Catnip Addiction: Is it Dangerous to My Kitty?

[lisab]

I'm going to assume you're kidding. About the whole of this. If not, and you treat cats this way, shame on you.

Lisab, I'm going to assume you're kidding with the "oh the shame" part and serious about wondering if your cat constantly wanting a catnip fix is okay. Of course it's okay. It's wonderful for them in so many ways, if your kitty wants a fix every day, what's the problem? It's not addictive, and it makes them feel nice in so many ways. My kitty really loves the Cosmic Catnip, that's the super-powered stuff, but if I give it to her for too many consecutive days, it loses its appeal for her. I leave off for a few days, and then give her more, and she's all enthused again. She licks its, eats it, rubs her face in it, and rolls in it. I can distract her from at least one snack a day with it. It's all good for them with no downside. Why on Earth would you deny someone you love that? And why on Earth isn't there an equivalent for humans?

Well this thread is a bit old. Yes my OP was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but with a kernel of truth...at the time, my Sweet Miss Phoebe was starting to act like Bungie's kitty (see the post before yours)! Really getting obsessed and demanding, all the time...acting like an addict!

I backed off a bit, reduced the amount I was giving her and distracting her with food, cuddles, and play. She's not obsessing any more but still loves getting a pinch of it now and then.

 

[Astronuc]

All things in moderation.

Our cats would go looking for catnip.

 

[GeorginaS]

Well this thread is a bit old. Yes my OP was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but with a kernel of truth...at the time, my Sweet Miss Phoebe was starting to act like Bungie's kitty (see the post before yours)! Really getting obsessed and demanding, all the time...acting like an addict!

I backed off a bit, reduced the amount I was giving her and distracting her with food, cuddles, and play. She's not obsessing any more but still loves getting a pinch of it now and then.

In the light of day I see that this thread was started some time ago. Sorry about that. I'm glad Miss. Phoebe has things under control.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

There is help if you need it: Catnip Anonymous

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/funny-pictures-cat-box-catnip-addiction.jpg
http://catnipanonymous.blogspot.com/

Those wishing can also "Adopt a Niphead".

 

[rootX]

My cat is becoming an compulsive obsessive catnip addictive overnight! He knows where the catnip is stored and sits outside the cabinet for hours staring me down, whining, and attacking me when I walk by to give him more organic catnip. he does not give up! I thought if I give hime some he'll wear himself out, but he only becomes more demanding and more aggitated to get more...it didn't take long to get there...help...I miss my cat that was "normal"...I want to please hiim...but this is nuts...I have to give him "lines" of catnip every 10 minutes or he'll attacke me, attack the other cat or go on demolition mission on the furniture......or get the munchies...

Ignoring helps? I had to deal with a cat, after a while its demanding (selfish self-centered) behavior got annoying.

 

[sas3]

Maybe you could get on that show Intervention and get all his cat friends and family to confront him about his addiction.

I use to have a cat that would meow and meow until I gave him a can of tuna.
I used this compulsion to teach him to say “MAMA” instead of Meow.
He made a great conversation piece after that.
People would be just amazed, they would ask “Did that cat just say “mama”

LOL

 

[Loren Booda]

My kitty has a catnip addiction. I'm totally serious...she'll meow and meow until I give her a pinch of it, which I do because...well I just want her to shut up. Her will is stronger than mine and she can meow for hours!

Sounds the same as what my Kitty does on her diet. What a great marketing ploy it would be to spike brand name cat food with catnip!

 

[rewebster]

Sounds the same as what my Kitty does on her diet. What a great marketing ploy it would be to spike brand name cat food with catnip!

they may do that already---hiding the word catnip under the heading of 'and other spices'

 

[Galteeth]

I noticed they put taurine in some brands of catfood. But I can relate to the OP's problem. It's easy to say just ignore the cat, but man, they do not give up! If you're sleeping they climb on your face, and if you lock them out of the room, they'll scratch and meow for hours.

 

[rewebster]

if I had a kitty, and if it liked catnip, I'd give the kitty catnip all the time--


rawhides are the permanent choice of the dog here ---she usually has two in various states of gnawing

 

[GeorginaS]

I noticed they put taurine in some brands of catfood.

They put taurine in all brands of cat food. It's required by law. While taurine is currently a fad thing for humans and added to energy drinks such as Red Bull, it's a whole different thing for cats. It gets leached out of pet foods during production and must be added back in. (I know we don't like to cite Wiki here, but it's the quickest, most straight forward source.)

Taurine is an essential dietary requirement for feline health, since cats cannot synthesize the compound. The absence of taurine causes a cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness — a condition known as central retinal degeneration (CRD),[55][56] as well as hair loss and tooth decay. It was discovered in 1987 that taurine deficiency can also cause feline dilated cardiomyopathy.[57] Unlike CRD, the condition is reversible with supplementation. Taurine is now a requirement of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and any dry or wet food product labeled approved by the AAFCO should have a minimum of 0.1% taurine in dry food and 0.2% in wet food.[58]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine"

 

[Galteeth]

They put taurine in all brands of cat food. It's required by law. While taurine is currently a fad thing for humans and added to energy drinks such as Red Bull, it's a whole different thing for cats. It gets leached out of pet foods during production and must be added back in. (I know we don't like to cite Wiki here, but it's the quickest, most straight forward source.)

Taurine is an essential dietary requirement for feline health, since cats cannot synthesize the compound. The absence of taurine causes a cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness — a condition known as central retinal degeneration (CRD),[55][56] as well as hair loss and tooth decay. It was discovered in 1987 that taurine deficiency can also cause feline dilated cardiomyopathy.[57] Unlike CRD, the condition is reversible with supplementation. Taurine is now a requirement of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and any dry or wet food product labeled approved by the AAFCO should have a minimum of 0.1% taurine in dry food and 0.2% in wet food.[58]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine"

Huh. And here I thought they were "redbulling" fancy feast. funny

 

[DaveC426913]

They put taurine in all brands of cat food. It's required by law. While taurine is currently a fad thing for humans and added to energy drinks such as Red Bull, it's a whole different thing for cats. It gets leached out of pet foods during production and must be added back in.

Where did cats get taurine from before the days of mass-produced cat food?


Oh, I see. From meat. With their modern sedantary lifestyles, cats get much less meat than they used to.

 

[GeorginaS]

Where did cats get taurine from before the days of mass-produced cat food?


Oh, I see. From meat. With their modern sedantary lifestyles, cats get much less meat than they used to.

Yes, from meat. And it's tricky, because not all meats are created equally, so even raw food diets have to monitored for sufficient taurine.

We know that taurine is supplied almost exclusively by meat and seafood. Vegetables contain little to no measurable taurine as a group. Taurine is broken down by heat, thus, cooking meat will destroy over half to maybe 2/3 of the taurine that was available raw. It is difficult to calculate the amount of taurine actually supplied by a particular diet given the variables- baking vs boiling meat results in losing different amounts of taurine, meat from the chicken leg has much more taurine than that from the breast, and the list of variables goes on and on.

http://www.vetlord.org/taurine-is-essential-for-cats/"