# Is it morally wrong to give my cat catnip? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193 "2005-10-27T19:43:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/21 "2005-10-28T03:23:08Z")
> [@](#): > > PLANT DESCRIPTION: Catnip (fig. 7) has all the characteristic earmarks of a member of the mint family: stems square in cross-section, leaves opposite and fragrant, and small flowers in tight clusters at the ends of branches. This perennial herb may grow up to 3 feet tall and be highly branched. The gray-green to green leaves are heart-shaped with scalloped edges and are often crowded toward the top of the plant. The flowers are white, dotted with purple, two-lipped, and produce four tiny, dark nutlets per flower. > > SIGNS: Only cats are affected, and some cats are affected more than others. Aromatic oils and the monoterpene, nepetalactone, cause the signs. Cats will rub and sometime ingest the plant, and then act “drunk” or “wild” for up to an hour or more. **No lasting toxicity is reported. If excessive amounts are ingested, vomiting and diarrhea can result, but the signs are self-limiting. Catnip can be considered as a legal recreational drug for cats!** > > FIRST AID: None is required. > > SAFETY IN PREPARED FEEDS: Not applicable. > > PREVENTION: Catnip is safe, however avoid excessive ingestion since vomiting or diarrhea may occur. (Emphasis mine.) Source: [http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant07.htm](http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant07.htm) If Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Science says it’s OK, who am I to argue? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/22 "2005-10-28T04:02:16Z")
It’s morally wrong to give your cat his first hit free if you plan on charging him for the future ones, but other than that you’re okay. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/23 "2005-10-28T04:26:31Z")
I can see no harm in it. The cat enjoys it, there are no negative side effects. Perhaps the OP is expressing concern about being amused by a stoned cat? I see no harm there either. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/24 "2005-10-28T10:47:00Z")
I have noticed, after Tiger gets a new hit of catnip, that there are a staggering amount of empty pizza boxes laying about and cheech and chong playing on the turntable. I’m not sure if this is all connected. Anywhooo, Being that my cat has chewed thru all the cat nip toys ( I strongly suspect he has never had it in his four years of life prior to coming to his new home.) I just give him a pinch or so of the dried stuff. No ill effects and no incessant babbling of Grand Ideas…yet. Now onto my new question: Does cat nip affect Lions (and other big felines) as well? Have the zoo animals ever been given this? ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/25 "2005-10-28T11:50:28Z")
What plant is catnip related to? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/26 "2005-10-28T12:26:06Z")
> [@BluePitbull](#): > > What plant is catnip related to? Catnip is in the mint family, so it’s related to peppermint, spearmint, et al. We had to put one of our cats on a 12-step program. She gets the munchies when she’s stoned on the nip, and got simply too huge for her own good. We had to stage a kitty intervention. It was ugly - the fur was flying! (OK, not so much. But we do limit her to once or twice a month now.) I use catnip tincture (Alcohol extract) medicinally, and one day came home to a shattered bottle on the kitchen floor. Somehow, she had smelled the nip in extract form through a glass bottle and pushed the bottle to the edge of the counter and off. The bottle broke, and I came home to a deleriously happy and wet kitty lying in the middle of a pool of catnip, drunk and high as a loon. I now keep the catnip tincture in a locked closet. Seriously. She was like a junkie trying to find more. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/27 "2005-10-28T13:40:09Z")
cats should take moral responsibility for their own problems and not expect the guvmint to solve all their problems for them…oh, hang on, wrong board. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/28 "2005-10-28T16:15:45Z")
Oh! Where can I buy a bottle of the stuff? What medical use does it have? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/29 "2005-10-28T16:22:15Z")
The dangers of catnip. My Sister had a cat named Pook. He was a largew and fierce cat. The neighbor had a nice herb garden including a catnip plant. The ruffian of a cat, ripped the plants out including the roots and brought it home. Just say no to Catnip. After all it is a gateway drug. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/30 "2005-10-28T16:30:09Z")
> [@Snakescatlady](#): > > I sure hope it’s not bad to give them catnip, 'cause if it is I’m in for serious trouble in the Afterlife. > > I’ve never seen any bad effects from it, and anything that can make the cats that happy, and make me laugh that much, can’t be too bad. > > Catnip tea is good for colic in babies, too. **jrfranchi** , does your sister live in Georgia? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/31 "2005-10-28T16:37:10Z")
> [@Snakescatlady](#): > > **jrfranchi** , does your sister live in Georgia? No, this was in the Highlands in NJ. Mr. Pook is now long dead, this happened around 1982. The good news is despite his addiction and penchant for fighting larger creatures, he lived to be 20. ---
**Author:** ![Mint\_Julep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@Mint\_Julep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mint_Julep)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/32 "2005-10-28T17:29:00Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > My cat once chewed through the plastic bag to get to the catnip. She’d also ingest it. I double bagged. Catnip inside of a bag, inside of a ziplock bag…and kitty chewed through both! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/33 "2005-10-28T18:33:31Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Oh! Where can I buy a bottle of the stuff? What medical use does it have? [herb geek hijack] Catnip is usesful for colds and coughs (it reduces muscle spasm and loosens mucus), headaches and easing tension and promoting sleep. It’s also good for digestion and upset tummies in much the same way peppermint is. It’s a carminative, and is used for gas pains and colic in infants and young children. It’s calming (to humans!) and may be helpful along with lemon balm in treatment of ADHD in children. Best brewed from fresh cut plants, it can also be used in tincture or dried tea form. The essential oil of catnip (very hard to find), is a bug repellent shown to be more effective than DEET in laboratory tests. It is especially good at repelling cockroaches! google **catnip medicinal** for more information and cites. [Insert standard herbal disclaimer here. Check with your doctor before taking any herbs, even though he’s not trained in their use. :rolleyes:] [/hgh] Try storing your dried catnip in a ziplock bag in the freezer. It actually keep longer (give it a rub between your fingers to release all those yummy essential oils when you give it to your cat.) and, until cats figure out how to grow opposable thumbs or work in teams, they can’t open freezer doors. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/34 "2005-10-28T18:45:51Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > …snip… > Try storing your dried catnip in a ziplock bag in the freezer. It actually keep longer (give it a rub between your fingers to release all those yummy essential oils when you give it to your cat.) and, until cats figure out how to grow opposable thumbs or work in teams, they can’t open freezer doors. I have actually seen cats work as a team to open stuff up and break things open. Even a cat & dog team to get fortune cookies. (Why I do not know). But I have never seen a cat get a freezer open. I have seen a dog that could open a fridge door with his nose. So watch out if your cat and dog get along, they might outsmart you. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/35 "2005-10-28T23:45:12Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > there have never (to my knowledge) any reports of harmful side effects > if there were, i doubt the stuff would still be available OTC > BTW - i read/heard somewhere only about 10% of cats actually react to it > Smokey has a mild reaction, I know of two that don’t at all Actually, my vet says it’s 10-20% that _don’t_ react. I have one that loves it and one that thinks I’m nuts for pouring dust on her blanky. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/36 "2005-10-31T14:39:12Z")
We would rub catnip on the carpeted scratching board for one of our cats, and she would writhe all over it for 10-15 minutes, drooling copiously and ending up all damp and spike-furred. Then she would have to sleep it off, then have a thorough bath all over. Kept her occupied for hours. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/37 "2005-10-31T22:34:09Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > there have never (to my knowledge) any reports of harmful side effects > if there were, i doubt the stuff would still be available OTC You mean, like tobacco? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/38 "2005-11-01T01:21:32Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Now onto my new question: Does cat nip affect Lions (and other big felines) as well? Have the zoo animals ever been given this? The answers are “yes” and “yes.” In my misspent youth I went often to the zoo, and often engaged in antisocial acts which would have been frowned upon had I been busted. I used to bring small squares of terry cloth and spray tincture of catnip (haven’t seen it in a while, catnip aerosol) and I would hose the cloths down and poke them into the cat cages. All the cats, from servals to Siberian tigers went batshit for it. Generally it all worked out well, but one nasty male jaguar swatted the hell out of a female to get the cloth away from her. I felt bad about that one. You haven’t seen funny until you’ve seen a bunch of lions goofing on the nip, man… I also used to bring my chihuahua to the zoo with me zipped into a carrybag–this also perks up big cats, especially getting barked at. Did you know tiny dogs can tree cougars? Very odd, that. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/39 "2005-11-01T01:44:31Z")
Is it immoral to feed a dehydrated cat water from an Anheuser-Bush water can? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193/40 "2005-11-01T03:25:38Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Oh! Where can I buy a bottle of the stuff? What medical use does it have? Before you go ahead and buy some, you might want to check and see if its legal in Saudi Arabia. I wouldn’t want to hear of your cat getting its right paw chopped off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-wrong-to-give-my-cat-catnip/328193.md?page=3)