posted by on Jan 26
The closest that we as humans can to relate to is the aromatherapy that can use to help us relax and even that smelling the morning coffee brewing when we first wake up does not stimulus that sets off an action that catnip does to cats.
What is this magical potion that makes Zak my cat and 2/3 of the cat population react not to the taste as much as to the smell of this I got to have more and now. The 1/3 of cats that are not affected are kitten not three month of age and older very mature cats and most any Australian cats are not affected by is magical weed or if your are growing it, herb for your cat. This plant Nepeta cataria is native to Europe and has been imported to the United State and other countries and is now a wide spread weed here in North America. If you are going to grow this perennial herb of the mint family of plants, bury a five gallon bucket in the ground of your garden where you want the Catnip to grow to keep this herb from taking over the rest of your herb or flower garden. Note if the plant has been bruised or transplanted well have every cat in the neighborhood stopping by to take a nibble or roll in your garden.
Picking the Catnip to be harvested in middle or late summer just before the plant starts to flower. Pick the plant when it is driest no dew or rain on the plant wait for a dry day. Strip the leaves from the plant and dry as fast as you can but do not leave in direct sun light you can dry them in your oven at 150 degrees to dry and lock in the oil of the plant that you want.
Catnip is a perennial plant (describes a plant that lasts for more than two growing seasons, either dying back after each season, as some herbaceous plants do, or growing continuously, as some bushes do) with a hardy hairy stem with heart shaped leaves and flower from lilac, 
blue or white at the top tip of the plant in clusters.
Nepetalactone is the magic component to trigger the classic response to catnip cause cat to react differently but reacting in some manner be it sniffing, licking, chewing not to eat but to release more of the scent of the plant, shaking not only the head but the entire body, rubbing their head and body , rolling and then repeating this process backing them go GAGA for five to fifteen minute after that the cat seems to become acclimated to the scent but if the cat is away from the catnip for over an hour or longer and Catnip is re-introduced it will trigger a reaction or response again and again.
That is why that when the catnip inserted toy that once was so popular with Zak does not get a second glance the scent of the catnip is gone. It is a good time that these toy are so inexpensive can be replaced frequently.
Another note about Nepetalactone a student from Iowa State University to study the effect of catnip oil to repel mosquitoes and it took ten times the amount of DEET to repel mosquitoes as it did a single amount of Catnip oil.
But the most important note of all is that if you are not prepared for a humorous encounter of catnip and your cat sprinkle a little catnip onto a rug and after a few sniff from mild mannered furry friend will probably show you some moves that you have never seen before. No gymnast can master the move Zak make when he is performing for us.