Marijuana … for cats!

By request:

Catnip is a perennial herb in the mint family. It’s native to Europe; in the U.S., it’s a weed. Some cats (the response is inherited) go crazy for the scent of catnip (actually a chemical in the plant called nepetalactone), which most people cannot sense. Cats will “rub it, roll over it, kick at it, and generally go nuts for several minutes,” before seemingly becoming immune to it. A couple of hours later, though, the sense of smell seems to reset, and the cat will have the same response. And it’s not just house cats — big cats, like lions and tigers (oh my!) also react to catnip.

As if that wasn’t enough, catnip is also said to repel mosquitoes; to calm chicken pox and measles, lower fevers and aid insomnia in humans.

Catnip is related to marijuana and smoking catnip might give you a slight high. Marijuana does not effect cats.