Not All Cats React to Catnip

The most common response of cats exposed to the catnip plant (Nepata cataria) involves rolling around, licking, rubbing against objects such as furniture or the owner, seeming relaxed, drooling, shaking the head, and staring off into space with an expression that might suggest hallucinations. Catnip is in the mint family of plants and it is thought that the odour from the plant attracts the cat and causes this short-lived response. After exposure to catnip, the behaviour of the cat usually normalizes in 10-15 minutes. If a cat eats too much catnip, he or she may vomit.

The responsiveness to catnip is genetically determined and some cats have not inherited the gene that mediates the catnip herb responsiveness. If they are not "reactors" due to their genetic constitution, no matter how much herb is provided, whether it is fresh or dried, or how many times the cat is exposed, the catnip reaction mentioned above will never occur, and after a quick sniff the cat will walk away uninterested.