I got my two kitties a Christmas stocking which had several catnip toys in it AND a small container of catnip. I opened the container and pinched a little of the catnip to give them. My s.o. says “they’ll o.d. on that stuff.” I wasn’t planning to spoon-feed it to them, but I got to wondering - can a cat o.d. on it? And, does catnip eventually lose it’s scent? They seem to have lost interest in the toys that are stuffed with it.
Like most drug addicts, your cats just need a larger dose to get the same high! Just kidding. I don’t know thing one about cats…sorry!
That’s okay squee, thanks for the thought. Since they get the “high” (or whatever it is they get) from sniffing the stuff, I don’t think a larger dose would matter. I think it just needs to be fresh. BTW, in case it isn’t clear in the o.p., the question is, if they EAT too much of it (and what’s “too much”?), can they o.d.
The dried stuff loses its punch pretty quickly. We grow a patch of it and keep our two cats pretty well fixed throughout the summer. They have to go cold turkey in the winter though.
One cat loves the stuff – we pick a few sprigs and he eats some and rolls around in the rest. The other cat doesn’t seem to care for it. (At least while we’re watching.)
I don’t think they can OD on it – if they could, Mickey would have done it by now.
Do your cats a favor and try to get them some fresh stuff. Bud. You know.
I think they can. I’ve had a couple of cats that when they got their first taste of catnip they went hog-wild on it, then after that they wouldn’t go near the stuff. My theory is that I let them have too much and they o.d. and either got ill or a helluva hangover after they came down.
I never could get the hang of Thursdays. - Arthur Dent
Nope, cats can’t ‘OD’ on catnip. However, after they’ve ‘come down’ from their ‘high’, there seems to be an ‘unexcitable’ period during which they won’t respond to it again. Depends on the individual cat, but it seems to be at least several hours.
Otherwise, as far as anyone knows its perfectly harmless, non-addictive, and fun for the cat.
Other interesting facts about catnip: Not every cat will react to it. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, so a cat that hasn’t inherited at least one copy of the gene will just ignore the stuff.
Also, young kittens (under 8 weeks) usually do not respond to catnip, and will actually avoid it. This reaction can persist up to 3 months of age.
Some cats, especially whole males, will show a similar euphoric reaction to Valerian Root, which is sometimes given to show cats as a calming agent. But Valerian Root stinks to high heaven - stick with the catnip.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
What about Lions and Tigers and Pumas (OK I don’t know care about Pumas I just like the word Puma) do they respond to Catnip
You know, Markxxx, I don’t know - I had a serval living here for awhile and he didn’t seem too excited about the stuff.
But, I know where to ask - I’ll get back to you if I find out anything!
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
My cats like catnip (especially fresh) and despite their easy access to it, they’ve not yet overdosed themselves as far as I can tell.
They don’t seem to be very interested in the powered valarian root that I introduced to them though…
Krispy Original – voted SDMB’s 19th most popular poster (1999)
Markxxx, I’ve read that the big cats have the same reaction to catnip as their little cousins. You think your cat acts funny when he gets high, just imagine what happens when Simba gets into the stuff.
Or do I mean Kimba?
Keep it, fresh or dried, in the freezer. Keeps the essential oils from dissipating so quickly, and keeps the punch in the dope.
Well, Markxxx, I asked the catnip question on Felines-L, a discussion list about wild felines. Many of the members are sanctuary owners, zoo employees, and participants in captive breeding programs, so the info should be pretty accurate.
Both large and small wild cat species react to catnip in a manner similar to that of domestic cats. It appears to be an inherited trait, as in domestic cats, and only certain individuals in all species will respond. Species specifically mentioned as being observed going nuts over catnip are: Siberian Lynx, Lion, Tiger, Cougar, Serval, and Snow Leopard. One member said that one of the funniest things she had ever seen was a pride of lions with some fresh catnip plants - only two or three of the lions were excited, and the other pride members sat around and watched them as though they were crazy. They couldn’t seem to figure out what all the excitement was about!
It was also mentioned that many of the big cats will have a catnip-like reaction to cedar branches or shavings.
BTW, Krispy, I can’t believe you tried the valerian root after I mentioned how bad it smells! You must be a devoted cat slave! I guess I should have explained that the cats that had the biggest reaction here were whole males. I’m not saying there’s a definite connection, but one of the chemicals secreted by a female cat in heat is valeric acid, and the odor is very similar to that of powdered valerian root . . .
But maybe the name similarity is just a coincidence.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle