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.

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.

Fresh catnip is far more potent than dried and older catnip, such as would be found in a toy, so use it sparingly. If they eat too much, they can upset their stomachs.

Even the most persnickety cats love getting into catnip every now and again. It’s always fun to have a few catnip toys on hand for playtime, but your cat will really love gnawing on fresh catnip ...

Want to feed your cat catnip? A vet shares one risk you need about to know before you do Kathryn Williams March 17, 2025 at 8:20 AM ...