Should Kittens Have Catnip

The minty perennial has long been appreciated for its surprising physiological effect on some cats.

Should kittens have catnip. Well catnip provides obvious pleasure for many cats. The catnip reaction is thought to be exhibited due to an inherited characteristic related to an autosomal dominant gene and the effect isn t just exhibited in domestic cats it s also. Catnip nepeta cataria is a perennial herb that is a member of the mint family. Absolutely catnip is safe for kittens.

These hard wired preferences aren t immediately apparent though since kittens under the age of 3 months don t react to catnip at all. Although catnip is totally harmless and safe around kittens both to smell and to eat it isn t necessarily. Not all felines respond to catnip. Eating a small amount of catnip is unlikely to cause a cat any harm.

While most cats do about 15 percent reportedly do not. If your kitten has reached the. It isn t until their seventh month that cats seem to show a real appreciation to it. Kittens whether they possess the gene or not generally do not react to catnip until they are from six to nine months old.

Can kittens have catnip yes. One thing that is important to note about using catnip for kittens is that some may attempt to eat it in addition to just sniffing it or playing with it inside of a pet toy. Can kittens have catnip. Your cat is among the lucky ones by the way since some cats don t react to catnip at all.

Can kittens have catnip. The chemical compound in the plant that attracts and affects cats is called nepetalactone. The ability to appreciate the herb is genetic with slightly more cats in the fan club than not. If he s still young give it some time.

It can grow to be up to three feet. The study noted that kittens under 8 weeks exhibited no reaction to catnip and according to todd when kittens are given it the catnip often produces a distinct avoidance response in young kittens which is gradually replaced by indifference in non responders and by heightened curiosity in responders. He may wind up falling in love with his catnip toys when he gets a little older but don t be discouraged if he never seems to care. Catnip toys would be fun for kittens or cats.

Facts about catnaps. Most kittens won t have any reaction at all to catnip. But of course you won t want to give a kitten too much catnip as over ingesting can lead to vomit and diarrhea and kittens have much smaller bodies and thus lower tolerances in general than full grown cats. Should they have it is another question.

Newborn kittens aren t usually responsive to catnip at all until they are about 3 months of age. Kittens under the age of eight weeks are fairly indifferent to this plant. It is found in the leaves and.