# What is Catnip?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-catnip/185494>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-catnip/185494 "2003-07-01T03:16:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-catnip/185494/1 "2003-07-01T03:16:42Z")

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Catnip (the stuff that makes cats go mad) is a type of a certain herb, can anyone tell me what it is?

Thanks in advance,

Ben.

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**Author:** ![Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horrifying_Howler_Monkey)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-catnip/185494/2 "2003-07-01T03:18:42Z")

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Latin name is Nepeta cataria, it’s a type of mint.

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**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-catnip/185494/3 "2003-07-01T04:26:14Z")

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Check this out: [http://www.howstuffworks.com/question303.htm](http://www.howstuffworks.com/question303.htm)

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-catnip/185494/4 "2003-07-01T04:28:33Z")

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[How does catnip work?](http://www.howstuffworks.com/question303.htm)  
The active ingredient is a chemical called [Nepetalactone](http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa103001a.htm).

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**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-catnip/185494/5 "2003-07-01T07:15:05Z")

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I’ve heard it causes a sexual reaction in the cat, kinda like a kitty arphodesiac. I wonder if it’s true.