Why do cats love catnip?(oa.mg) |
Why do cats love catnip?(oa.mg) |
Interesting, but why only cats? Why don't other mammals have a similar reaction to these plants?
Unless cats, over their evolution, encountered a larger range of iridiod producing plants?
They are also attracted to the smell (outside cats always find it) and it clearly gives them a buzz of sorts.
The effect it gives seems to vary between cats, our cat gets calmer / drowzy / sleeps right after, but others seem to get more energetic.
The cat may not realize "hey I need this for mosquitos" just that it "feels good" and it relieves later problems, so the brain subconsciously seeks it out in the future.
For the plant, it benefits from the cross-pollination fuzzy faces provide.
It really is like weed for cats, it helps with many ailments and once you start using it the smell attracts you to it.
The effect and also the desire. Of three cats at my home, one of them is wild for catnip and will run for the catnip before food, even when hungry. One of them will always go to the food first and then check out the catnip after. The third is entirely indifferent to catnip and will walk right past it.
Other cats simply ignored that smell.
While camping in Big Basin during a really bad year for mosquitoes, my neighbor campsite had a pet Husky. Whenever they let the dog out of the tent dozens of mosquitoes would quickly converge on its face and nose. It looked like something out of a horror movie.
I'd assume cats have similarly vulnerable areas on their head where the fur is thin to nonexistent. And that's an especially irritating region to have covered in itchy bites.
> Nepetalactone is a mosquito and fly repellent. Oil isolated from catnip by steam distillation is a repellent against insects, in particular mosquitoes, cockroaches, and termites. Research suggests that, while a more effective spatial repellant than DEET, when compared with SS220 or DEET, it is not so effective as a repellent as it is when used on the skin of humans.
The research for the spatial repellant aspect is: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.h...
And for the skin based one: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16119554/
Also, it might be in the mint family but it makes terrible juleps. Do not recommend.
Also, there's definitely some potency or freshness qualities of catnip.
I'd tried it with my cat and thought for years she didn't respond, but I ended up with a small sachet and she went bonkers, but I don't know what the difference was.
My cats (7 of them) looooove the dried, store-bought catnip, but have very little interest in the fresh stuff out of my garden. Thought I might try drying some of the stuff from the garden as a kind of clinical test to see if the store bought stuff is somehow different from what I'm growing.
No clue why, maybe some outlets sell fakes or there are different kinds?
Ok, ok... Bad joke...
Disclosure, I didn't click on the article, but that's their fault for the headline being dumb.
However, I'm now inclined to get that copper/brass distiller I've always wanted. I was going to make my own essential oils, but now I'll just use it as mosquito defense for my back patio
Cannabinoid receptors 'don't do much' without the help of of some 19% THC sativa in the same way the dopaminergic system doesn't do much without the help of methamphetamine. However, that 'not much' is actually necessary for us to function.
Their mutated receptors can reject THC while still accepting their own endocannabinoids.
Where I grew up in Indiana, the stuff was a weed (yes, our cats were constantly high all summer). That's how I found out that it not only makes for a nasty tasting tea, it also will not get humans intoxicated.
(OTOH, maybe it needs decarbonization like cannabis. You try it first, I already took one for the team.)
But have at it if that's your thing!
I'll be waaaay over there. Upwind -----------> :)
I'm all for legalization and everything, just ... do that somewhere that doesn't affect me. It's funny because they're obviously forced to smoke outside to increase the indoor air quality for their dorm-mates, but then it ruins mine in exchange. Oh externalities.
The lack of effect made me feel a bit cocky, so the next time I went in all bravado. I got super stoned and could barely stand or walk while I was adjusting to it. I was quite impressed and humbled immediately.
Nowadays I get runners high running for my stash. Kidding. The rest is true though.
I was never a good runner. But in grade 7 and 8 we used to run a regular route for gym class. I always had to walk parts of it. But in grade 8, we had "The Great Race" and for whatever reason, I guess since it wasn't just my usual gym classmates, I got all competitive and managed to run the whole thing. I still lagged way too far to win, but I made it without stopping.
There was a point, a ways after the first point I would normally give up and walk a bit, that I suddenly felt "This is easy" and everything just flowed. So I just kept going and finished the race.
When it was over, it was a chore trying not to vomit.
That was a definite breakthrough stamina moment.