Catnip (Nepta
cataria) is classified as an herb and is a member of
the mint family. The aroma of fresh or dried catnip can send
cats into what we call "kitty frenzy" or others will just become
calm and relax. The experts are not really sure how or why it
affects cats but they definitely have an attraction for it.
Whether they roll in it, lick or chew it, the "kitty frenzy"
doesn't last long but is sure fun to watch!
So
how do you pick a good catnip toy?
Catnip has a stronger smell
when it is a live plant then when it is dried. But don’t discount the
dried. If grown right, the dried catnip properties can last for awhile.
All catnip toys use dried catnip. Most catnip toys have
"toy
grade" (sticks & stems)or
cotton fillers, or plastic.
Unfortunately there are too
many products on the market that have very little catnip in them and
therefore doesn’t last a long time. You might think your cat isn’t
affected by catnip. Only 20% of cats do not react to catnip. So if my
cat wasn’t reacting, I would wonder about the product and not the cat.
You also do not know how long the product has been on the shelf.
Kats’n
Us discovered the Hot Cat Catnip that we use in our Tubes of Cat Toys
many years back, even before we became a company. We were so impressed
with how our cats reacted to it and how long the product lasted, we were
sold.
This product and its company
have been around since the 1980’s. They are certified Organic growers
right here in Oregon. Their hot catnip cigars are
carefully sewn of sturdy denim twill in a bright assortment of colorful
prints. These cigars are stuffed 100% with
pure catnip…. No fillers!
We can have one of their
catnip cigars laying on a piece of tissue in the living room and that
cigar has been licked, chewed, flattened… everything and the Kats’n Us
cats still play with it!
After all of this field
testing by our cats, we decided that this product should be the main cat
toy in our tubes. If you don’t think you cat likes catnip, you should
try these Catnip Cigars! These cigars are shipped to us direct from the
company fresh your door.
People
often tell us that their cat never liked catnip before, but goes crazy
over their Hot Cat toy. We think the secret is the potency of catnip -
and the quantity. These catnip cigars only have the best, most aromatic
leaves and flowering tops.
Special
note:
Also,
kittens up to the age of about 9 months often ignore or show fear of
catnip. If your kitten acts this way, put the toy away until kitty get
older.
Summary of the
benefits of Hot Cat Catnip:
Stuffed with pure catnip-no fillers
Eye catching design-Hot Cats come in an
assortment of eye catching colors, patterns, and prints,
including bright stripes and florals.
Tough-will withstand mauling
Fresh and potent-Hot Cat Catnip is
stuffed with only certified organically grown#1
quality catnip leaf and flower- Even though the cellophane
packages seal in the aroma, most cats will smell the
difference right through the bag.
Growing Catnip in the yard:
Catnip is
a perennial herb that is easily grown in a full sun location
with well drained soil. It can be very adventurous so to keep it
under control, keep it from flowering. Prune the buds before the
blooms set seed. Otherwise you will see catnip plants all over
the yard!
If you can get the
plant to grow in your landscape with out it being
destroyed by your cats, you are better at it than we
are! The thing that is amazing is if only stocks or even
dead stocks of the plant are visible, cats will still
enjoy it.
One solution
that our of our customers found was to use Chicken
Wire:
Put a
crown of chicken wire over the plant,
close to the ground. As the catnip grows
through the wire and gets eaten, the
roots will remain intact, growing new
catnip. Make sure the edges of the wire
are tucked in securely. Catnip is a
hardy plant, even in frigid
temperatures, so if the roots remain,
you will see it year after year.
