Can Nursing Cats Have Catnip?

Catnip is an excellent way to get a nursing cat moving or, on the opposite, to calm down an overly anxious young mother.

Catnip doesn’t affect kittens or a nursing mother cat directly, but like any psychoactive substance, it may cause a cat to behave oddly and unintentionally hurt herself or the kittens.

Owners wishing to give their nursing cat catnip should know the risks and watch out for adverse reactions.

What Are the Side Effects of Catnip?

Catnip is generally safe for cats, but this doesn’t mean that the herb can’t cause adverse effects. Even a healthy adult cat can experience gastroenteric upset from having too much catnip.

Catnip in small amounts is known to positively impact the feline digestive tract. However, some felines have individual intolerance causing them to vomit even from a bit of the herb.

An allergic reaction is also possible. The symptoms are similar to gastroenteric upset but may also include coughing, shortness of breath, and skin rash.

How catnip affects cats largely depends on whether it was ingested or inhaled.

When inhaled, catnip has a stimulating effect, causing cats to exhibit behavior similar to mating. They may roll on the floor, rub against surfaces, and vocalize.

Because cats react differently to stimulants, some felines may exhibit aggressive behavior, hissing, growling, and attacking owners or other animals. Fortunately, the cat’s behavior returns to the norm once the effects of catnip wear off.

Pregnant cats should never have catnip because its stimulating effect may induce premature labor and affect the placenta.

When catnip is ingested, it has the opposite effect, acting as a mild sedative. Cats become mellow and sleepy and may appear disoriented after eating catnip. If a cat has had too much catnip, it may become lethargic.

The good part is that catnip’s adverse effects aren’t long-lasting. Behavior changes only appear for a short time until the effect wears off, and gastroenteric upset usually resolves in a day.

The adverse effects are more likely the higher the dose but may appear even from a small amount of the herb. Supervision is crucial if you don’t yet know how your cat behaves when consuming catnip.

Can a Cat Overdose Catnip?

Everything is poison if you consume enough of it. Although catnip is non-toxic to felines, many owners wonder how much catnip to give a cat to avoid adverse reactions and overdose.

The good news is that a cat cannot overdose on catnip. Cats are born with an understanding of how much catnip is too much.

A cat will only sniff or eat catnip until it kicks in; then, it will lose interest because its olfactory receptors become desensitized.

For this reason, catnip manufacturers don’t provide dosage guidelines for their product packages. There aren’t universal rules for catnip dosage, although there is some correlation with a cat’s weight.

Start with a smell test if you plan to give your cat catnip for the first time. Let your cat sniff a bit of the herb and watch its reaction. If your cat doesn’t become aggressive, you can assume that catnip is safe.

Some cats may not react to sniffing catnip because they lack the gene responsible for recognizing nepetalactone, the essential oil mimicking feline pheromones.

If you’re looking for a light sedative rather than a stimulant, mix about half a teaspoon of catnip into your cat’s food. Over time, you may have to increase the dose because cats develop tolerance.

A tablespoon is the maximum amount of catnip a cat can eat at once. A larger dose may irritate the stomach.

Does Catnip Affect Lactation?

One of the primary concerns of giving nursing cats catnip is the herb’s effect on lactation. Kittens are highly reliant on their mother’s milk, so owners should be extra careful with what they let the mother cat eat.

Many medications and natural remedies aren’t suitable for nursing cats because they might affect the quality of milk or hinder its production, so the concern is valid. However, there are no known cases of catnip affecting lactation.

Catnip doesn’t contain chemicals toxic to felines, so it won’t harm the quality of milk or its production. Nursing cats can eat or smell catnip without any more concerns than any other cat.

Does Catnip Affect Maternal Instinct?

Catnip doesn’t directly affect feline maternal instinct, so your cat won’t abandon her kittens after having some catnip. However, remember that catnip affects a cat’s neurological system and may cause short-term behavior changes.

Simply put, catnip is like a drug or alcohol for cats. It has a psychoactive effect, making cats lose control over their actions for 10-30 minutes if catnip was inhaled and over an hour if it was ingested.

Breastfeeding mothers wouldn’t smoke pot or drink while they take care of their babies, and not solely because these substances affect the quality of milk but because they change the behavior and make people careless.

Mothers, whether human or feline, should be in as clear a state of mind as possible to take proper care of their children, who are completely defenseless and dependent on their mom.

A cat that has sniffed catnip may become hyperactive and run around the room, not caring about the kittens. Sometimes, cats injure themselves in the process, and unintentionally harming tiny kittens is even easier.

In the worst-case scenario, a cat may become aggressive and attack its kittens. That’s drama you want to avoid, so never leave a cat and her kittens without supervision after giving her catnip.

Eating catnip doesn’t cause hyperactivity, but a disoriented, sleepy mother cat may unintentionally lay on a kitten and kill it. Some mother cats may be nervous when they are in a disoriented state and are unable to help their kittens.

Is Catnip Safe for Kittens?

Catnip is safe for nursing cats, but is catnip safe for kittens? Kittens may consume some amount of nepetalactone with mother’s milk, sniff dry herb sprinkled around the nursing nest, or accidentally eat a bit of catnip.

Very young kittens still eating mother’s milk shouldn’t eat catnip because it may cause a gastroenteric upset. However, sniffing catnip or drinking the milk of a cat that has eaten catnip will not cause any adverse reactions.

And that’s because catnip has zero effect on kittens. Nepetalactone mimics feline mating pheromones, so it only affects sexually mature cats.

Kittens can sense pheromones responsible for recognizing their mother, but they cannot yet analyze mating pheromones.

Kittens only begin responding to catnip after six months old, when they start maturing. If a kitten sniffs dry catnip or plays with a catnip toy, it will not show any behavior abnormalities.

However, avoid giving nursing cats catnip products containing chemicals, such as sprays and bubbles with preservatives or colorings. Artificial ingredients may have long-term effects even on an adult cat’s health.

The best choice for a nursing cat is dry or fresh catnip without add-ons, but catnip oils and tinctures are also valid options.

Catnip Dosage for a Nursing Cat

Assuming you’re aware of the risks of giving catnip to nursing cats, you may wonder what’s the correct dosage. The catnip dosage for a nursing cat is the same as for any other cat.

If you’ve already tried giving your cat catnip, give her the same amount as usual. If it’s her first time trying catnip, start small, with half a teaspoon. Large-breed cats like Maine Coons may need higher doses, about a teaspoon or more.

If you want to encourage your nursing cat to play, simply give her to sniff some catnip. She will know when to stop.

Signs Catnip Is No Good for a Nursing Cat

If you’re planning on giving catnip to your cat for the first time, learn the signs catnip is no good for your cat. Some cats have individual intolerance of the herb and have reactions that don’t fit the normal spectrum.

If your cat has diarrhea, flatulence, vomiting, and other gastroenteric symptoms from ingesting catnip, the dose is too high, or your cat is intolerant to the herb altogether.

Some cats may sneeze after sniffing catnip – that’s a normal reaction, but sneezing shouldn’t continue for long. Sneezing, coughing, runny nose, watery eyes, and other respiratory symptoms signal an allergic reaction.

Always supervise your cat after giving her catnip to spot behavior abnormalities. If your cat behaves aggressively, you can assume that catnip isn’t a good fit for her.

Remove an aggressive cat from the room with kittens unless her aggression is protective – in that case, move away and don’t come close to the litter. Wait until the effects of catnip wear off, and your cat calms down.

Aggressive behavior is likely to repeat the next time you give your cat catnip, so you may want to find an alternative that doesn’t have such an effect on your pet’s behavior.

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