Do you know a cat who doesn’t react to catnip? According to a source cited in this video up to fifty percent of cats lack a gene responsible for catnip’s powerful effect on feline behavior. Fortunately the blissed-out first-timers in this video are not a representative sample. (via Allein)
10 thoughts on “Catnip in the Genes?”
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Just say meow.
I empathize with the rolling around in it, and especially with looking under the dish because, you know, some might have gotten under it.
Penny and Teller are both in the 50% that don’t like catnip. I gave it to ’em once and they just looked at me like, ‘yeah? And? What’re we supposed to do with this?’
Stars & Stripes had reactions to it but they were short-lived. They’d go nuts with a catnip toy for a few minutes and then be done with it.
I guess their motto was “‘nip responsibly.”
I was cat-sitting for a friend once and when I went to check on her after work one day there was catnip all over the kitchen floor, along with a half-empty little ziploc bag. I had no idea where it came from. My friend said it was in the cabinet.
My dearly departed Purdy loved catnip and almost killed the catmint plant I put in for her delectation. I’d find her communing with it from time to time. It still grows and blooms robustly. Maybe local cats visit it but I don’t know.
I love how even some of the reluctant cats were diving head-first into the plate within a few minutes. I can’t remember if I ever gave any of my cats catnip, either that or they were among the ones don’t just don’t care about it.
All five of mine love the nip. They do not nip responsibly. This video reminded me that we need a nip session tonight.
Unscientific viewpoint: Never known a siamese who cared about catnip. My current seal point though enjoys mint and licking toothpaste, which I’ve heard is sort of similar? Maybe I should try catmint since she walks past the catnip leaves.
Try silvervine too. Mine love the sticks soaked in silvervine.
Two of our three reacted to it, although one of them seemed to want to eat it as much as roll around in it. She was in heaven when we brought some fresh catnip home from a friend’s garden. 😀