[neilep (OP)]

Dear Cat lovers and Cat Nip experts and knowledge warriors of all things ' cat'

Check out Peregrine Penceforthe The Third !!

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He's so mashed that I doubt we'll be hearing from him for a while !!...he's found the stash of catnip !!..and boy is he celebrating !! []

So, while Peregine flys at 30000ft I thought I'd ask what is Catnip ?...why does it have such a strong reaction on Peregrine and WHAT really is the reaction ?...how is it affecting him ?...is he in a trance ?..is he sober ?...drunk ?

Do all other animals have a plant friend that makes them react like that ! ?...........do we ?


Thanks and hugs

neil
xxxx

[neilep (OP)]

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[neilep (OP)]

A cat found it's owners 'home grown ' !!


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[paul.fr]

I remember about...oohh, 20 years back. it was reported that catnip may be banned because "certain people" were abusing the stuff. At the same time they also talked about bird food containing hemp seeds, suddenly lots of druggies started to pretend they had just got a pet parrot.

[opus]

I love your pics, especially of Peregrine Penceforth the 3rd!

[another_someone]

Catnip behaves like a pheromone to cats - so you are probably offering them olfactory pornography.

[rosalind dna]

Neil Catnip has another name and it's part of the Mint family
like spearmints, peppermints, ordinary mint.,

It's Cat Mint. But it is not edible to humans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catnip

[BenV]

^{WARNING - TOTAL SPECULATION AHEAD}

As Rosalind's wiki link explains, catnip contains insect repellents - it could well be that cats have evolved a 'reward mechanism' for rolling in catnip, just as some monkeys seem to get pleasure from gently biting millipedes and rubbing them in their fur - the millipedes release toxic chemicals which would protect them from predators, and the monkeys use these chemicals as fur-fumigation. (I think this was on a David Attenborough programme, but can't remember which one).

So rolling in catnip possibly helps to stave off insects which could otherwise take up residence in their fur, and so cats have evolved to be rewarded for doing so with a feeling of euphoria.
_{END OF SPECULATION}

[neilep (OP)]

Neil Catnip has another name and it's part of the Mint family
like spearmints, peppermints, ordinary mint.,

It's Cat Mint. But it is not edible to humans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catnip

Thank ewe Rosalind.....that's very interesting and I apprecaiet the cool link too.

[neilep (OP)]

^{WARNING - TOTAL SPECULATION AHEAD}

As Rosalind's wiki link explains, catnip contains insect repellents - it could well be that cats have evolved a 'reward mechanism' for rolling in catnip, just as some monkeys seem to get pleasure from gently biting millipedes and rubbing them in their fur - the millipedes release toxic chemicals which would protect them from predators, and the monkeys use these chemicals as fur-fumigation. (I think this was on a David Attenborough programme, but can't remember which one).

So rolling in catnip possibly helps to stave off insects which could otherwise take up residence in their fur, and so cats have evolved to be rewarded for doing so with a feeling of euphoria.
_{END OF SPECULATION}

Is this why dogs rub around in crap !! ?......hmmmmm...can't be !!...that would attract flys akin to my daughter being very attracted to all the sweets if she was left alone in a sweet shop with all the wrappers taken off !

Great speculation though Ben. Something to be proud of and may I say.....something to boast about too !