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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Why don’t my cats like the cat nip I bought them?

17 replies

Marie2023 · 23/11/2023 10:28

I bought my cats a small cat nip bush from the garden centre. They have completely ignored it. Even when I pick them up and put them near it, they just turn around and walk off.

I thought all cats loved cat nip. Is it just mine who don’t?

OP posts:
SleepingisanArt · 23/11/2023 10:34

We don't buy anything with cat nip in after a previous cat 'overdosed' and nearly died.

LessonsInPhysics · 23/11/2023 10:34

Mine doesn't like it either. Dried or grown from seed. Neighhour's cat can't get enough of it though!
Mine tolerated cat grass. But you had to cut and feed it to him, he wouldn't get it himself.

Defiantlynot41 · 23/11/2023 10:36

They don't always like live plants - when it's dried as it is in catnip toys it concentrates the smell and they like it more.

BTW if they do like the plant it's hard to keep it alive as they will eat it and lie on it and squash it to death so you can't win!

Here's one of mine happily squashing the plant

Why don’t my cats like the cat nip I bought them?
3smallpups · 23/11/2023 10:47

Not all cats have the catnip appreciation gene
Those that don't usually go mad for valerian

Toddlerteaplease · 23/11/2023 11:03

@3smallpups my parents cat is just like that.

margotrose · 23/11/2023 11:08

Loads of cats don't like it. Two of mine go mad for it but one just looks confused and walks off 😂

Clarich007 · 23/11/2023 11:44

All my cats have loved catnip, but my friend's cat curls her lip, jumps back sneezes and won't go near it now.I guess they are all different .

TheOGCCL · 23/11/2023 11:57

A proportion of cats don't react to catnip at all. If yours are related probably have same genes.
I thought mine was one of them but as he's got older he seems more 'susceptible'

YesItsMeIDontCare · 23/11/2023 14:30

BTW if they do like the plant it's hard to keep it alive as they will eat it and lie on it and squash it to death so you can't win!

Nah - you've just got to keep it out of paws reach until it looks healthy enough to survive the onslaught. I've got 2 big spreads from 5 plug plants that survive being chewed, rolled on, sat in... by Lard-Arse-Leroy and some random local felines. Right proper drug den here 😂 Sure, they don't look great... but they're not there to look good they're there to keep bees and cats happy.

StBrides · 23/11/2023 14:38

Cos you bought it for them and they are cats.

This is the whole answer.

Marie2023 · 23/11/2023 19:21

Thanks everyone, I just thought ALL cats liked cat nip.

OP posts:
NomDePrune · 23/11/2023 23:13

I can't help calling it Cat Weed...
A cat I had once used to go crazy for my sleepy tea, which had valerian in it. Once came downstairs to torn used teabag all over the kitchen floorBrew

OnionOnionH · 23/11/2023 23:20

Not all cats like it.
How much cat nip do they need to overdose. I usually give them a pinch, but worried now.

mrwalkensir · 23/11/2023 23:23

Cat mint and the cat mint that is cat nip aren't necessarily the same plants - we bought the wrong sort....

TheBalletCats · 24/11/2023 22:47

Research at the moment indicates 30-50% of cats lack the gene for catnip appreciation - this PetMD article talks about that & suggests alternatives. A PP also mentioned valerian, which my two - who are utterly unbothered by catnip - go mad for. (Sadly for my brother’s valerian tea in their kittenhood… 😸)

EATmum · 24/11/2023 23:08

St Brides, I was coming to say the same thing.

Because they're cats. If you bought it for them, freely, it has no value. Hide it somewhere just out of reach and they'll be desperate for it.

cheekybengal · 25/11/2023 19:55

Some cats don’t care for cat nip, but you could try Silvervine. You can get them in chew sticks or shavings from what I’ve seen and some cats love them, it’s similar to catnip.

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