Comic #16 - Space Cat
Written by Cristina Byrne | Illustration by Sarah JL Mapes
There is a lot of misconception about Catnip being "kitty crack." Which I guess the misconception of it
"Catnip is considered to be nonaddictive and completely harmless to cats."
Only 50% of cats are susceptible to Catnip's charms. Also, their attraction to Catnip is an inherited trait, so there's an even chance your cat won't react to the plant.
Catnip is also referred to as catmint, catwort, field balm, and not only do cats love this fragrant herb but also lions, tigers, and panthers (which makes sense).
According to PetsWebMD, "Originally Catnip comes from Europe and Asia, minty, lemony, potent Catnip -- Nepeta cataria -- has long been associated with cats. Even its Latin-derived cataria means "of a cat."
It was brought to North America by settlers; nowadays, the plant is popular in herb gardens and grows widely as a weed. It's an invasive member of the mint family and cousin to the basil and oregano."
Catnip's allure is in its volatile oil, precisely "one chemical in that oil -- nepetalactone. Found in Catnip's leaves, stems, and seeds, it only takes one or two sniffs of that wondrous oil before susceptible felines are licking, chewing, and rolling head-over-tail in kitty bliss.
Researchers suspect that catnip targets feline "happy" receptors in the brain. That bliss is usually short-lived, lasting about 10 minutes for most cats. When eaten, however, Catnip tends to have the opposite effect, and your cat mellows out. Most cats react to Catnip by rolling, flipping, rubbing, and eventually zoning out. They may meow or growl at the same time."
Native Americans, however, once "used Catnip for the uncontrollable cries of infant colic. It also serves as a mild sedative in some herbal teas. In alternative medicine circles, Catnip is commonly recommended by herbalists to lessen migraine headaches and to relieve cramps, gas, indigestion, insomnia, nervousness, and anorexia, or as an herbal paste to reduce swelling associated with arthritis and soft tissue injury."
According to Smithsonian Magazine, "Humans don't react in the same way because our brains are different. In us, nepetalactone acts more like valepotriates, the compounds in the herb valerian are a mild sedative in most people. So if you can't sleep, you can try drinking catnip tea, if you can keep from laughing at your kitty rolling crazily across the floor."
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a herb from the mint family. When a cat smells catnip, it acts as a stimulant and usually takes about ten minutes to effect. Exposure to catnip might make the cat roll around, become hyperactive or very smoochy! It is believed that only 50% of cats will actually respond to catnip and that the sensitivity to catnip is a genetic trait that only presents when the cat is several months old (young kittens are unaffected by catnip). It is safe for cats to eat catnip aswell, but if they eat too much you might see some vomiting or diarrhea.
