Catnip is totally harmless, and the effects are non-addictive. The herb contains a volatile oil that when inhaled, causes cats to become less inhibited. It can be a great way to jump-start a play session, ease stress, use as a trust-building tool, or merely just for the joy of watching your refined feline act silly.

You can buy dried catnip at your local pet supply store or you can grow your own. When choosing catnip, look for brands that say they only use leaves and blossoms. The more stems in the catnip, the lower the quality.

Some toys come pre-filled with catnip, but if you want the freshest catnip effect, buy toys that you can stuff with catnip yourself.

The volatile oil in catnip is locked in the dried herb, so when you offer it to your cat in a toy or even just loose, rub the catnip between your fingers to release the oil.

If your cat doesn’t react to catnip, don’t assume there’s anything wrong. The catnip response is an inherited gene that about one-third of the cat population lacks. Certain cats, especially males, may also get too exuberant in their response that they get a little assertive. The first time you offer catnip in a multicat home, do so with each cat individually so you’ll know whether a specific kitty gets too revved up.

Don’t leave catnip-filled toys around all the time, and don’t offer catnip to your cats more than two or three times a week. If exposed to catnip on an ongoing basis, cats can become immune to its effects.

The catnip effect lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. After that, your cat will probably take a well-deserved nap.

For more information refer to the book Think Like a Cat or Starting from Scratch.

© 2009 Cat Behavior Associates, LLC