It turns out there are some psychotropic affects going on when your cat gets into the catnip zone, writes Phillip Mlynar. According to science buffs, cats react to catnip after a volatile oil in it called nepetalactone interacts with the nasal tissue. Once the catnip has been engaged, it starts to replicate pheromones that, in turn, switch on feline receptors and make all sorts of neuron light bulbs pop off in the cat’s brain.
. . . the catnip high usually lasts for little more than 10 minutes. . .
Source: Catster, April 18, 2019. Link. When a cat gets all in a catnip state of mind, it’s not uncommon to display the following symptoms: Bugged-out eyes, frantic rubbing and rolling around, a brief and hilarious sense of disorientation and bizarro meows.
Cats can’t really overdose on catnip. . . the potential effects of a catnip binge is little more than the feline version of a particularly messy human hangover.
INSIGHTS: This is a fun article to share with cat owners on social media, in e-newsletters and websites.