Can Kittens Get High On Catnip

The chemical compound in the plant that attracts and affects cats is called nepetalactone.

Can kittens get high on catnip. When touched these bulbs rupture therefore releasing nepetalactone. That is the cat essentially reacts to an artificial cat pheromone. Kittens get catnip for the first time and some new toys. Human brains are physiologically different from cat brains and people do not react to catnip by getting high native americans.

Catnip nepeta cataria is a perennial herb that is a member of the mint family. This out of fur experience is due to the active ingredient in the oil. Among those cats who do like catnip you ll find two basic kinds of reactions. But far more cats may be susceptible to the plant than once thought.

The reaction can be intense but it s relatively short lived and after it s over the cat cannot get high again for an hour or so. Some cats become like a lazy drunk while others get a wired up crazy. Although catnip is totally harmless and safe around kittens both to smell and to eat it isn t necessarily effective. No but seriously cats get high off of catnip thanks to the chemical nepetalactone which catnip produces in its teeny tiny bulbs.

It is found in the leaves and stems. If a kitten is going to be a catnip lover you usually can tell that when he is 3 to 6 months old. When cats get a whiff of catnip they behave similarly to female cats in heat erratic movements strange howls and all. It used to be believed that about two thirds of adult cats adults respond.

According to scientific american these bulbs and therefore the chemical coat the leaves stems and seedpods of catnip. Catnip is also known as nepta cataria an herb that s part of the mint family of plants. Can your cat really get high from catnip. The study noted that kittens under 8 weeks exhibited no reaction to catnip and according to todd when kittens are given it the catnip often produces a distinct avoidance response in young kittens which is gradually replaced by indifference in non responders and by heightened curiosity in responders.

It can grow to be up to three feet high.