Catnip is Jupiter's Vice

My cat, Jupiter, loves catnip. He rolls around in it when he is upset, when he is happy, when it is sunny, cold, or raining. In other words, he needs no excuse to rub his nose in the stuff. I think he is intoxicated a lot of the time. We are sure not to approach him just after he gets his share, because he is a nasty drunk. He will whip around and scratch us if we get too close. We have both catnip, Nepeta cataria and catmint, Nepeta faasenii in our yard and both species arouse him.  So why do Jupiter and other cats like catnip so much? The plant exudes the chemical, Nepetalactone, which apparently (although it is not known for sure) mimics a cat pheromone. The chemical binds to the olfactory receptors in some cats bringing them into a state of temporary euphoria. Kittens are not affected by Nepetalactone and actually 25% of cats (sadly for them), don't respond to the chemical.

Catnip is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus Nepeta is apparently named for Nepete, an ancient Etruscan city. There are about 250 species and it is a native of Europe, Asia and Africa and has become naturalized in North America. The delicate bluish green leaves have a wonderful minty smell when you crush them between your fingers and the catmint blooms its delicate purple flowers from early spring through fall. They enjoy partial shade and tolerate quite a bit of dryness, but do enjoy a good weekly watering. Some species of Nepeta are insect repellents, while others are used as food plants by butterflies, honeybees and moths.

Cats are not the only animals who enjoy a little Nepeta from time to time. Humans also use catnip as a tea. It has a mild mint flavor and is a useful sedative when taken occasionally. It can be mixed with other calming herbs like lemon balm, oat straw and passion flower. The dried herb or fresh leaves are used for tea. If you suffer from occasional anxiety or insomnia, the tea might be a soothing and delicious option.

A nice tea mixture is: 1 tsp. dried catnip, 1 tsp. peppermint, 1 tsp. lemon balm, 1 tsp. oat straw. Place in a tea ball or screen and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Add honey and enjoy!