A very small amount of catnip can have large effects on the behavior of your cat. As small a portion of 1 part per billion of the active compound in catnip will trigger these behavioral effects. This means that even catnip that has been around a while will still be potent enough to have some effect on your kitty. However, the freshest catnip will be best, and your cat will enjoy its effects the most. The ultraviolet light from the sun can degrade catnip’s potency, so always store the herb in a lightproof container.



The active compound that creates catnip’s effect is a compound known as nepetalactone. This chemical has its effect when the cat breaths in it fumes. Thus, many veterinarians and other cat experts believe that cats play with the catnip and chew the leaves to release the scent, which they then breath in. Crushing or bruising the catnip leaves before you give them to your cat will enhance its psychoactive properties.



Although the exact mechanism by which nepetalactone has it effect on cats is not known, many people believe it has the effect of stimulating your cat’s sexual desires. The way cats roll around on the ground after sniffing catnip is very similar to the behavior of female cats in heat. However, catnip affects both male and female cats equally. Kittens that haven’t reached sexual material have very little interest in catnip and will mostly ignore it if you give it to them. Some kittens may start to have an interest in catnip at 2 months of age and on up to 6 months.



However, only about 50 to 70 percent of cats will be affected by catnip at all. This is because the susceptibility to catnip is inherited, and if your cat did not get the catnip genes from its parents, the herb will have no effect on it. For example, cats that originate in Australia get no effects from catnip at all. It is believed these animals were never exposed to the herb in their natural environment and so never adapted a response to it.

