at 4:14pm
We have loads of catnip in our yard so we harvest it all through the growing season, it is a weed and it is so easy to cultivate there's no need to buy the stuff. I'm sure you can order seed online or get it from a nursery. Ours, however, was just there when we bought the house and we just allowed it to spread.
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post #21 of 27
2/14/10 at 5:53am
Thread Starter 
wow, great! I thought catnip is a rare weed.
I want to grow some too...

Oh! Does catnip has effect on human?
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post #22 of 27
2/14/10 at 7:02am
You can make a tea out of catnip for human consumption it is said to relieve stress and have calming affects.

Cat nip is a mint, and will cross breed with other mint. I periodically have to pull out all plants and restart them, as there is wild mint growing around here, and the cat nip loses it's potency from cross breeding.

I do wear gloves when I am working with my harvested and dried cat nip because after a couple of hours of having my hands in it I start to feel a little light headed.
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post #23 of 27
2/14/10 at 4:37pm
When I just had Fatman and Hercules only Fatman was interested in catnip. I used a spray and just a bag of dried nip and he would go bonkers. Hercules didnt care about it till we got GiGi and she showed him the wild side of being nipped out! Now all three love it!!!!

*I almost got in trouble from having a store bought baggie of catnip because probation thought it was a bag of pot!! Thank heavens I saved the box and had the toy that it came with so I could show him ummm yeah not mine its the cats I swear!! Thankfully the probation officer knows how bonkers I am about my cats Id go to jail for them in a heartbeat* But it still wasnt mine LOL
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post #24 of 27
2/15/10 at 7:07am
Thread Starter 
Wow I wish Charlie would experience it too! From the day he was born, his only toy or playmate is my dog!

uuhmm..Does catnip has effects on dogs?
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post #25 of 27
2/23/10 at 10:22am
my three all love it. i grow it too, and store the dried leaves in a big jar, in which i also store a few of their fuzzy balls. when i don't have time for the cleanup of a full-blown loose catnip party (ha), i just give them the strongly catnip infused balls to play with. same effect.

i find one of the funniest parts of the whole catnip experience to be the after effects. the catnip hangover. it's all lively, wild and chaotic one minute, then the next there's 3 lifeless little bodies laying there, all covered with catnip, and sleeping.
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post #26 of 27
2/26/10 at 5:41pm
Thread Starter 
I still can't give some to my Charlie...
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post #27 of 27
3/9/10 at 4:19pm
Ive always have liked to give my pets treats for there good behavior but when i gave catnip to my cat Leo i was amazed. You definetly see a change in your cats behavior after giving them catnip and from what i hear there are no negetive side effects. enjoy!

-Jasonsol
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