Catnip.....

Walking by the pet section today, I decided to give catnip another try....

Catnip aka Nepeta is a type of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. This type of grass is known to stimulate the cats' pheromonic receptors.

Catnip is native to Europe, Asia and Africa with the highest species diversity in the Mediterrenean region. It is common in North America as a type of weed. They have tubular shaped flowers which are normally blue, pink or purple.

Catnip contains a ype of terpene that is sensed by the cats olfactory epithelium ( tissues in the nose). Draws reactions such as pawing, purring, scratching, rolling, rubbing, licking and salivating from cats. Takes a few minutes to take effect on the cat (or until the cat loses interest) and probably about 2 hours for the cat to reset.

Not all cats are intersted in catnip. This is usually a hereditary trait. About two-thirds or domestic cats are affected by catnip.

The last time I introduced catnip to the cat, she went nuts....plenty of clawing (too young + sharp claws = not good!!!)

Second time around....all the above reactions were observed....interesting.