As sure as dogs love bones, cats love catnip. But what exactly is catnip? And why do our feline friends adore it so?
Join us in Wonderopolis today as we get the lowdown on the treat cats would give all nine lives for!
Have you ever wondered…
- Why do cats love catnip?
- Are there any other uses for catnip?
- What effect does catnip have on humans?
Did you know?
Have you ever seen a cat play with a toy filled with catnip? If you have, you’ve probably seen some really funny feline antics.
Catnip is a fragrant plant from the mint family. Its scientific name is Nepeta cataria, and it’s sometimes called “catmint” or “catswort.”
Native to Africa, Europe and Asia, catnip can now be found all over North America, too. There are more than 250 species of catnip around the world today.
Catnip grows two to three feet tall and has sturdy stems with heart-shaped leaves. The tips of the plant’s stems will sprout blue, white, pink or purple flowers.
Although catnip can have its effect when grown as a fresh plant, most catnip toys contain catnip that has been dried and ground into tiny pieces.
The leaves and stems of the catnip plant contain an oil called “nepetalactone.” When cats smell nepetalactone, it stimulates special receptors that sense chemicals called “pheromones.”
The result is a kind of chemical reaction that gives the cat a sense of euphoria or overwhelming happiness. The effect has been compared to that of a hallucinogenic drug on humans.
When cats smell catnip, they will often paw at it, rub it, roll over it, lick it and even chew it. Cats who have particularly strong reactions to catnip may also get frisky, meow, growl, purr, drool and generally act crazy for several minutes!
After a few minutes, though, the effect of the catnip wears off, and cats will ignore it. After about two hours, cats may encounter catnip again and have the same reaction.
Not all cats respond this way to catnip, though. Experts estimate about 50 to 75 percent of cats are affected by catnip. Young kittens and older cats are less likely to be affected.
Whether a cat reacts to catnip is believed to be hereditary, which means cats inherit this trait from their parents. For example, most Australian cats aren’t affected by catnip.
Catnip has been shown to affect more than just house cats. Big cats, such as lions, tigers and leopards, react similarly to house cats when exposed to catnip.
Nepetalactone drives some cats crazy, but it can also drive mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and termites away. Researchers have found that nepetalactone by itself is 10 times more effective than DEET, the ingredient in most insect repellents. Unfortunately, nepetalactone loses its repellent qualities when applied to the skin.
Catnip also has a long history of use by humans as a medicine. When consumed as a tea or infusion, it has soothing and numbing effects that act like a mild sedative. Humans have also used it from time to time to treat nausea, headaches and toothaches.
Try it out!
Do you have a cat? What about your friends or family members? Or is there an animal shelter nearby that cares for cats?
If you want to do something special for a cat, make one of the special catnip treats below. You might be surprised by how much it’s appreciated!
If you don’t have any catnip growing wild around your house or you don’t want to try to grow your own, you can find dried catnip at most pet stores!
Wonder words to know and use:
- feline
- catnip
- antics
- fragrant
- mint
- sturdy
- pheromone
- receptor
- euphoria
- hallucinogenic
- hereditary
- trait
- repellent
- infusion
- nausea
Still wondering?
Want to learn more about some really big cats? Check out National Geographic’s Russia’s Tigers video.
Wonder what’s next?
An old wife told me that tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day is going to be a whopper! Make sure you join us to see if she was right.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) 
Loading ...24 responses to "Wonderopolis"
Leave a Reply
- Lit
-
© 2010 - 2012 National Center for Family Literacy | Legal & Privacy Notices | hello@wonderopolis.org
- Thinkfinity Community
My cat used to have a rainbow toy that was filled with catnip. She LOVED IT!!!!! I used to hold it up for her, and afterwards my hands smelled like catnip! Catnip smells kinda strange…:)
Thanks for hanging out in Wonderopolis today,
! Thanks also for sharing this story about your cat! 
My grandma has a really cute cat, but we’re not aloud to feed her catnip.
We bet your grandma’s cat has a lot of fun playing with you, Jusin! Cats don’t need catnip to be great pets!
I LOVE CATS! MY CAT LOVES CATNIP!
Thanks for commenting and letting us know that your cat likes catnip,
! We’re glad you visited Wonderopolis today! 
My cat has this ball toy we put catnip in. I threw it, and my cat jumped up and caught it and ate the catnip!!!
He LOVESSSSSSSSSSSS CCCAAAAAATTTTTT NNNNIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPP
Thanks for sharing about your cat and his love of catnip, Kaden, and also for visiting Wonderopolis today!
Dear Wonderopolis,
Do you have anything about deserts?
Hi, Paige! We don’t have any Wonders specifically about deserts yet (you’ve given us a great idea, though!), but we have some Wonders that relate to things in the desert! Check these out:
Wonder #397 – Can You Unwrap a Mummy? http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/can-you-unwrap-a-mummy/
Wonder #461 – What Makes a Pyramid? http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-makes-a-pyramid/
Happy WONDERing!
Wow!!! I really liked this wonder!! Probably because cats are my all time favorite animals!!!! I have 2 cats and 1 doesn’t care for catnip and the other can get frisky!!! Maybe because he’s younger!! I never really thought about where cat nip comes from! My cat has a cat nip shaped mouse toy.
Thanks so much for sharing your personal connection to this Wonder about catnip, Anne! We liked learning a little more about your two cats, too!
I have two cats and they LOVE catnip! I never knew there was catnip for big cats and that the cats like the catnip. Why don’t lions like catnip is what I wonder?
That’s a GREAT question, Team McNeil 7! We think there are some lions out there who might like catnip, it’s just that Joseph (the lion in the video for this Wonder) didn’t care much for it. It was fun watching the reactions of all those different big cats to catnip, wasn’t it?
They probably love catnip because it makes them have a feeling and they want that feeling again and again.
We think you’re right about that, Madison! We really liked learning about catnip, and we’re glad you did, too!
Hello Wonderopolis!
) 
I learned a bunch about this topic! I own two cats, so I can really relate to this topic. I learned that the scientific name for catnip is Nepeta Cataria. I also learned that the leaves of catnip produce an oil called Nepetalactone. WOW, those are big names for plants! I still wonder if any other type of animal likes catnip? Thanks so much for reading my comment!
~*BYE*~
You’re right about the scientific name for catnip being a BIG word, Team McNeil #16! We’re not sure if any other animals like catnip, but we know the BIG cats in the video for this Wonder sure did (except for Joseph the lion!)! Thanks for sharing your comment with us today…it ROCKED!
Hi:3
I never knew that catnip was a type of mint plant that is sometimes call catmint and catworts. It’s a type of mint that felines love. I also know as nepeta cataria and it has pheromones so all cats like it (except for Joseph the lion). Catnip can grow up to two to three feet tall! What I know: Catnip is a type of plant; cats like to eat it; it’s a short plant; you can buy catnip and when people sell catnip they cut the catnip.
thanks for making us
WONDER
We’re glad you WONDERed about catnip today, Team Unger #2! Thank you for sharing all the AWESOME things you learned about it! We WONDER why Joseph the lion didn’t care much for the catnip?
My cat loves catnip. We bought her a solid ball of catnip, she licks it crazily! It’s funny, I love my cat and she loves catnip!
You sound like an AMAZING pet owner, Katie! Thanks for sharing your personal connection to this Wonder of the Day®! Your cat is SUPER lucky to have someone like you who loves and takes care of her!
I want chicken. I want liver. Meow Mix, Meow Mix, please deliver!
Thanks for making us chuckle today, Clayton! We really enjoyed your comment!