Some cat products contain mixtures of two or more substances to increase the likelihood that your cat will react. Why do cats react to silvervine and catnip?

There's a scientific reason for the feline reaction: Catnip contains the oil nepetalactone, which binds to the cat's olfactory receptors in the nose and throat and causes a euphoric reaction for cats.

"The most common ways cats react to catnip include running, rolling, rubbing, flipping, playing, and eventually relaxing. This response typically lasts for 10 minutes," states Dr. Crow.

Cats react to catnip because of the presence of nepetalactone, a volatile oil present in the plant, which, when inhaled, essentially serves as an artificial pheromone for felines.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll say it’s a feeling of extreme wellbeing and happiness – a ‘euphoric’ reaction. In this case, I think we can safely say catnip gets cats high.

Other cats may have no reaction to catnip at all,” Richardson says. It’s like how some people get really paranoid when they smoke weed and others chill and play video games.

A cat may react to the catnip by eating it, licking it, rolling in it or just sniffing it. Sniffing the catnip will produce a stimulant effect while the ingesting of it will sedate your cat.

If your cat doesn't respond to catnip, you can try giving them another plant called silver vine, which operates similarly when cats smell it. In the study, published in the BMC Veterinary Research ...