Content
- What is cat weed or catnip?
- Why do cats like this plant so much?
- Cat Weed Properties
- Can cat weed become toxic to your cat?
Cats are domestic cats that have not lost their hunting instinct, hence their independent, explorer and adventurous nature that often drives owners crazy, who must remain alert and informed, for example, about plants toxic to cats.
However, practically all those people who chose to have a cat in their house know that there is a plant that, far from being toxic, is very much loved by cats and provokes different reactions, we are talking about catnip or catnip.
If you want to know more about this plant, in this article by Animal Expert we talk about properties of catnip or catnip.
What is cat weed or catnip?
The cat's weed is known with the botanical name of Nepeta Qatari, although it also gets other names such as catnip.
It is a plant whose appearance is similar to mint or mint, its leaves are green, with toothed ends and its length is between 20 and 60 centimeters in height. Despite being a plant native to Europe, it also grows wild in North America and western Asia.
Why do cats like this plant so much?
One of the properties of catnip is that it is very rich in essential oils and this causes 7 out of 10 cats react to your presence, showing an unusual interest in this plant.
We can mainly observe how the cat approaches the plant, rubs against it, licks it, chews it and emits sounds similar to the sounds that cats in heat make, but the reactions do not end here, later many cats start jumping from one place to another and running wild, or they can also spin around to hunt imaginary rats. Yes, without a shadow of a doubt that cat grass exerts a narcotic effect, But why does this happen?
This narcotic effect is due to an active principle called nepetalactone, this substance is able to unite those cells whose function is to stimulate sensory neurons and the reaction that the cat has in front of this plant is due to an over-stimulation that does not occur naturally when faced with other stimuli.
In addition to the narcotic effect, catnip induces behaviors in the cat similar to those that occur during courtship and mating.
Cat Weed Properties
Due to its properties, catnip provides several benefits to your cat:
- Encourages the cat to play and move
- Makes you stay active and exercise
- Stimulates the cat's mind
Therefore, it should not be surprising that many cat toys, as well as scratching machines, include catnip, and it is also currently available in spray form. You can use the spray by applying it to your cat's toy or directly to some part of her fur, giving her an immediate reward that can be used as positive reinforcement.
Can cat weed become toxic to your cat?
cat's weed it's not toxic for cats and does not create addition eitherTherefore, there is no problem in moderately exposing our cat to this plant, and yes, moderation here is important.
A cat continuously exposed to the narcotic effect of catnip can be dangerous, although it is unusual, it can show aggressive behavior, as excessive exposure can endanger the animal's health if there are terraces or windows open.
Cat weed is ideal for our felines, that's why they like it so much, however, we emphasize that moderation and supervision is important.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.