Catnip Information

Milled Organic Catnip

Turn a sour puss into a playful kitten with safe, organically-grown dry milled catnip.  Catnip is a great way to jump start a play session.

Use this special organically grown catnip to recharge toys or scatter around scratching posts to encourage kitty to scratch on his furniture and not yours.

Dry milled catnip looks like dried oregano but its effect on your kitty is priceless.  Kitties love catnip and yours will love this brand.

Learn More about Catnip

What is catnip, anyway? Is it a drug?

Catnip is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family Labiatae. Catnip is known in scientific nomenclature as "Nepeta cataria".

How does catnip work?

The active ingredient in catnip is called Nepetalactone. The response to this chemical is mediated through the olfactory system (their nose) that cats have a special receptor for. This chemical is thought to mimic the effects of a pheromone which can cause a variety of behaviors.

Milled Organic Catnip can be purchased from CityCats.biz. By clicking the buy now button you will be taken to the CityCats.biz website for more information about Catnip and Kitty Grass and about how to order.

I bought a catnip toy for my new kitten, she didn't seem to care. Is this normal?

Sometimes, particularly if your kitten is less than 3 months old. Very young and senior cats do not respond as much, or at all, to catnip. It is estimated that, 10-30% of the cat population do not respond to catnip at all, at any age. This is due to genetics -- reactions to catnip are hereditary. Some cats are genetically "programmed" to respond to catnip, some aren't.

My cat really goes crazy over catnip, is it dangerous?

Cats are unique in their response to catnip, and the response can be very dramatic in some cats - rolling, licking, rubbing, drooling, jumping, running, kicking, growling. Other cats appear to become very sedate after exposure. And, as mentioned above, up to 30% of the cat population does not respond at all to catnip. In any case, for all of the (sometimes entertaining) behaviors seen, catnip is completely nontoxic to cats. If a large quantity of fresh catnip is consumed, you may see some vomiting or diarrhea, but this is rare and self-limiting. If your cat experiences this, limit or withhold catnip.

Is catnip hard to grow?

Generally no.  If you plant it in a garden, it could take over. Catnip is a perennial. If you live in the northern United States or Canada it should be easy to find at your local nursery. Some gardeners advise to plant it in a buried 5 gallon bucket to prevent it from taking over the garden. However, we live in the Pacific Northwest and plant it as normal, and it is grows fine returning each year.

More resources for catnip are found at the following:

Catnip, Cat nip

Grow your own Kitty Grass

Did you know cats crave grass to help aid in digestion and help to cough up fur balls. Growing your own kitty grass can satisfy your kitty's craving and it can stop your cat from eating your house plants. Many of which can be poisonous to your Cat.

Grow your own Kitty Grass