Although approximately 1/3 of cats couldn’t care less about catnip, the rest flip for it. And drool. And race around! Why do cats love it so much?

Catnip (or catmint) produces Nepetalactone oil and that acts something like an aphrodisiac for cats. Is it harmful to them? Experts say no, there are no short term or long term ill effects on a cat.

It’s great for cats that are a little too laid back (ummm, lazy). They get a good workout and a little exercise with their happy time. If your cat is really old or has health problems, it’s probably not a good idea to give it to her since she will get excited and hyper.

Catnip is a 50-100 cm tall herb resembling mint in appearance, with greyish-green leaves; the flowers are white, finely spotted with purple. Source: Wikipedia

Fresh catnip provides the most pleasure. Pull off a leaf or two and roughly crumple and rub the leaf a bit to release the natural chemical before giving it to the cat. If she responds to it, she’ll roll around in it, do a couple flips, maybe even drool a bit.

Catnip is from the mint family and it is very easy to grow. You can plant it outdoors or keep it as a houseplant. The problem with growing your own catnip is that it has to be planted in a spot that a cat can’t get at–they will destroy, shred and strip the entire plant if they get their little paws on it!

The best luck I’ve had with growing catnip is planting it in a hanging basket, then hanging it off a tree branch at the very end. Strong enough to hold the pot if it’s windy out, yet out of reach of climbing kitties.

If you live in an apartment but have a balcony, see if you can’t have a plant hanger bracket off the outside wall to hang the pot on. You could also try a high stool or tall legged plant holder with nothing around it for the cat to crawl up on and tear into it. Make sure it’s very sturdy–cats are smart when it comes to catnip and they’ll bulldoze the legs out from underneath if they realize they can flip it over!

As the plant grows, pinch the the new leaves frequently so that it bushes out, it will produce a lot more that way.

The downside of planting outside is neighborhood cats. I don’t get armies of cats milling about, but I did have a nightly visitor or two trying their best to get at the plant. If you don’t like other cats in your yard, plant the catnip inside.

If you decide to try growing it as a houseplant, you will need to grow it in a place that gets some sun–but protected from the cat somehow. The high stool or tall legged planter are probably your best choices. If you don’t mind ceiling hooks, try an indoor hanging basket. The sunnier the spot–the better.

You can grow catnip from seed, but check the local greenhouse for a plant that’s already started. It’s a little more money, but well worth it since it’s healthy and hardy, raring to go right from the start.

If you’d like to try your hand at growing catnip, these are the best instructions I’ve found: Growing Killer Catnip. My goodness that’s some crazy catnip! lol!

If you think your cat can’t be bothered with catnip because you’ve given her some dried stuff in the past with no effect, try some fresh catnip. Although not every cat responds to it (about 1/3 don’t), you may have a different result with fresh. My cat is one happy drooler in the summer ;).

Tips for catnip:

Don’t let your cat have it more than once a week or so. The catnip will lose its effect on them if they have it too often.

Since you’re growing the real thing, try drying some or freezing batches if you’re just going to grow it outdoors and not inside year round. I find this much more potent than any of the store bought dried variety.

By growing your own catnip you’ll not only have one happy camper kitty–you’ll also benefit by having a lush, bushy plant on your patio or hanging in the window. Win-win!

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