What exactly does CATNIP do to cats?

[Nocturnal]

I bought catnip from K-Mart and my gf just saw it. She asked me if there were any "hidden agendas" with this catnip. I told her I heard that it's crack for cats. And she was like, "OMG CRACK?????WTF???" I was like no, crack in a good way lol.

Anyhow, what does catnip do and is it harmful? Will stray cats just enjoy it or is it only trained cats that like this stuff? How much is too much?

 

[Walleye]

it's not crack... more like ...meth, perhaps. it makes the cat's heart accelerate, improves reaction times immensely, puts the cat extremely on edge...


it's like drinking 100 gallons of coffee in 20 minutes.

 

[Nocturnal]

Ok so it isn't gonna kill the cat or harm it, right? Otherwise I'm guessing they WOULD NOT sell it in K-Mart.

 

[Walleye]

oh, i dont think there is a too much... i dont think it will accelerate the cat beyond it's limits... but i wouldnt use it on an older cat... older cats probably wouldnt as much kick out of it... and it'd be like grannies using meth. no.

 

[Walleye]

i think it basically bumps adrenaline up like WAY over normal levels...

 

[ddjkdg]

Howstuffworks

 

[Czar]

why dont you try it out yourself and tell us how it feels

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Czar
why dont you try it out yourself and tell us how it feels

AFAIK, it doesen't have nearly the same effect...

It just makes some people a bit relaxed/sleepy.

 

[Bleep]

Suck on some peppermint and blow some air in the cats face and see what happens.

Bleep

 

[Codewiz]

It can actually be healthy for the cat if she reacts to it by eatting it. One my cats will eat the stuff. Helps her stay regular while getting the chance to go nuts.