Catnip Not Working? What Could Be Wrong?

Sometimes, inexperienced cat owners think something is wrong with their cat, or the catnip is of poor quality. However, genetic peculiarities are the most likely reason a cat doesn’t react to catnip.

Some cats are naturally insensitive to catnip, and others develop tolerance to the herb throughout their lifetime. The cat’s age also affects its reaction to catnip.

The cat isn’t always to blame, though. If your cat’s reaction to catnip has changed suddenly, the chances are that the herb has lost its potency or the dosage is too small.

Tolerance

If your cat became unresponsive to catnip suddenly, although it used to go crazy over the herb, it has most likely developed a tolerance.

In a way, catnip is a drug for cats – although they don’t become addicted, they gradually lose responsiveness to its effects.

Think of it as drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes – you need more and more of the substance to feel the effect as time goes by. Catnip is the human equivalent of coffee, cigarettes, or hemp, whichever you prefer.

Tolerance develops in cats at a different speed, depending on a cat’s peculiarities, the frequency of ingesting or inhaling catnip, and dosage. If you start with large doses, your cat will be unresponsive to smaller ones.

You may have noticed that catnip manufacturers don’t mention the dosage on their product packages. The reason for this is that cats have an innate understanding of how much catnip is too much.

If you give your cat to smell or eat catnip, it will stop shortly because its olfactory receptors will become desensitized to the active ingredient.

Your cat’s receptors will remain desensitized for a while, ranging from a few hours to several weeks. For this reason, you cannot give a cat catnip multiple times in a row to prolong its effect.

How often you can give a cat catnip depends, but the general recommendation is about once a week or several weeks. By giving your cat breaks, you allow its pheromone receptors to reset.

Catnip should be an occasional treat, like beer on Fridays, not a daily guilty pleasure. It should only be used when necessary – for example, for felines in heat or during a car trip, but not regularly just for fun.

Age

If you’re giving catnip to a kitten or senior cat, a lack of response isn’t surprising. The active ingredient in catnip, essential oil nepetalactone, mimics feline pheromones responsible for mating behavior.

For this reason, catnip makes some cats behave as if they were in heat, even males. Kittens can sense some pheromone types, primarily those necessary for identifying cats from their social group.

However, kittens can’t yet analyze mating pheromones. As a result, they don’t have any response to catnip, and some even find its odor repulsive.

At what age kittens start reacting to catnip depends – some kittens respond to the herb at three months of age, whereas others may not react to it until one year old.

Senior cats aren’t as responsive to catnip as young cats for several reasons. Firstly, their mating instincts aren’t as prominent, so they don’t care about pheromones as much.

Secondly, many old cats have been exposed to catnip numerous times throughout their life and have developed tolerance to the herb. Thirdly, senior cats tend to have a less strong sense of smell and may have trouble analyzing pheromones.

However, some senior cats retain some responsiveness to catnip, so the herb can be of great help in getting an old feline “couch potato” moving or eating its food.

Dosage

Sometimes, a cat may not react to catnip simply because of a low dose. Determining how much catnip to give a cat is tricky because there are no universal guidelines, and catnip manufacturers don’t provide any instructions on their product packages.

Although catnip is considered safe, it’s still recommended to start with a small dose. However, some owners are overly cautious and give such a negligible dose that their pet has no reaction whatsoever.

As a rule of thumb, start with a smell test. Let your cat sniff some catnip and see whether it starts rolling around or otherwise behaving oddly. If it doesn’t, try again with a more potent catnip in a few days.

To find the correct dose of catnip to ingest, start with half a teaspoon and gradually increase the amount in case your cat has no reaction to the herb.

Catnip oils tend to be more potent than dry catnip because they contain nepetalactone extract. If your cat has lost responsiveness to loose catnip, try different products with higher concentrations.

The Catnip Is Old

The fresher catnip, the more prominent its effect (assuming your cat is among the few felines responsive to catnip). In a sense, catnip is like culinary herbs.

When you buy oregano or thyme, they are dried and crumbled. After some months of keeping the herbs in jars in your spice rack, you may notice that the scent has become less prominent because the chemicals that give them flavor break down.

The same process happens with loose catnip. Because the active ingredient is an essential oil, over time, it evaporates, and catnip turns into a regular dry herb.

There’s no universal answer for how long catnip last. If stored in a dry, dark place, it can preserve its potency for years, but light and oxygen are catnip’s worst enemies, causing it to lose its magic in no time.

Catnip doesn’t really go bad, so old catnip is unlikely to cause an adverse reaction. However, it can rot or grow mold when stored incorrectly and exposed to moisture.

If you’ve been using the same catnip for a while and didn’t give it to your cat too often, the chances are that you need to buy a new pack.

If your cat has lost interest in catnip toys, rub fresh catnip on them or spritz them with catnip spray. Some toys can be opened up to change the catnip bag inside.

To prevent your catnip from losing its potency in the future, learn how to store catnip correctly. Keep it sealed air-tight so that no oxygen can get inside. Jars with lids and plastic containers will do the job.

The package should be solid enough that your cat won’t tear it open. Ideally, keep it out of your furry friend’s sight. The storage area should be dry, dark, and moderately cool.

The most potent catnip is a homegrown fresh herb, so if you have a garden, you may plant some to please your four-legged buddy.

However, catnip is a low-maintenance plant, so even a pot on your windowsill will be sufficient (but keep it away from your cat).

Individual Peculiarities

Some cats aren’t responsive to catnip because they lack the gene responsible for recognizing the active ingredient. According to studies, only 50%-75% of felines are responsive to catnip, so every fourth to every second cat will have no reaction to the herb.

Research suggests that catnip responsiveness is inherited, so if a mother cat doesn’t react to catnip, neither will her kittens, and vice versa. However, we still need more studies to prove this theory.

Does the lack of “catnip gene” mean that a cat will never experience catnip “high”? Not really. Cats unresponsive to catnip may react to catnip alternatives, including silvervine, Tatarian honeysuckle, lavender, chamomile, and valerian root.

Silvervine has a positive effect on nearly 80% of cats, unlike 50%-75% of catnip. This native to Japan and China plant comes in many forms, including treats, dried leaves, and sprays, and has an effect similar to catnip.

Tatarian honeysuckle is an invasive Siberian plant that affects approximately 85% of the feline population. Although 15% of cats will have no reaction to the herb, others will roll around and rub against surfaces.

Valerian root is known for its calming effect on humans, but it has a similar effect on felines. Ingested valerian root is a mild sedative, making felines mellow and sleepy. Inhaled valerian root has a stimulating effect.

Lavender and chamomile have a relaxing effect on humans and are often found in herbal teas and sleep sprays. Many cats also enjoy the calming scent of these plants. Lavender and chamomile have a light sedative but not stimulating effect.

These plants are equally safe for cats as catnip, although valerian root may clash with anti-fungal and anti-epilepsy medications. Some felines may have individual adverse reactions, including stomach upset and allergy.

Sometimes, cats do react to catnip, but not in a way their owners expect. Typically, cats rub against surfaces, roll on the floor, and run around the room after sniffing some catnip.

However, each cat’s reaction is unique and depends on whether catnip was inhaled or ingested. Catnip has a sedative rather than stimulating effect on some felines, particularly if ingested, making them mellow and sleepy.

Sources