Why do cats love catnip?

Catnip is a plant from the mint family and it’s native to Asia, Europe and Africa. However, nowadays you can also find it in the US. There are over 250 species of catnip worldwide, and cats tend to like it quite a bit. Which brings the question, why do cats love catnip and what makes it such a great plant if you are a cat owner? Let’s find out!

It makes your cat feel good

What’s important to keep in mind about catnip is the fact that it produces nepetalactone. When it enters your cat’s nasal passages, nepetalactone sends a signal to the cat’s brain and that brings a euphoric reaction. If your cat is stressed out or deals with anxiety, catnip helps solve that. It makes your cat happy and that on its own is very important. 

Boosting their energy levels

As soon as nepetalactone enters a cat’s system, it starts to become hyperactive. Cats enjoy the energy boost, which is why they are so passionate about catnip in the first place. Once your cat starts rubbing and licking catnip, it automatically starts doing that more and more because it delivers that sense of happiness and euphoria which is very difficult to access anywhere else.

Reducing any stomach pain or bloating

If your cat is bloated or deals with stomach pain, catnip can be a very good remedy. While there are still ongoing studies on the topic, it’s safe to say that many cat owners were able to help their pets deal with any bloating or stomach pain thanks to catnip. So yes, catnip is great for a cat and it can actively help it prevent bloating and any stomach pain naturally. 

It makes bath time better for cats

One of the lesser-known facts about catnip is that it can lure your cat into taking a bath. That’s especially helpful if your cat has inflamed or irritated skin. All you have to do is to dissolve some catnip in the hot water. Then send your cat in there and it will be more prone to taking a bath. Needless to say, cats don’t really like taking a bath, to begin with, so using catnip to lure it can actively help more than you expect.

Calming your cat down

What’s interesting about catnip is that it ends up making some cats hyperactive, but other cats are calmed down by it. Unfortunately, it can be hard to know what effect it has on your cat, all you have to do is to try it out. The reality is that it’s very difficult to calm down your cat sometimes, and catnip might help. But as we said, results can be hard to narrow down, it might calm your cat or it might make it hyperactive.

Luring your cat towards certain toys

Cats are picky when it comes to choosing certain toys. That’s why you can use catnip on certain toys and your pet will be more attracted to them. The idea is to avoid any rush and see what toys are ideal for your cat. And once you do that, it will be well worth it. Rest assured that using this catnip trick works very well and you should give it a shot.

Conclusion

As you can see, cats love catnip due to a variety of ways. Catnip has a plethora of great benefits for your pet, and that’s exactly why you have to give it a try. It’s well worth it and the best part is that you know your pet will enjoy it every time you give her some catnip.