Fascinating Change In Reaction To Catnip/silvervine

[Tobermory]

About five months ago, I adopted a semi feral three-year-old kitty from the sanctuary where I volunteer. Mocha has never quite understood the purpose of scratching posts and much prefers my area rugs. One of the many things I tried initially to lure her to her scratching posts was catnip. She showed absolutely no reaction to it. It’s like it wasn’t there. So then I tried silvervine. Same result...or lack of result. Huh, I thought. She’s one of those cats who’s immune to the stuff.

Last week, I noticed her loving on a homemade sock toy. I had just refreshed the silvervine on it for one of the other cats. Mocha had never shown much interest in it. Hmmmm. Today I put catnip on a couple of scratching posts and silvervine on another. She just now visited two of them and began to rub and scratch all over them!

She’s come so far in the past five months in terms of her socialization. She actually voluntarily stood on my lap this week for the first time, and she has begun to sleep up against me at night. She asks for attention and doesn’t flinch and scuttle away as much.

Do you think that socialization may play a role in how a cat reacts to catnip? It certainly seems to be the case for Mocha. Cats are so endlessly fascinating!

 

[weebeasties]

Congratulations on Mocha's progress! I don't know if socialization plays a roll in reaction to catnip. Possibly the cat's comfort level determines if they "let loose" enough to really enjoy it?
Rocky was a feral of 5+ years when we brought him in. I know it was a good 2 years after that before we ever saw any reaction to catnip. Sometimes he still ignores it, but other times he gets ultra hyper and will run from one end of the house to the other batting at every toy he comes across.
Our other cats "partake" in various ways. We sprinkle loose catnip around in little piles. Some of the cats eat it, while others roll around in it. They all get very excited and happy except for Zuzu. She has no reaction at all and looks very confused watching the rest of the family get blissed out on the stuff.

 

[sabrinah]

That's very interesting! I don't think socialization affects whether they like catnip. I think your kitty just needed to settle in and get comfortable before going catnip crazy. My cat is almost 15, I've had her for her entire life, and she has never liked catnip. It's actually a pretty effective repellent for her! It doesn't matter if it's fresh, dry, in treats, she doesn't like any of it and actively avoids it.

 

[rubysmama]

I don't know too much about catnip. I remember we used to give our first family cat a catnip mouse at Christmas time and he'd go silly over it.

I only gave Ruby catnip once, and she threw up the next day. Maybe just a coincidence, but I threw the catnip away, and haven't tried it since.

 

[Tobermory]

Congratulations on Mocha's progress! I don't know if socialization plays a roll in reaction to catnip. Possibly the cat's comfort level determines if they "let loose" enough to really enjoy it?
Rocky was a feral of 5+ years when we brought him in. I know it was a good 2 years after that before we ever saw any reaction to catnip. Sometimes he still ignores it, but other times he gets ultra hyper and will run from one end of the house to the other batting at every toy he comes across.
Our other cats "partake" in various ways. We sprinkle loose catnip around in little piles. Some of the cats eat it, while others roll around in it. They all get very excited and happy except for Zuzu. She has no reaction at all and looks very confused watching the rest of the family get blissed out on the stuff.

I’ve read that cats’ susceptibility to catnip is hereditary and that about 1/3 of cats don’t have the gene. Zuzu must be part of the 1/3. But I think you may be on to something with the feral/semi feral cats, weebeasties . They may finally feel comfortable or safe enough in their surroundings to go with it. Interesting.

That's very interesting! I don't think socialization affects whether they like catnip. I think your kitty just needed to settle in and get comfortable before going catnip crazy. My cat is almost 15, I've had her for her entire life, and she has never liked catnip. It's actually a pretty effective repellent for her! It doesn't matter if it's fresh, dry, in treats, she doesn't like any of it and actively avoids it.

And would this be the same kitty, sabrinah , who turns up her nose at raw? She just wants you to know she’s her own cat!

 

[Tobermory]

I don't know too much about catnip. I remember we used to give our first family cat a catnip mouse at Christmas time and he'd go silly over it.

I only gave Ruby catnip once, and she threw up the next day. Maybe just a coincidence, but I threw the catnip away, and haven't tried it since.

I noticed with Max, whom I lost last year, that he’d throw up catnip so I didn’t give it to him as loose dried leaves. He had a habit of eating spiky things when I wasn’t looking, like, say, sansevieria or dracaena or the Christmas tree and then blorting them out somewhere in the house, usually where I’d step in it. At night. In the dark. But the vomiting never occurred with a toy with the catnip inside.

 

[weebeasties]

blorting them out somewhere in the house, usually where I’d step in it. At night. In the dark. .

That's where 90% of cat vomit happens. Another 9% is on your recently dry-cleaned bedspread, and 1% is in your shoe.

 

[Tobermory]

That's where 90% of cat vomit happens. Another 9% is on your recently dry-cleaned bedspread, and 1% is in your shoe.

And see, here’s the thing. I laughed when I read this. Cat people. We’re special.

 

[sabrinah]

And would this be the same kitty, sabrinah , who turns up her nose at raw? She just wants you to know she’s her own cat!

Yep, that's the one! She also hates PureBites, which apparently every other cat in the world loves. I'm pretty sure with raw she just hates liver, so I'll be super duper slowly increasing the amount of liver mixed in with plain chicken until she gets to the right amount and she'll willingly eat her pea-sized bit. Someday she'll be eating raw meals. Someday.

 

[Tobermory]

Yep, that's the one! She also hates PureBites, which apparently every other cat in the world loves. I'm pretty sure with raw she just hates liver, so I'll be super duper slowly increasing the amount of liver mixed in with plain chicken until she gets to the right amount and she'll willingly eat her pea-sized bit. Someday she'll be eating raw meals. Someday.

I’m not sure mine are all that fond of liver either. I’ve noticed that they aren’t as enthusiastic about their food when I don’t grind the liver finely enough. Luckily, they do like PureBites, even the picky eater. Thankfully she does because she doesn’t like the beautiful rabbit grind I got from Hare Today and I have to use toppers. Sigh.

I’m looking forward to the day you tell us your kitty has transitioned to eating raw!

 

[leechi]

The same thing happened with my cat, she just recently started reacting to catnip. It’s the same bag too, that I tried several times to entice her with over a year ago. I only realized something had changed when I took out a pad of paper that had been in the drawer with the closed bag of catnip, and she started rubbing all over it.

 

[Tobermory]

The same thing happened with my cat, she just recently started reacting to catnip. It’s the same bag too, that I tried several times to entice her with over a year ago. I only realized something had changed when I took out a pad of paper that had been in the drawer with the closed bag of catnip, and she started rubbing all over it.

Was she feral or semi feral when you got her?

 

[rubysmama]

I noticed with Max, whom I lost last year, that he’d throw up catnip so I didn’t give it to him as loose dried leaves. He had a habit of eating spiky things when I wasn’t looking, like, say, sansevieria or dracaena or the Christmas tree and then blorting them out somewhere in the house, usually where I’d step in it. At night. In the dark. But the vomiting never occurred with a toy with the catnip inside.

I'll have to buy a toy with catnip inside and see if she likes, or responds, to it. The time she threw up it was loose catnip that came with a cardboard scratcher.

That's where 90% of cat vomit happens. Another 9% is on your recently dry-cleaned bedspread, and 1% is in your shoe.

Don't forget carpet. I don't know how many times I've heard the "I'm going to throw up" howl and rushed to move a poor heaving Ruby off the carpet.

 

[leechi]

Was she feral or semi feral when you got her?

No, she wasn’t feral, though I’m not certain of her background. I got her from the shelter, and was only told she had had a litter of kittens, and didn’t get along with other cats, which I’ve found to be true