What Does Catnip Do to Cats and Why Do They Like It so Much?

Photo: Lily enjoying her catnip garden 

Cats  love the finer things in life, whether it's relaxing in a sunny corner or enjoying cuddles with their owners.

As many as two-thirds of the animals also seem surprisingly attracted to a little green plant called catnip, which can see them enter a bliss-like trance after a few sniffs or if they rub themselves against it.

Teresa Keiger, creative director of The Cat Fanciers' Association, told Newsweek: "Not every cat responds to catnip in the same way, and some cats (and most kittens) don't respond at all."

But Nepeta cataria, which goes by other names including catmint, catwort and field balm, has long been recognized around the world for the dramatic, sometimes intensively intoxicating effects that it has on the animals.

Watch Lily high on catnip  

https://youtu.be/qY6yKHZtL3g