I JUST NEED A LITTLE NIP

We have a cat and a dog that doesn’t eat cats.  It works out pretty well except for the categorical destruction of my furniture.  I have trimmed cat claws (JOY!) and am now attempting to entice the fur ball to claw on a scratcher rather than my stuff.  I’m increasing my success by using nepetalactone to bind to the cat’s neurons in the nose and trigger the brain to get my cat “high”.  Basically, I spread catnip all over the new scratcher to get the cat to enjoy it.  So far, the cat has rubbed its head all over the nipped up scratcher and left the equivalent of a giant drool mark.  The cat is using the scratcher like a pillow and looks “relaxed”.  There hasn’t been any official scratching.  But the cat is happy.  Maybe I should just keep her nipped up?

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a mint that is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Thank goodness it functions in the human body differently than cat brains or we would all be drooly, sleepy, and vulnerable to unwanted tummy rubs (yes the cat is THAT relaxed).  Catnip has been used as a mild sedative in herbal teas and is sometimes recommended to relieve indigestion, gas, or nervousness.  Catnip isn’t considered addictive so I suppose I can sprinkle it liberally.  Although, in my mind there could be a horde of roaming neighborhood cats coming to my house and declaring (with a glazed look in their eyes…) “Dude, I just need a little nip”.