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Whats in cap nip that makes the cats go crazy2007-11-25 12:29:05

If you set it, the cats will eat it. If you sow it, the cats don't know it.

Philip Miller, The Gardener's Dictionary

This saying came about because fresh catnip is supposedly more attractive to cats when it is bruised & transplanting catnip bruises the leaves. I don't know how much truth there is to that, certainly my cats will have a nibble on the catnip I keep in their enclosure, which hasn't been bruised.

Catnip is usually fairly easy to grow, you should be able to purchase the plant from your local garden centre. It likes light sandy soil, and grows best in full sun.

Most pet shops either sell catnip toys, or tried catnip. When storing catnip, put it in an air tight container, in the fridge or freezer.

To dry fresh catnip, hang upside down in a dry, ventilated area, away from the sun.

Human uses:

Catnip tends to have a sedative effect on humans. It is most often drunk as a tea.

It is also useful for settling an upset stomach. It has also been used to treat headaches, scarlet fever, coughing, insomnia & smallpox.

Catnip can also be used for cuts, studies show it has a natural healing quality. Crush fresh catnip leaves, damp them & apply to your cut. **

Some other medicinal uses for catnip are: Anaesthetic, antibiotic, anti rheumatic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, chills, cold in the joints, haemorrhoids, toothache.

K鈥橢ogh, in his 鈥淚rish Herbal鈥?(1735) wrote of catnip, 鈥淚t provokes urination and menstruation: it expels the stillborn child; it opens obstructions of the lungs and the womb, and is good for internal bruises and shortness of breath. Drunk with salt and honey, it expels worms from the body.鈥?

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The secret lies in the leaves which, when crushed, release a special oil.Reactions to catnip range from excitement to relaxation to anxiety. No two cats react in the same way. When the substance's scent is released, it triggers a pleasure center in the cat's brain. This chemical is what gives cats their catnip "high." Not all felines respond to this fanciful feline flora, however. "Cats usually have a catnip gene.