Can Kittens Get Catnip

What about the effects of catnip on kittens.

Can kittens get catnip. This out of fur experience is due to the active ingredient in the oil. Newborn kittens aren t usually responsive to catnip at all until they are about 3 months of age. When cats get a whiff of catnip they behave similarly to female cats in heat erratic movements strange howls and all. Catnip nepeta cataria is a perennial herb that is a member of the mint family.

Ingesting catnip has no effect on a cat it s the nepetalactone vapour that the catnip gives off that your cat reacts to. If a kitten is going to be a catnip lover you usually can tell that when he is 3 to 6 months old. These hard wired preferences aren t immediately apparent though since kittens under the age of 3 months don t react to catnip at all. Can kittens have catnip.

It can grow to be up to three feet high. Catnip can be identified by its heart shaped scalloped leaves hairy stalk and greenish grey coloration. The chemical compound in the plant that attracts and affects cats is called nepetalactone. Can kittens have catnip.

But regardless of how your cat reacts to catnip once the effect wears off it will take another two hours before your cat can react to catnip again. He may wind up falling in love with his catnip toys when he gets a little older but don t be discouraged if he never seems to care. If he s still young give it some time. Catnip releases feel good pheromones that over half the feline population are heavily attracted to displaying a subdued or in love behavior.

Kittens get catnip for the first time and some new toys. It is found in the leaves and stems. Some cats become like a lazy drunk while others get a wired up crazy. The herb s influence is genetic so not all cats respond to it according to the humane society of the united states.

Among those cats who do like catnip you ll find two basic kinds of reactions. When the cat smells catnip the scent molecules travel to a receptor above the palate in the roof of the mouth known as the vomeronasal organ aka jacob s organ. A very young kitty s response to catnip all over the floor by him will probably be indifference and that s totally normal. The reaction can be intense but it s relatively short lived.

Kittens usually have no sensitivity to catnip until they get to ages 3 6 months. It s perfectly safe to give a kitten small amounts of catnip however.