has a plant that can make cats, which have always been known for their nobleness and coldness, become crazy, that is catnip .
No matter whether you have experience raising a cat or not, the sparks between cat and catnip will definitely make you frighten your chin. To sum it up, "The crown will fall, the scene will be out of control!"
My friend raised a cat (picked it up). One day, when I went home, I saw the cat lying on the ground with his eyes dull, his hind limbs raised strangely, his body was still moving, and only his forelimbs occasionally rowed twice. She fiddled with the cat's body with her hands, but she had no reaction. At first, she thought it was poisoned, but after looking around, she found that the initiator was catnip. This cat secretly opened the lid of the catnip while its owner was not at home, and this made such a funny scene.
When you encounter catnip, each cat's reaction is different. Some are as stupid as the cat above, and some are extremely excited and have ADHD, rolling around or dancing forelimbs, and sometimes they keep screaming and attacking.
Many cat owners call catnip "cat world marijuana", saying that this kind of scene is caused by "addiction", but in fact, such a metaphor is very inaccurate because catnip and marijuana are not the same thing.
catnip is a food and a medicine
catnip, generally refers to plant schizonepeta , because most cats have a strong attraction to this plant, cats that have always been calm will become extremely excited and smell a fragrance, similar to mint, so this name comes into being.
In Henan, schizonepeta is a cold dish. In summer, people will add a handful of schizonepeta to the cold noodles. The taste of schizonepeta and mint is different. Schizonepeta is a bit bitter and spicy, without the cool feeling of mint, but in Henan and surrounding areas, schizonepetata is very popular.
In early Europe, schizonepeta was a medicine, which had the effects of treating stomach problems, , antipyretic, stable mood and sleep. Now, because there are better medicines to replace schizonepeta, its effect in medicine has been weakened. Nowadays, it is mostly used to make cat-related foods and toys, mainly used to please cats.
How does catnip produce magic on cats?
In addition to cats, cats such as lions, tigers, and Cougars also respond to catnip and show similar behaviors to catnip, but the time it takes for a long time to take effect. Generally speaking, after contacting catnip, the cat will lose control for 5-15 minutes, while lions and jaguars are more sensitive, and the whole process may last for 60 minutes.
In catnip, the one that takes effect is a volatile substance called schizonepeptide.
The best way to get cats crazy is to smell, not eat. The initial synthesis of Nepalactone in plants was not to please cats, but to deworm. Leaves, flowers and other parts contain this ingredient. When insects approach or invade the plant, the plants will release Nepalactone to achieve the deworming effect.
cats have a very sensitive sense of smell. After discovering schizonepetalactone, they will get close to each other unconsciously. Schizonepetalactone acts on the cat's olfactory cells. After combining with receptor , it transmits relevant information to the amygdala and hypothalamus , so there are seemingly exciting and pleasant manifestations such as drooling, dull eyes, and constant twisting.
Sometimes cats are not satisfied with smelling and will tear or bite catnip. This is to promote catnip to release more nepetalactone and prolong the time to enjoy the pleasure.
Simplely speaking, nematolactone is like a pheromones related to reproduction. Cats are out of control and are just reactions to this "pseudopheromone".
From a genetic point of view, the sensitivity to nematode lactone comes from a dominant gene . This also explains why one-third of cats do not respond to nematodelactone. Humans and cats have different genes and different brain structures. Therefore, people will not be excited when they encounter catnip. For young cats (less than 3 months), it is not effective because they are underage.
As for how cats know that catnip can make them happy, it is purely an accident!
Cats have a special liking for this substance. At the beginning, it was not for "hi" but more for deworming. Cats always rub their bodies against catnip. The fur stained with nematode lactone is like a natural "deworming jacket". While avoiding insect infestation, they accidentally induce the body to produce endorphin , thus gaining a sense of pleasure.
Source: Screenshot of the video of Brother Mengmaobao
Here is a relatively interesting fact. The pleasure brought by catnip can even allow the cat to overcome fear.
People who keep cats may know that cats don’t like taking a bath. If they put the cat in the water, it may jump up.
This is because cats are smaller and they are very difficult to store heat, and the heat will be lost faster after wet, so they will be very resistant to bathing, or even fear.
However, if you bathe the cat in water soaked in catnip, they will also be there, ignoring the loss of heat at all.
Is catnip addictive?
First of all, cats will not become addicted to catnip frequently. As mentioned above, nematode is a natural ingredient. Over time, cats will develop tolerance. The reaction usually lasts for only 5-15 minutes, and the tolerance lasts for several hours. This means that after awakening, the cat will not react when it comes to catnip again in a short period of time.
Overdose of catnip will not be fatal, but it will cause symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. If cats are uncontrollably used for a long time, cats will become insensitive to catnip, and their tolerance will be increased frequently. Extremely, more serious situations may occur.
In 1995, scientists conducted relevant experiments on mice and fed catnip for a long time, resulting in some mice having symptoms such as rigid and dull behavior, epilepsy seizures , and sleep disorders.
Therefore, use catnip carefully. Use it in moderation to please the pet and relieve the pet's emotions; if you use it excessively, then the cat is not the cat, but the owner himself.
In addition to catnip, silver vine and Valerian , it also has a similar effect on cats. There are many animals in the animal world who are obsessed with something, and their preferences are also very quirky.
Australian pet dogs will lick sugar cane toads. The upper glands of the cane toads will secrete toxic substances, and they will be accompanied by some hallucinogens, causing the dog to lick it when they see the toad. Even after licking it, they will feel dizzy, drool, and even faint. After waking up, they will still lick it tirelessly next time.
is also Australia. In some areas, kangaroos will steal poppy plant grown locally. After these kangaroos accidentally eat, they rush around the ground excitedly, and then fall to the ground. The scene is very embarrassing and funny, but next time you can still see these "recurring offenders".
Some Russian brown bears have unique preferences. They are fond of "oil" nature. They always hold gasoline barrel , and they will stick their heads in to immerse the gasoline. I personally have a deep understanding of this. When I was a child, I smelled the smell of coal burning in a coal stove for a while, and I always wanted to "suck" this smell. I also saw that some friends like to smell the smell of firecrackers.
Nature is sometimes so strange. There are some odors that may not be related to survival, which will suddenly arouse the instinct deep in biological genes.
