valerian & catnip

[runningwolf]

Not sure where this would fit so the general section is always a safe bet

I get headaches and have sleeping problems so I often get valerian and chamomile (btw the chamomile works better on my headaches than any perscription I have ever had). Anyway the first time I brought home some valerian my cat who didn't like catnip was freaking out on the brown paper bag I brought it home in.

Friends of mine own are herbalists and own a shop. I shot him off a quick email asking him what was up. Ends up it has the same effect on cats as catnip and he mixes it with catnip and sells it as kitty crack.

And ends up there is a huge difference between store bought catnip and "fresh from the farm" catnip. My Em would not even go near store bought catnip. Friend of mine from Southern Ohio sent me some catnip for tea, it was growing wild on a fence between her property and a neighbor. My Em took one whiff of the that and was begging for some.

She'll try to go after my knock out tea if I leave it where she can get at it. When I'm putting the catnip in a mix of stuff for my sleeping tea she gives me a look like "no daddy, that's to get me zonked not for you to drink."

 

[c1atsite]

I didnt know there was a diff between regular and fresh. I just give my cats goodlife brand catnip crunchy squares

 

[runningwolf]

Most of the store bought stuff I have gotten was like green saw dust. Hard to explain what the fresh/home dried is like.... Only comparison I can come up with looks wise might be how the green stems on tomatoes are, or how dried garden herbs are a bit different from the processed dried herbs you get in the jar.

I know PetSmart sells the pots of catnip as well as cat grass. Hard part is growing it indoors (cats go crazy for it). Grow it in a container outside and the strays in the neighborhood come by and munch on it .

Like I said as well I use it myself in a tea. It doesn't get a person zonked like it does for a cat. But it does give a mint taste and a slight sedative effect which helps chamomile tea get me to sleep.

 

[orientalslave]

Catnip isn't just one type of plant - as far as I know there are quite a few cultivars and some will be stronger than others.

On the headache front, you could try taking vitamin D.  You need to make sure whatever you buy contains the right type - D3 - and 2,000 plus international units per day is a reasonable dose.  In the UK we make 10,000 IUs from 15 minutes outside on a sunny day in June.  My doctor found I was low in vitamin D and from when I started taking it I've had very few headaches.  It's cheap to buy online, mine came from Amazon.

 

[jcat]

We've got a couple of huge catnip plants in the backyard and feel like the neighborhood cat drug dealers. A lot of the neighborhood cats come every day for their fix. One thing I've noticed is that some cats have a preference for a certain stage of growth, i.e., some go mad for the new, tender leaves, while others go to town in the fall when the leaves are starting to curl and dry up. I've read that you're supposed to pull the little purplish flowers off the plant so that the leaves' "nip" is stronger, but we don't, because the bees love the flowers.

Jamie goes nuts over valerian, especially the tea bags, which is why I usually use the capsules. Of course, then I have him trying to sniff my breath. :lol3: Miezi doesn't show interest in any toys other than little valerian-stuffed pillows that the local animal shelter sells. Whenever she gets a fresh one she'll carry it around for hours, and sometimes she isn't too sure she wants to drop it so that she can eat. She'll usually spend the next couple of days rolling on it. Catnip just isn't as attractive, though she rolls in it occasionally. Jamie prefers to eat it.

 

[pat]

The active ingredient in Valerian (Valerian Officinalis - the kind I use )is  valerinone, a chemical very similar to catnip's nepetalactone (the active ingredient in catnip that cats respond to).  Not all cats are catnip responders, but may respond to valerian (or to honeysuckle).

I love catnip!  I think there is a world of difference between "on the shelf" catnip that has 1) been there who knows how long and 2) may be full of chopped stems and of questionable quality.

I long ago found a great source in Oregon that I love (and also one here in my state, WA - this source is all natural, but not certified organic yet) where the catnip is certified organic, and has just the leaves and flowers (the essential oil is most concentrated in the buds, so you want good leaf and flower catnip).

My cats have adored a blend of catnip and valerian I created in their toys, and I'm working on a new blend (not valerian or honeysuckle) of catnip plus (secret for now!).

I have FAQs on catnip, valerian and honeysuckle on my website, if anyone wants to read more about them.

 

[catapault]

Get valerian and catnip filled plague rats for your cats

http://sallypointer.com/shop/produc...id=28&osCsid=bd5aea479edd48b10ec54f422bd06d52

Alas, she's in the UK but will shp