Does your cat love catnip? The kitty in the video above sure does — so much so that she’ll break into the pet supply store to play with all the catnip toys!
Hopefully the video above puts a smile on your face today. And don’t worry! According to the video: “This cat entered the pet store by accident and had the time of her life rolling around in catnip toys! Pure kitty bliss 😀 Oh, and her owner came to pick her up, so all’s well that ends well!”
Cats can have lots of different reactions to catnip, and the kitty in the video definitely had a hilarious one. But did you know some cats don’t have any reaction to catnip at all? Luckily, there are a few plants that can produce similar effects in cats. If your cat doesn’t love catnip, try one of these alternatives.
Plants That Cats May Prefer To Catnip
(Picture Credit: junku/Getty Images)About 30 to 50 percent of cats don’t react to catnip at all! But they may react to one of these alternatives. Give them a try!
- Valerian: Valerian root and valerian leaves can cause a reaction in cats very similar to catnip, but it comes at a price – the plant is very stinky!
- Silver Vine: Also known as Actinidia polygama, this plant grows commonly in Japan and China. It’s the most popular cat treat in Asia, called matatabi.
- Acalypha Indica: Also known as cat grass or Indian nettle, this plant is very common in tropical countries. It’s a medicinal plant and sometimes eaten as a vegetable in West Africa.
- Cat Thyme: This plant doesn’t grow as fast as catnip, so you’ll have to plan ahead if you want to grow your own.
- Tartarian Honeysuckle Sawdust: Unlike catnip, this honeysuckle’s effects can be revived by dampening it. Just make sure that you use the sawdust shavings of honeysuckle, which you can buy at a pet store, and not the seeds or berries.
And even if your cat does have a reaction to catnip, the effect only lasts about five to 15 minutes. So it might be good to have some other plants in your arsenal of cat toys.
Does your cat go wild for catnip too? Would your cat break into a store just to play in the catnip aisle? Let us know in the comments below!
