Why Does Catnip Make Cats High?

I recently watched a friend’s kitty while she was out of town on vacation. She dropped off the cat, her food and some toys to keep her occupied. I figured this would be a good way to warm up to having a cat again — I was considering adopting my own kitty — but little did I know a surprise was to come in the visit.

 

Later in the evening I opened the bag of toys and scattered them on the carpet. The cat came running over and starting sniffing the toys. Suddenly she started moving her head erratically and quickly in a variety of directions. I was taken aback; I didn’t know if she was having a seizure or jamming to the music I inadvertently left on the radio. I called a friend in a panic looking for advice.

After further review, I saw that one of the toys had a tag that read “includes catnip,” which my friend explained was the culprit for the one-kitty rock concert I had observed. My friend explained that the herb has a similar effect on cats as marijuana does for humans, but why does catnip make cats high?

Catnip is a mint-family herb native to Europe that can be purchased or grown in many countries. The chemical compound nepetalactone found in catnip triggers the neurological response in the cat when smelled through the nose. It is not restricted to sex; male and female cats can react to the herb even though some cats may not respond at all.

There’s a theory that catnip (Nepeta cataria) is more closely related to marijuana because of their similar biochemical qualities, but this is not proven. Catnip is a close relative to marijuana, which has roots in the same family as catnip