Catnip is so strongly associated with cats that a cat ignoring it feels like a fault in the cat. It is not. A large minority simply cannot respond to it, and no quality of catnip will change that.
The useful thing to know is that there is a second option with a considerably higher hit rate, and it works on many of the cats catnip does nothing for.
What catnip is doing
Nepeta cataria is a member of the mint family, native to Europe and Asia and now growing more or less everywhere. The active part is a volatile oil in the leaves and stems called nepetalactone.
Inhaled, it binds to receptors in the nasal tissue and triggers a euphoric response. What you see is rubbing, rolling, cheek-marking, vocalising, and a burst of activity that settles into calm. It runs for five to fifteen minutes, after which the cat is temporarily immune for an hour or so and offering more achieves nothing.
What silvervine is
Actinidia polygama is a climbing plant from the mountains of China and Japan, and a relative of the kiwi fruit. It has been used as a cat stimulant in Asia for centuries and is generally the stronger of the two.
Where catnip relies on one compound, silvervine carries several, actinidine and dihydroactinidiolide among them. More than one active ingredient is exactly why it reaches cats catnip misses.
The difference that matters
Catnip sensitivity is hereditary, and somewhere between thirty and fifty percent of cats have no response to it whatsoever. If yours is one of them, that is settled genetics rather than a preference you can work on.
Silvervine reaches close to eighty percent of cats, including a good share of the catnip non-responders. If catnip has done nothing in your house, the odds on silvervine are still strongly in your favour.
How to offer it
- Powder, ground from the dried galls, is the strongest form. A pinch on a scratching post, a toy or the floor is plenty.
- Sticks, which are the dried stems. Good for cats who like to chew, and the chewing does something for their teeth.
- Stuffed toys, either silvervine alone or blended with catnip. The easiest way to introduce it during play.
Start small. The powder in particular is potent, and a heavy hand mostly produces an overexcited cat rather than a happier one.
Safety
Both are non-toxic and neither is addictive. The effect is short and self-limiting, and cats regulate their own intake reasonably well.
Supervise the first time, as you would with any new toy, and check with your vet first if your cat has a history of seizures or any neurological condition.
If neither works
A small number of cats respond to neither. Valerian root and Tatarian honeysuckle are the next two to try, and between the four of them very few cats are left out.
And if none of it lands, that is simply a cat who gets its enjoyment elsewhere. A wand toy and ten minutes of your attention beats any herb on the shelf.
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