How Catnip Works and its Lesser Known Uses

Catnip (also know as Catmint, Catnep, Catrup, Catswort, Field Balm, Field Wort, Nepeta cataria)

As cat owners know, some cats go crazy over catnip, while others could care less about it.  It has actually been shown that up 30% of cats don’t respond to catnip, and kittens will not response to it until there are 6-8 weeks old. Symptoms can last 5-15 minutes, and can not be replicated again for an hour. What causes this reaction is Nepetalactone.

The feline receptor for nepetalactone is in the vomeronasal organ, located above the feline palate. The location of the vomeronasal organ may explain why cats do not react from eating gelatin-enclosed capsules of catnip. Nepetalactone must be inhaled for it to reach the receptors in the vomeronasal organ.

Catnip’s other uses

Catnip can also be administered to humans, and historically has been used to treat colic, headache, fever, toothache, colds, spasms and can be used as a sedative, with similar properties in that regard to Valerine. It is often brewed into catnip tea (one should never use the catnip that is intended for pets for use on people).

Although dosing for catnip varies considerably, a common recommendation for catnip tea is one teaspoon or 2 teaspoons of its dried aerial parts (flowers, leaves, and stems) soaked for 10 minutes in one cup of water that has been allowed to boil and then was taken away from the heat before the catnip was added. Boiling catnip may cause the loss of active ingredients. Catnip tea is usually taken three times a day.

There has also been some evidence that catnip can used to repel mosquitoes and cockroaches more effectively than DEET.

Photo by Flickr user andedam

Further Reading
Drug Digest: Catnip
Nepetalactone Chemistry
Veterinary Q & A: Crazy for Catnip