If the world was run by cats instead of humans do you think the feline version of Senator Fred Mills would be authoring a medical catnip bill in the legislature? It's entirely possible and to be honest the thought of Senator Mills as a cat is quite humorous.

Is catnip to cats like pot is to humans? Let's just say there are similarities between the effects of each on each individual species. For cats, catnip is one of those things that may or may not cause a reaction. It really depends on the cat. In fact researchers have seen similar reactions in tigers and lions as the reactions they have noticed in ordinary house cats.

Most of the cats that do have a reaction go totally bonkers. They lick, they paw, the run around like they are possessed by demons. Then they lose interest. If they come back in a couple of hours you could see a similar reaction all over again.

Scientist say the culprit in the catnip is a chemical called nepetalactone. The reaction the cat has to chemical is totally hereditary. If their parents were catnip freaks, the kids will probably freak out too.  Is it dangerous for your cat? Well if the cat freaks out and tears up your couch or rips your curtains it could be really dangerous but in most cases it's perfectly fine for cats to imbibe every once in a while.

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