Catnip: what is it and how does the plant act on cats?

Cats do not cease to amaze us with their unique habits and characteristics that distinguish them from other pets. One of the predilections of cats is their love of mint. But this mint is not simple, but cat-like, and has a definite effect on the brain of furry pets. Observations on cats showed that the same individual may react to this plant differently depending on its age, but most of the representatives of the cat family will not be able to remain indifferent to feline mint.

A feline catnip (or catnip) is a perennial herb of the yasnotkov family. A biological description of mint is presented below.

• The plant can be found almost throughout the European part of Russia, as well as in the Caucasus, Siberia and the Far East. This perennial is better known as weed.
• Catnip looks like an upright plant with a pubescent woody stem, ovoid leaves and thick semi-umbellate inflorescences consisting of many small white-bluish flowers.
• The root of the plant is branched and quite powerful.
• Flowering perennial grass begins in June and lasts until the end of July.
• In the aerial part of the catnip contains nepetalacton, glycosides, saponins, tannins and bitterness, as well as ascorbic acid.
• Most of the essential substances contain the leaves of the plant, and in the stem they are extremely small.

Essential oil in cat's cattle smells like a mixture of lemon and tart geranium, so this perennial is also called lemon cat. Sometimes people confuse catnip with melissa - outwardly both of these spicy herbs look alike, and lemongrass also has a smell with fresh lemon notes. However, if a person can confuse these herbs visually, the cats with their unique innate flair in this matter are not mistaken.

Kotovnik attracts the attention of cats and cats precisely because of the ethereal lemon smell, however, kittens up to six weeks of age to the plant remain completely immune.

In addition, scientists have found that not all representatives of the cat family, but only 75% of their number react to the cat's catnip.

Externally, the lemon catnip is similar to a plant called peppermint, but there are significant differences between them. For example, a cat's catnip contains the substance nepetalactone in the composition of essential oils, and peppermint differs from it in that menthol prevails in its essential components.

These two aromatic substances have a fundamental difference from each other, and it is expressed in the fact that cats react to nepetalactone, but not to menthol. Even the smell of these two plants has a difference: Catnip always smells like tart lemon, and peppermint has a peculiar menthol flavor.

Cat's catnip affects the receptors of the brain, not only cats - the smell of the aroma of this spicy grass attracts insects to it, which are called golden-eyed. Also, this smell can scare away mosquitoes or a certain type of cockroach.

Manifestation of the impact of cat mint on cats is to change their habitual behavior. Breeders of furry pets often use this property of the plant in order to influence the behavior of animals, changing it in the way that this or that situation requires. For example, if a cat or a cat behaves aggressively for no reason, then a spray with the substance nepetalacton will help to quickly calm the animal and set it up in a more friendly way, while literally in front of the pet will become affectionate and peaceful.

If a furry friend is often closed, does not want to play and contact with a person, then catnip will allow to correct the situation here - under the influence of the essential oil of this plant, the animal will become cheerful, active, will want to move and play.

But this is all the beneficial properties of lemon catnip. Due to its specific chemical composition, the plant has a pronounced antibacterial effect, and when a cat eats fresh leaves or flowers of this plant, it not only changes its mood, but also eliminates the harmful bacteria in its digestive tract, and also improves the process of intestinal motility due to relaxation smooth muscle. In addition, under the influence of nepetalactone, the cat's body is cleared of worms.

It often happens that fluffy pets are exposed to various stressful situations. For example, such cases may occur after moving to a new apartment, painful medical procedures or unsuccessful contacts with other animals. To reduce the effects of stress on the animal, veterinarians recommend giving them catnip, which will have an anti-stress effect.

Sometimes, for one reason or another, pets start to pick and choose food and show poor appetite. A cat's catnip, added to food in dry or fresh form, will help to establish a good appetite for the fidget cat. Catnip can also be used to teach a cat to a tray, claw, bed. Experienced breeders know this feature of four-legged pets and use it with advantage.

Mint for cats does not contain narcotic substances, and for this reason does not cause addiction and dependence in the animal. But in some cases, this grass still happens to four-legged pets harmful. For example, it is not recommended to give mint to pregnant and lactating cats for the reason that an animal can be strongly overexcited and exhausted by the nervous system under the influence of nepetalactone. In addition, an overly active animal can harm itself or its offspring.

The substance nepetalacton, which is part of the cat's catnip, affects cats and cats through the stimulation of brain cells, and the reaction from this effect manifests itself in animals as short time hallucinations. These hallucinations can be compared with intoxication - they change the behavior of animals, provoking them to a particular action.

Cats can roll on the floor, rumble or meow loudly, actively rub their faces with their paws, jump unnaturally high, climb the curtains up, or, conversely, a fluffy pet can roll over lazily on its back and fall asleep.

The cat's brain reacts to the action of nepetalactone for a short time: only 7-10 minutes. Then the animal begins a period of immunity: even though the plant is near the animal and smells strong, the cat's brain does not react to it. But after an hour or a little more, the neurons of the brain of the animal again become susceptible to nepetalactone, and the effect of catnip again begins to manifest.

Cats love to feast on fresh catnip, but inside they have a certain barrier of saturability with such grass, and the animal will not be able to eat this plant much. No one has ever seen a cat standing near a cat's catnip and eating this grass continuously. If the pet still managed to eat catnip, then there is nothing terrible in this situation. The only thing that can threaten overeating - a digestive disorder and loose stools.

You can buy a cat's catnip in any pet store, where they sell goods for cats. The herb is sold in dried and crushed form, packaged in bags or bottles of various shapes and volumes, as well as in the form of a spray with a spray device, sticks for chewing and brushing teeth. It is even included in some feline toys. The smell of catnip makes the toy especially attractive to a pet. but only at first - over time, interest in it may disappear. Dry grass or essential oil, which is part of the toy, over time loses the brightness of the fragrance and gradually disappears.

Spray is considered a tool with the longest shelf life - it can be sprayed where it is necessary and with the necessary frequency. Dry grass or powdered powder made from it can be added to the cat in food or scattered in small quantities in certain places at home. A catnip stick intended for chewing will help teach a cat to the teeth cleaning procedure, if it ignores conventional means for some reason.

Cat owners who are familiar with the effect of the cat's catcher, consider it necessary to have money with this plant at home and spend considerable sums on their purchase:

• 100 g sachet with dried leaves of catnip will cost 100-150 rubles;
• a bottle of liquid spray with catnies with a volume of 50 ml costs 350-500 rubles;
• a small package of cat treats in the form of crispy pads containing catnip in its composition, with a weight of 50 g costs 130-150 rubles;
• cat toys and chewing sticks are in the price range from 150 to 250 rubles.

To save family budget funds, experienced cat breeders grow catnipers on their own. This plant can be planted at his dacha or even at home in an ordinary flower pot of large volume. Kotovnik unpretentious, well and grows quickly, it does not require any special care. Mint for cats is not afraid of pruning and transplanting, well rooted.

Lemon catnip can be used in various ways.

• Soap bubbles with mint. The composition of the product is an extract of the essential oils of catnip. This tool is intended for active games with a pet. The cat reacts not only to iridescent bubbles floating in the air, but also catches the tart lemon scent of mint, which additionally motivates the animal to play.

• Cat food. Some manufacturers produce canned meat with the addition of nepetalactone. This food usually arouses interest and appetite in the cat, and the animal eats the offered dish readily. Such nutrition is necessary in cases where a weakened animal after childbirth or illness suffers from poor appetite or refuses to eat at all.

• Kogtetochka. A small structure is constructed, inside which dried catnip grass is placed, and outside the structure there is a material that the cat can sharpen its claws. The interest in the claw cattle in an animal arises under the action of essential oils, which cat's catnip evaporates. Such a device allows you to prevent a pet from scratching furniture and teaches him to sharpen claws in a specially designated place.

• A toy. It can be sewn of fabric and look like a ball, mouse, banana, or be of any other shape and color. An important detail of this product is that inside it is shredded shredded catnip grass. This toy attracts cats with its smell and stimulates the animal to play actively.

• Feed additive. This tool contains a vitamin-mineral complex of substances necessary for the cat for its full nutritional ration. To the animal willingly consumed such an additive, its composition includes crushed catnip. Due to the smell of nepetalacton, the cat eats vitamins that are good for her.

Spray and dry leaves of the cat's catnip can be used at your discretion. If you spray a little spray near the cat litter tray, the cat will show interest in this design, which means it will be much easier to teach it to use this tray for its intended purpose.

Sometimes animals do not want to stay awake in their place, and, plaintively mewing, they ask to go to bed with people. This can not be allowed, because later to eradicate this habit will be impossible. To accustom an animal to the place it is possible, having sprayed there with spray with a catnip or having sprinkled a small amount of the crushed dried leaves of this plant. The pet will be happy to stay on its couch and over time will do it even without using catnip.

When buying a dried plant you need to know that smell only catnip leaves, and the stalks do not have this aroma. For this reason, buying dried catnies, you should pay attention to the quality of raw materials - there should not be crushed dry stems. Otherwise, the effectiveness of this tool will be low.

You can learn more about how catnip affects cats.