This is your cat on catnip

[wombat]

For a book proposal, I'm looking for funny stories of cat behavior on catnip. Does your cat do anything particularly amusing when stoned on the herb?

[Puma]

Drools - all over, drools. Also gets very protective of the catnip (we have more than one cat.) Puma

[D.C. McLaughlin]

Oh, you mean when they fall under the wheels of the V.W. bus to Woodstock?

Nope. I don't have any idea what you're talking about!

D.C.

[D.C. McLaughlin]

Oh, you mean when they fall under the wheels of the V.W. bus to Woodstock?

Nope. I don't have any idea what you're talking about!

D.C.

[callalily61]

They rub their head and upper bodies all over it--particular focus on head and ears. Eyes dilate to "hunting level"--most of iris covered. When I put some in a small fabric bag, they chew it and rub on it and then flop next to it in a classic, "Dude, I am SO baked" manner. Until the other cat comes near it, and then they go into "MINE!" stance till the interloper leaves. They immediately return to "baked" mode after that. They've also been known to carry it around like they do a dead critter they've caught, apparently to toke up where they won't be observed giggling or looking for the place I hid the cat treats.

[D.C. McLaughlin]

One year for Christmas I made little gift baskets for the staff of the vet hospital I worked for. In those baskets was a homemade catnip satchets. I grew my own catnip, dried it and made little cat toys for everyone's own cats. Well one of the vets chose to take it home and put the basket under the tree until Christmas morning. The next morning the family came downstairs to find the living room re-arranged by three wasted kitties! I was greeted at work by any exasperated vet, "What did you put in those satchets? My cats wrecked my house!"

Evil grin!

D.C.

[MaryMumsy]

I've never had a cat with the least interest in catnip. I understand it is a genetic thing, they either have the gene or they don't. They will play with the toys, but not any differently than any other toy. :Shrug:

MM

[JulieHowe]

A neighbor planted wild catnip on the grave of a cat she'd buried in her backyard, and she'd give me some of the catnip. Nothing I've ever bought in the stores works as well as this wild catnip did for my cats.

One of my cats would go insane. She'd throw her body (this was a 20lb Russian Blue cat) over all the catnip I'd poured onto the floor and she'd growl at the other cat if she dared to get anywhere near her stash. High on this wild catnip, both cats would try to jump onto low furniture, like an ottoman, and miss every single time, but yet, kept trying the same move over and over again.

My current crowd of three cats will eat store-bought catnip, roll in it and then promptly fall asleep, without ever doing anything crazy. I sure wish I could get my hands on more of that wild catnip.

[JulieHowe]

One year for Christmas I made little gift baskets for the staff of the vet hospital I worked for. In those baskets was a homemade catnip satchets. I grew my own catnip, dried it and made little cat toys for everyone's own cats. Well one of the vets chose to take it home and put the basket under the tree until Christmas morning. The next morning the family came downstairs to find the living room re-arranged by three wasted kitties! I was greeted at work by any exasperated vet, "What did you put in those satchets? My cats wrecked my house!"

Evil grin!

D.C.

You just gave me my laugh for the day. :)

[D.C. McLaughlin]

I understand about some cats liking it and some not. My outside barn cats couldn't care less about it. Probably because they are exposed to it constantly. The house cats are the real drug addicts. They are expert connosuers ( sp?) of really high grade catnip. In other words : NIPHEADS! They told me that 2009 was a really good year for nip. 2010 should be even better with all the rain we've had lately!

Want me to bag some up and ship it your way? SHHHHH! Don't let the feds know!

D.C.

[JulieHowe]

I would even send you money to cover the postage. :) I'll send you a private message.

[Stlight]

I had the usual spread of cats who loved it and those who didn’t notice, as described above. Then there was one other one. Catnip completely removed most of the already thin veneer of civilization this particular cat wore. I only gave it to him once. After that any time anyone who insisted poor kitty needed a treat like the others, got to give it to him by themselves while the other cats and I hid.

He came around in an hour or so and everything was fine. But he would attack anyone around him under the influence of catnip.

I don't know if he liked it or not, but there is a reason people don't keep wild cats as pets.

[Captcha]

My cat eats it. That's it. No rolling, no crazy behaviour, just eats and moves on. She doesn't even look like she enjoys eating it - kind of like a kid eating brussel sprouts (you can call them baby cabbages as much as you want, no one is fooled). But I'm not MAKING her eat it, and she's really not the kind of cat to do something just because I want her to, so...?

[D.C. McLaughlin]

Stlight,

You special case cat sounds like the kind I deal with at work all the time! Gotta evil cat that will tear you face off for even sharing their oxygen? Call me. I'm not afraid. I'd rather deal with a cantakarous cat than bungee jump!

This is why we do not domesticate lions and tigers!

D.C.

[Stlight]

DC, his dad ripped his way through the fence into the cattery, so he wasn't supposed to be. But he ripped his way out of the veil and was trucking across the room, so the vet said "we gotta save this one." and I walked in a few minutes later. Hand raised him. Had to pick up the squeeze cage at the vet to bring him in that way.

He liked me and a few others. Unfortunately he was fluffy, his mom was an Angroa, and sort of Pink tinted. I can't tell you how many times people said, "oh pretty kitty, can I pet him?" I'd say no, but 9 times out of 10 they'd do it anyway. He didn't care for stranger's petting him. Or people getting to close to me. Okay, guard cat, that was a good thing.

Years after he crossed over, the people at the vet remembered him. I think it was the pupils going completely black and then... well, you know.

No, we never found out who his dad was, but we didn't think he was domestic. Neither did the vet.

[wombat]

If your cats can tell the difference between the wild stuff and storebought, I wonder if this brand would be worth a try:
http://www.thechroniccatnipcompany.com/

[JulieHowe]

Thanks for the link. :)

[Chumplet]

Trixie never cared for the stuff, but Ridley likes to do a line at least once every couple of days. We keep it on top of the fridge and he asks for it by stretching on the fridge door and meowing.

He doesn't like the fresh stuff -- too strong. If we age it a bit, I sprinkle a line on the floor & he rolls around in it. Gets pretty mellow.

[thothguard51]

Shame on you all. It all sound so innocent, a little catnip never hurt no one. But that is how it starts. Next thing you know, they're in back alleys and Catnip dens looking to score some heavier stuff. Pretty soon, they're snorting Drano or comet.

Just vote no on making Catnip legal in California. The extra taxes is not worth the spent and wasted lives...

[D.C. McLaughlin]

I just gave my cats some of the fresh stuff that started growing the other day. Then I went outside to take care of my horses. When I came back in the house, the dog had a huge sprig on the couch with him and was guarding it from the cats! I had to explain to him that there's no such thing as dog-nip.

( He's a greyhound and he's still learning how to be a pet! )

D.C.

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

I have a female Maine Coon who's absolutely bonkers with the stuff. We keep a plastic container of it in a drawer in the sideboard. If one of us so much as touches that drawer, she's on it like white on rice. If she disappears into her latest hiding place, I can get her to reappear just by rattling the handle.

The best show, however, is to just take the container out of the drawer and set it on the top of the sideboard. She'll nuzzle it and push it around until it goes over the edge and hits the floor, then the show begins. She'll roll around the floor with it, pushing, pulling, hugging it and rabbit kicking it with her back feet... and then she'll sit on it, like a hen on a clutch of eggs.

Ol' Boy and I have been wanting to film it, but haven't yet... maybe I'll set up the camera today and see if I can get some evidence...

[wombat]

That is so funny about the greyhound. Typical dog behavior - they want anything that someone else has even if it is totally pointless. I will give mine precisely identical chew treats, and every time, they will both be looking for a chance to steal the other one. They are sure that whatever someone else has, has to be better than what they have.

Would love to hear back about the Chronic Catnip if anyone orders it - such a funny site - but are they good catnip growers or just good writers?

[JulieHowe]

Shame on you all. It all sound so innocent, a little catnip never hurt no one. But that is how it starts. Next thing you know, they're in back alleys and Catnip dens looking to score some heavier stuff. Pretty soon, they're snorting Drano or comet.

Just vote no on making Catnip legal in California. The extra taxes is not worth the spent and wasted lives...

I am not an addict!!!
http://tinyurl.com/ylrdwn2

[kuwisdelu]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/143553/withdrawal_cat.JPG

[Bartholomew]

My cat doesn't do anything weird until I accidentally switch the cat-nip and the oregano.

The soup tasted funny. And that was BEFORE the cat dove into it.