DID
YOU GUESS IT??
Kitty's Favorite Herb: Catnip
The attraction of cats to
catnip has been known for
centuries and has given us the
common name of this plant. An
essential oil — nepetalactone —
triggers an amazing reaction in
cats: sniffing, licking and
chewing the plant with head
shaking, chin and cheek and
body rubbing. Eye dilation and
drooling may also occur. Cats
respond to tiny amounts of
nepetalactone — concentrations
approaching one part per billion.
It is interesting that only about
two thirds of cats respond to
catnip. It is an inherited trait—
breeds originating from Asia
typically don’t respond to catnip.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria), a
perennial herb in the mint family,
was introduced to North
America by European settlers
and grows wild in most of the
U.S. Catnip tea was used by
settlers as a folk remedy for
colds and fever, cramps,
migraines and other disorders.
Despite this widespread use, the
pharmaceutical uses of catnip
have not been studied very
much.
Even though the response of
cats to catnip is well known,
many people are unaware that
catnip oil repels a number of
different insect species, including
planthoppers and spittlebugs,
German cockroaches, subterranean
termites, mosquitoes and
several beetle species.
For more information, read the entire Nebline Article: Catnip Attracts Cats and Repels Pests by Barb Ogg, Extension Educator. (this is a .pdf file)
Other resources you might enjoy:
What's the Scoop on Insect Repellents
Youth Gardening Activity. Plant a Zoo Garden
The World is Their Litterbox. Discouraging Cats. (this is a .pdf file)
The Butterfly Garden (Nebraska Statewide Aboretum)
This Can You Guess It?? photo appears in the January 2006 NEBLINE Newsletter.