How do you use catnip?

[princess purr]

I have oddles and oddle of cat nip. And I was wondering what to do with it. Is it okay to put on there food? Neo seems to like to roll in it, and moemoe likes to eat it

 

[mom of 10 cats]

We just sprinkle it on a flat surface (floor, bed, couch) and watch them go! Some eat it, some rub their faces in it, some writhe on top of it.

 

[blondiecat]

Hmmmmmmm not really sure on this one. Can they eat it

I just fill up the toys with it and let them play with the toys.

 

[princess purr]

moemoe eats it

when ever I put it anyway he licks it

 

[mom of 10 cats]

Some of them eat it. It seems to be a matter of personal perference. Midnight and Lil both eat catnip,Sunshine just smells it and flops over onto it.

 

[pat]

Some folks use catnip as an appetite stimulant for their kitties, some make catnip tea (serve cooled of course) for their cats...I use extra catnip to make my own catnip toys.

Another use is to sprinkle catnip atop their favorite bed to make it into an instant "catnip mat".

Might be fun to discuss easy designs for handmade toys

 

[sicycat]

Ya they eat it

I have toys filled with catnip for Zoey. Or I just sprinkle some on the floor or hand feed it out of my hand.

 

[sammie5]

If you sprinkle dried catnip, sometimes it needs to be rubbed between your fingers to release the essential oils. I bought a big container of it, they ignored it until I remembered to rub it and crumble it into tiny pieces.

I sprinkle it on their toys, they go nuts, rolling in it, eating it, rubbing their faces on it.

 

[pat]

Originally posted by Sammie5
If you sprinkle dried catnip, sometimes it needs to be rubbed between your fingers to release the essential oils. I bought a big container of it, they ignored it until I remembered to rub it and crumble it into tiny pieces.

I sprinkle it on their toys, they go nuts, rolling in it, eating it, rubbing their faces on it.

Excellent point...it also explains why buds can be so wonderful...they have the highest concentration of oil that you will find in a catnip plant, I believe, and all it takes is a pinch of a bud, crushed for kitty catnip nirvana

 

[hissy]

Careful about mixing it in with food though, or soon you will have cats that won't eat their food unless catnip is in it. Makes for very expensive mealtimes and finicky cats. You also want to be sure if you are feeding it that it is Organic and not the processed kind that sometimes carries pesticides in it. Best thing to do is fill an old sock with it, tie off the end and toss it out in the center of the room.

 

[pat]

Originally posted by hissy
Careful about mixing it in with food though, or soon you will have cats that won't eat their food unless catnip is in it. Makes for very expensive mealtimes and finicky cats. You also want to be sure if you are feeding it that it is Organic and not the processed kind that sometimes carries pesticides in it. Best thing to do is fill an old sock with it, tie off the end and toss it out in the center of the room.

Another reason for buying organic, or at least, from a grower not using herbicides (as one producer in West Virginia does not do..farms in an "old fashioned" healthy way that I would trust, but they are not certified organic).

Frankly, though I will use it as an appetite stimulant, it is not recommended for regular use as you say, and that is from a grower/distributor I trust highly, since catnip is his business (and the topic of his master's thesis).

 

[mom of 10 cats]

Actually, in our house, it's not so much "How do you use catnip" as "How the heck do you hide it from the cats once they've had enough?"

 

[bren.1]

I grow my own catnip so the girls have a fresh supply, and I dry some for the winter. Molly likes to roll in it then eat it, Faile just eats it.

 

[sammie5]

Mine get cat nip about once a week, usually if they seem to be at loose ends or need something new to do. And I buy the organic kind.

I also have a huge patch growing in the garden, its just ready to cut back. Sam loves eating the flowers when its growing. But they both ignore the fresh leaves. They love the smell of my hands after I have been gardening, but I think the smell of fresh cat nip is too strong for them.

 

[princess purr]

Originally posted by hissy
Careful about mixing it in with food though, or soon you will have cats that won't eat their food unless catnip is in it. Makes for very expensive mealtimes and finicky cats. You also want to be sure if you are feeding it that it is Organic and not the processed kind that sometimes carries pesticides in it. Best thing to do is fill an old sock with it, tie off the end and toss it out in the center of the room.

The kind I use or organic and I can get it pretty cheap because it is one of the things i sell

that is why I have so much of it

 

[pat]

Originally posted by Princess Purr
The kind I use or organic and I can get it pretty cheap because it is one of the things i sell

that is why I have so much of it

Me too

 

[hermoine]

Help. I got some seed packets from one of the sites here but so far have had no luck getting it to sprout. The info said nothing needed to get it to grow??????

Well

I need help to get it to grow. Glad Ididn't plant all the seeds

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[ghostuser]

Lokis' toungue is so flipping funny when get on catnip. He flipps it all the out and then leaves it hang for a second or two then rolls it back in, he looks like a cartoon character.

Prudence has to have hers in a seperate room. She gets really, really violent. She'll start fights with the others and the dog, but when she has it alone in the bedroom she's fine. We throw in toys and she has a blast.

The Kitten is just now starting "to feel it" so he takes 2 wiffs and is all laid back, but he still protects his own. Kinda like bogarts it for later.

The other 3 just do all the fore mentioned things eating, rolling, then going crazy.Funny stuff Funny.

 

[jellybelly]

i detect some drug users up in here! i grow my own and JB will roll over it munch on it to the point there is nothing then we start the cycle of growing it.

Hermoine, i think you need soil

just kidding, well from seed it takes a few weeks, the main thing is to not overcover with soil otherwise it won't get any sun and to water it consistently, not drown it but make sure its moist, till you see the buds shooting out. so sprinkle some on top of a pot of soil and barely push them in the soil, enough to just cover them, water with a sprinkler, you can add diluted food to start them off like some miracle gro or whatever you use, stick them in the sun or partial sun and wait and water and wait. Also, depends on where you bought the seeds, after a year or so the seeds won't grow, at least with my delayed experience.

 

[hermoine]

Jelly
I just ordered them from catnipetc.com in June.
I just sprinkled on top of a couple pots and just pushing down with finger, not deep. I use a spray bottle to mist at least 2x a day. No sprouts. It has been over 2 weeks.

I hate seeds. Wish I could get a couple plants. I have catmint but don't think this is the same thing. That is all I can find around here.

Thanks