Every cat owner has certainly already heard of cat mint, catnip or catswort. Under all these names hides a herb that makes most of the cats “high”.
Nepeta cataria, that is cat mint, is a wild-growing perennial herb that comes from southern Europe. Cat mint is related to mint. Its up to one meter tall bushes thrive in dry, sunny places and they bloom from late spring until the autumn. It is not popular among cat lovers only. It smells nice to people, it is grown as a decorative plant and a medicinal herb. It can also be used for a soothing tea, for instance (careful, pregnant women may not have it – it supports uterine contractions and bleeding).
Cats are mainly interested in the above-the-ground part of the plant, both fresh and dried. A lot of cats are a little crazy about it. They cuddle with it, roll around it, salivate excessively. This is caused by the nepetalactone silica that is released and that gets into the cat’s organism by inhalation.
If cats sniff cat mint, their pupils usually stretch rapidly and their behaviour subsequently changes to the typical behaviour that is caused by stimulating effects of the plant. And on the contrary, when they eat cat mint, it works as a sedative and the cats will calm down. They usually nibble it so that more essential oil that contains nepetalactone would be released by disruption of the structure of the leaves and the stem.
But some cats (a third to a half) don’t respond to cat mint at all. Breeds that don’t come from areas where cat mint grows naturally often have a lesser interest in this plant: Siamese and Burmese cats, for instance. Since response to cat mint is a matter of genetics and it is hereditary. Little enthusiasm is also shown by older cats and kittens that are yet to reach sexual maturity. Apart from cats, tigers or lynxes also respond to cat mint.
However, you don’t have to worry that your fluffy friend could be hurt by this herb in any way. It doesn’t have any side effects and it’s not addictive. The “intoxication” wears off by itself after 5 – 20 minutes and the cat has to rest for an hour before it starts to get interested in the herb again.
You can get it already dried, in spray or sewed in in toys. But its growing isn’t difficult. It will thrive in a garden or a flower box outside the window (it might be an issue if a “high” cat gets to it and manages to destroy it sooner than the plant grows properly).
If you plant it in the garden, take into account, that it spreads by underground vines. If you don’t like for it to spread uncontrollably around the garden, hitch the roots of the plant in a flowerpot.
It is picked when in bloom and dried in heat, dry and darkness – this way, maximum of the essential oil is retained. It is kept in the dark, since the sunlight destroys the active substance contained. A freshly picked cat mint can also be frozen.
Does your cat belong among those that get “high” on cat mint or is it indifferent to it? If you didn’t succeed with cat mint, don’t lose hope. Next time, I will introduce you to more cat drugs ;).
Food is one of the most basic needs of dogs as well as humans. How to make sure your dog has enough necessary nutrients? And if you opt for dry food, what options are there? And what to consider when choosing?
Most of us care about the contents of the packages with dry food but have you ever thought about the packaging itself? Do you know what is used for the packaging of dry food, how different are individual materials and what innovations can you find on...
You can recognize a Burmese cat mainly because of its silky fur and beautiful, deep gloss with typical signs of a colour that is not present in any other breed. Besides its glossy fur, this breed has also a great nature which makes these cats great...
Dachshunds, from smooth-haired, wire-haired and short-haired to long-haired, are popular companions and not only in the Czech Republic but in the world as well. And they are great companions! Even though they are quite stubborn.
Cats may bite from many reasons and if you would like to make this undesirable behaviour stop, it is important to understand why they do it. The fundamental thing is to eliminate the cause but we can also help with other things.
Do you like baking and you have noone to bake for? You probably haven’t thought about your dog companion. However, you might also make some tasty and healthy goodies at home for it as well. I’ll tell you how.
Only a few per cent of loss of water may cause serious problems for your dog. However, we often don’t pay attention to its drinking and underestimate its importance. When there is a risk of dehydration, do you know how to avoid it or recognize it?
Dry food with larger proportion of meat might not only have positive effects on dogs’ organisms, when processed well, it will also make happy even the pickiest gourmets that usually don’t like dry food. Thanks to a holistic approach, you’ll keep the...
The days are getting warmer and our dogs and cat starts to shed. This has a negative impact on your household with all the hair. Have you found a way to reduce the contamination with hair at least a bit and speed up the process of shedding?...
Do you also barely resist the temptation to cuddle a dog, no matter if yours or someone else’s? It’s no surprise, a new study shows that such contact with a dog is like a drug for human brain.
There are plenty of reasons why we get flat-faced dogs. For their specific appearance, great nature, loyal love to their owner... And maybe also for their need of constant attention that makes us feel well. The flat-faced dogs are simply cute....
Brown rats, mice and hamsters as well as other rodents are quite small pets and sometimes, we don’t even think about dealing with them being overweight. However, if we like our pets and we want them to be well and stay with us as long as possible,...
