I’ve already written about cat mint, today, we’ll take a look at another, lesser known drugs. Since not all the cats respond to all of them and they don’t respond to everything the same way. Therefore, if you didn’t succeed with cat mint, maybe you’ll be lucky with one of the following ones.
My cat responds to cat mint, but not excessively. That’s why I also wanted to try an alternative and that’s how I got to actinidia. Valerian may be used in stressful situations such as a visit to the vet or moving. Let's take a look at them.
Also known as garden valerian, garden heliotrope, setwall, all-heal and cut-finger. It is relatively well-known in the Czech Republic and you can normally buy it at the pharmacy. Since apart from cats, it is also used by people for its soothing and relaxing effects (among other things). The plant was previously used for the production of the valerian or “baldrian” drops.
The active substance that attracts cats is the enzyme actinidine. Whereas valerian calms people down and puts them to sleep, some cats are mad after it. It stimulates them and provides them with well-being and vitality. But again, not all of them. Some cats that love cat mint don’t show any interest in valerian and vice versa, some love both and some don’t respond to either of those herbs.
Effective parts are the roots and the rhizomes of valerian. Apart from the pharmacy, you can also buy valerian in pet supplies as a spray, dry in toys and it is contained even in spot-ons against stress. You can also grow valerian in the garden or go to pick it in ditches or moist willow and alder-tree bushes by streams and rivers. It can be picked throughout the whole summer up until the autumn, however, the greatest amount of effective substances is present in the root before it blooms.
Whereas cat mint smells like mint or Lemon balm, valerian smells more distinctively and less pleasantly.
These close relatives are not as wide-spread in our country, or their effect on cats, that is. However, you will find them in some e-shops with pet supplies under “Japanese catnip”. You can also see them under the names of silvervine or matabi.
Actinidia comes from China, so it’s no wonder that it is used also in Chinese medicine.
You can grow it in the garden as a vine and it usually produces fruit. The fruits are called mini kiwis and they are edible. But you have to properly protect the young seedlings from cats and expect to still have the little twigs and the root chewed.
Actinidia contains two ingredients that attract cats: actinidine, as well as valerian and dihydroactinidiolide which has a sweet tea scent. Cats are attracted by the smell of the twigs. A Japanese proverb “neko ni matatabi, joro ni koban” freely translated means “cat will be so happy with actinia as a prostitute will be with money”.
The wood of this vine usually excites even a greater euphoria in the cat than the cat mint is able to. And similarly, the effect will wear off after 5 – 30 minutes. But again, not all the cats respond to it. However, in my experience, it attracts more cats than cat mint.
Have you had the honour of trying one of these cat drugs? And was it successful with your fluffy friends?
Doing yoga with a dog, or doga in other words (the combination of “dog” and “yoga”), has become popular in the United States of America, but it has not become so popular in the Czech Republic yet. What is it about and what benefits does this sport have...
Earlier, this heart disease was attributed only to certain pure-blood breeds. Nowadays, it can even occur in cross-breeds. Another disease which reminds us of how important regular preventive check-ups at the vet are.
Days are getting colder and it is time again to prepare our furry friends who live outdoors for winter. All cats (whether they live outdoors or only go outside occasionally) need our greater attention in this season.
A Somali cat is a long-haired version of Abyssinian cat, one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. But it does not have an interesting or long history itself. Even though it is named after an African country, first Somali cats were born in the United...
Until recently, Cairn terriers were the most popular terriers in Great Britain (until they were overtaken by Westies). It comes from Scottish island Skye and it used to hunt foxes and otters here already in the times of Mary, Queen of Scots. That’s...
A team of Swedish athletes one of whom is Mikael Lindord regularly attends one of the most difficult races in the world to challenge other teams – the Adventure Racing World Championship. When Mikael and his friends stopped in the middle of an...
Each dog is an individual and has different needs. When it comes to diet, it depends on its health condition or physically demanding activities. However, we can generalize these needs to a certain degree according to a breed, age and mainly the size of...
Adopting a dog senior might save his life. They also need stable home and love which unfortunately can never be fully provided in the shelter. Nevertheless, most people who are considering adoption as an option automatically look for a puppy or at...
The International Rabbit Day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday or Sunday in September. This year, it was 22 September. This annual celebration of a cute mammal with long ears, short tail and a velvet coat is not only meant for the million of rabbits...
Do you also follow the recent trend which encourages us to come back to our roots and mind our planet more? I am personally very happy about that. More and more households live according to zero-waste and non-toxic principles and we don’t forget about...
Cats enjoying themselves in a doll house are a hit on Iceland. Their creators probably didn’t expect so much fame and first of all, they didn’t create the whole project for money, fame and for a short-time amusement. There is a much more noble purpose...
Your furry friend might get poisoned in a minute, only a few seconds of carelessness or a slow reaction is enough, especially if your dog is similar to mine and “eats everything he finds on the way”. Fortunately, my dog hasn’t been poisoned yet but I’m...
