What does catnip do to cats? Catnip has different effects depending on the individual cat and the way the cat takes the drug. "It either ramps cats up, or it mellows them out," Wooten says.

There's a very scientific reason cats go wild for catnip, and it's all about smell.

The good news is, catnip is perfectly safe for your cat, so if they accidentally consume a small quantity – or deliberately enjoy nibbling on it as a tasty treat – it won't do them any harm.

Some research does suggest the essential oil in catnip that causes them to go wild for it does so by activating cats' opioid reward system, kind of like humans' opioid systems are activated by opiates ...

The dose of catnip and how your cat consumes it will result in different responses: The more your cat eats or inhales it, the stronger the effect.

Catnip produces an organic compound called nepetalactone, which enters a cat's system through the nasal passages. Nepetalactone gets released when the plant is crushed or chewed.

There's a very scientific reason cats go wild for catnip, and it's all about smell.

That mosquito-repelling property may be why cats roll in catnip Biologist Dr Masao Miyazaki, who co-authored the study that found nepetalactone works as a mosquito repellant, told Science: “Our ...

Cat lovers often plant catnip to watch their feline friends relax. However, catnip can grow out of control if not managed properly, so try this alternative.