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Kitty Crack: how to make super catnip.
Warning: though there is a bit of humor in this discussion, this is not a joke. Recklessness can cause injury, even death. Be responsible. Opinions and recommendations should be documented. PM does not endorse nor recommend anything other than the art of conversation.
“At least two thirds of domestic cats “enjoy” the effects of Nepeta, a.k.a. “catnip.” But do they enjoy it enough? If humans were able to isolate the active ingredient in catnip, could we not use it to become omnipowerful CATGODS? Imagine the possibilities! What fool wouldn’t want their own personal cat army? A massive fuzzy force with which to execute your every bidding? A united, unquestioning militia that requires nothing other than unfettered access to the super-powerful catnip products that give their adorable cuddly lives meaning.”— theinstructables.com
What is catnip, anyway? Is it a drug?
Catnip is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family Labiatae. Catnip is known in scientific nomenclature as “Nepeta cataria”. The plant is a weed-like mint that is now native in North America and Canada after being introduced from its native Mediterranean soil.
Cats under three months of age usually do not respond to catnip. Most older cats typically become excited or aroused as they smell, chew and eat catnip. When cats smell catnip they exhibit a range of behaviors that may include sniffing, licking and chewing the plant, head shaking, chin and cheek rubbing, head rolling, and body rubbing. This psychosexual reaction lasts for 5-15 minutes and cannot be evoked again for an hour or more after exposure.
The cat-active ingredient in catnip is ‘nepatalactone.’ This substance closely resembles a chemical found in the urine of female cats. This may be why unneutered males generally have more of a reaction to catnip than females and neutered males.
My cat really goes crazy over catnip, is it dangerous?
Cats are unique in their response to catnip, and the response can be very dramatic in some cats - rolling, licking, rubbing, drooling, jumping, running. Other cats appear to become very sedate after exposure. And, as mentioned above, up to 30% of the cat population does not respond at all to catnip. In any case, for all of the (sometimes entertaining) behaviors seen, catnip is completely nontoxic to cats.
Give catnip no more than once a week or the effects may diminish. Cats love it green and fresh. Bruise it slightly before giving freshly cut stems or leaves. If using dried catnip, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator and give up to a teaspoon per cat weekly. If a large quantity of fresh catnip is consumed, you may see some vomiting or diarrhea, but this is rare and self-limiting. If your cat experiences this, limit or withhold catnip.
Is catnip hard to grow?
It can take over your garden if not careful. It is a perennial, and if you are in Europe, the northern United States, or Canada it should be easy to find at your local nursery.
But we digress. We are about to embark on something a little stronger. Cat armies at your bidding. Remember? Here’s an instruction manual and a brief discussion. Pretty heady stuff!
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Maureen Adams
September 18th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
[...] This is to Bob Maleski. He just told me he has a hot new Internet connection. He also likes a couple of YouTube videos that are fine examples of his high academic achievements in organic chemistry. I am hoping that he will share with all of us some of those movies. While we are waiting I have found one interesting blog post that might interest more of the chemists in our class. Or wanna-be emporer’s of a cat army. Follow this link: http://www.petmonologues.com/pet022207/?p=220 [...]
March 13th, 2008 at 6:49 am
This is an excellent article (Crack: how to make super catnip. at Pet Monologues), I was searching for how to pass a drug test at home on Yahoo and stumbled on this Thursday.