Sophie’s in luck: our catnip plant is in flower. Dozens of blossoms are ready to be harvested and dried. She will have enough catnip to last for months.
Catnip is an interesting plant. It is a perennial. You’ll often find it on disturbed areas like the sides of a trail. Whenever we’re out walking, I’ll keep an eye for it. Trust me, it’s everywhere. Funny, Sophie always knows when I’ve picked some. She’s right there, searching for it when we come home. That’s probably not a difficult task since the scent can be quite strong.
Sophie rather enjoys the hallucinogenic effect of the catnip. She reacts immediately when I put some on the floor for her, rolling around with her eyes all dilated. She’ll bat at it, sniff it, lick it, and finally eat it. She’s actually quite amusing to watch.
The ingredient that causes the effect is nepetalactone. The sniffing initializes its effect. Eating the catnip will affect a cat like a sedative, as it does in people. In fact, the folklore reports that catnip was given to children that couldn’t sleep. A bit of nip, and they were down for the night.
I suppose that I give it to her for a similar reason. When she’s peevish or being a pest, I’ll give her a bit to occupy herself. Those moments usually come when I’m trying to cook dinner and she wants to play. She has her bit of fun. I get dinner on the table. It’s a win-win situation.
Our little catnip plant is not so little anymore. Though it attracts bees, it repels the mosquitoes, give and take. Well, when the flowers are harvested, the bees will be gone–and so will the bugs!
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