So I was just doing some online shopping for my kittens at Petco, and came across
this article on catnip. Here's a small portion:
Quote:
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The best way to keep your cat interested in her catnip toys is to store them in the freezer (to help them keep their freshness and to keep your cat from finding them) and bring them out once every two to three weeks for a special catnip party. As an added bonus, during catnip parties you can turn off the TV and let yourself be entertained by your cat's antics.
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So let me get this straight. Catnip contains an herb called nepetalactone, similar to the sedative in valerian, called the "Valium of the nineteenth century." So you're giving your cats an herb to watch them get a high and just kinda entertain both themselves and you.
I hadn't thought about catnip before I got cats (obviously), but my fiancee is opposed to the idea of giving it to them. I understand that the high is temporary and not a big deal, but does anybody else feel weird about giving their cats drugs? The more I think about it, the more I feel uncomfortable with giving animals this substance when there's no real way for me to gauge how they're feeling when they're on it.
Thought number two: Why is catnip legal but marijuana illegal? Is it simply because cats aren't human and can't do productive things like get the munchies or construct bongs?
Seriously...why is catnip so universally accepted, to the point where I have a very difficult time finding toys without catnip?
Do you give your cats catnip and did you give it any thought before doing so? Am I overreacting?