Most cats love catnip, including the six cats having a catnip party in the video above. But apparently catnip can make kitties a little jumpy!
Minnie, the cat in the lower left of the video, gives her sibling kitty a little love tap, setting off a chain reaction of scattering felines. Looks like the party’s over!
If you have a catnip party with your kitties, be sure to record it once in a while. You never know when you’ll capture a funny moment!
And if your cats aren’t into catnip, you may be interested to know that there are other plants that can have similar effects on felines. Here are a few to check out!
Plants That Cats May Prefer To Catnip
(Picture Credit: sdominick/Getty Images)
Did you know 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.
Has your cat ever had a catnip party like the kitties in the video? Have they ever had a funny reaction to the ‘nip? Let us know in the comments below!