Catnip, or Nepeta cataria, is a common herb that is a member of the mint family.
Cats have an extra scent organ called the vomeronasal gland in the roof of their mouth. This special pathway allows scents that are collected in the nose and mouth to be carried to the brain.
Nepetalactone is the oil that’s found within the catnip plant’s leaves that can cause behavioral changes in cats. For a cat to be exposed to this substance, they have to smell the catnip.
Not all cats will respond to the active compound in catnip. Veterinary studies suggest that about 60% of cats will have a behavioral reaction to catnip.
Catnip effects will vary in length, depending on the cat. Usually, the behaviors associated with smelling catnip will last for around 10 minutes and then wear off gradually.
It could then take 30 minutes without smelling catnip for the cat to become susceptible to the effects again.~petmd.com
I retired from public school teaching after happily spending twenty eight years playing in Kindergarten. Now I fill my days watching cat antics, taking endless...
