Does Catnip Really Make Cats «High»?

Pedro_P

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"Dude, I'm so wasted."
(Image: © Shutterstock)
▼ Offer a pinch of catnip or a catnip-filled toy to your pet feline, and her response might be dramatic ... and silly. She may roll on her back, dart wildly around, drool, lick the catnip and rub it on her face and body, or flop over and lie there purring.
Her actions seem goofy and comical, and somewhat resemble the uncoordinated and gleeful behavior of someone who's had a little too much to drink or is pleasantly under the influence of recreational drugs.
But is that what's happening here? Does catnipmake cats high?
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes aromatic herbs such as rosemary, sage, oregano and basil. The compound that plays the biggest role in the so-called catnip effect in domestic catsis produced in specialized glands in catnip's leaves and flowers and is called nepetalactone, said Jim Simon, a professor of plant biology and co-director of the Center for Sensory Sciences and Innovation at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  
"When you buy catmint [another cat-attracting plant in the Lamiaceae family] or catnip from a nursery, they're usually (▪ ▪ ▪)

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Rhett_Bassard

abhidebb

A nice informative article..sure to enthrall cat-lovers.

Rhett_Bassard

(cat-people would know this is wheatgrass, not catnip)