When do kittens start liking catnip?

Just curious; when will my kitten start liking catnip? My vet told me that kittens under five months can't smell / don't react to catnip. Harriett is now five months, but there's still no reaction from her(I'm trying to attract her to her new scratching post). Maybe she just doesn't like it?

Persi will be five months old tomorrow. So far he has no interest in catnip, but I have read that he will not until he is six months old, if ever, as some cats will never respond to it. Other cats that I have had all loved the stuff, so I am just waiting...

I wouldn't worry yet Katherine. Mine were around 8 or 9 months old before they got the catnip crazies...now they are both fanatics and tear apart their catnip toys lol. And that's been the approximate age for my other cats as well.

Well it depends. If your kitten didn't inherit the proper genes, it won't matter how old it is, it won't be a catnip responder. If it did inherit the necessary genes, then it depends on when your kitten begins to mature sexually...and that can vary from 4 months up to 6 ot 7 (depending on breed or the mix of breeds behind your kitten, as various breeds mature at very different ages).

Keep offering it, and if by the age of 1 you still see no reponse, try one of the catnip alternatives - honeysuckle or valerian.

My little, petite Saba loves catnip, but only if it's in a sock!
My Sammy is 8, and has no clue.

My kittens loved catnip from the first time I introduced it at the age of five weeks. I bought the dried plant and put in there sleeping places and they rolled around in really rubbing it in to therir fur.

Since we both have kittens the same age and since we are both wondering, I researched this and here is what I came up with:

Although most kittens don't react to catnip until they are about 6 months old, I have had fosters that got turned on as early as 6 weeks. Some kitties get sleepy, and others become wired. Your kiteen may experience euphoria for 10 to 15 minutes. Catnip is not chemically addictive like a drug. But like candy, it sure is fun.

Hmm. My kitty, Peach seems to like catnip, or maybe she just likes the toys.

She was born in May, and she's OBSESSED with these 1 inch glittery puff balls that are filled with catnip. Maybe it's the glitter?

But, she also likes her scratch mat that has catnip inside.

All I can say is my information on catnip comes from what I've learned from a grower and a person with their Masters degree in the chemical properties of catnip and I trust his research completely. I guess there are a few exceptions to the age rule.

Just thought I'd share what I'd been taught and learned.

Mosi reacted to catnip from the moment I got him at 14 weeks (and the breeder mentioned he liked catnip toys before then). It seems to depend on the individual cat.

Abi is catnip immune, still at one year. She does respond to the a honeysuckle spray however.

Originally Posted by urbantigers

Mosi reacted to catnip from the moment I got him at 14 weeks (and the breeder mentioned he liked catnip toys before then). It seems to depend on the individual cat.

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I just wanted to say how gorgeous your kitties are and the colors on your siggy are just perfect for them!


...and now back to the catnip.

Chynna didn't adopt me until she was about 1 year old but she loved catnip! Abby came to live with us when she was 4 months old and she hadn't had catnip before that, but she absolutely loved it once she got done sneezing, LOL

I don't give them catnip everyday because I don't want them to get so used to it that the playful effect wears off, so I give it to them once or twice a week.

Something funny happened with the catnip tonight. My cats only tolerate one another so when I give them treats I have to give them each a portion separate and away from each other otherwise Chynna will nose in and steal Abby's. Tonight I decided to give them some catnip and put some down on the corner of the rug for Abby and then on the other side of the rug I put some inside the track of one of those plastic circles that has a ball inside that they can bat around inside the circle (Chynna really likes that one).

As I was putting the catnip back into the fridge Abby was following me around so I decided to sprinkle a bit more for her on one of her real fur mice. Well, Chynna waddled up (she's a fat cat) and took over the mouse from Abby (Chynna never plays with the fur mice), so I sprinkled a bit more on a felt catnip mouse for Abby. Less than 10 minutes later I see Abby sitting on the rug looking at me with a less than pleased expression on her face . I then noticed that Chynna had pushed the plastic circle toy to the spot on the rug where I had sprinkled the catnip for Abby, and gathered up the 2 mice and was laying on the rug so Abby couldn't get to her share of the catnip

Teddy is 9 years old and has ZERO reaction to catnip!

PJ goes nuts for it (and other things, particularly flaked parsley).

Tink was six months old when she started reacting to it...I think Minnie was about four. The others we got at six months and older, so I can't give an accurate answer for them.