Can Kittens Have Catnip

It s perfectly safe to give a kitten small amounts of catnip however.

Can kittens have catnip. But you won t know if. If a kitten is going to be a catnip lover you usually can tell that when he is 3 to 6 months old. The ability to appreciate the herb is genetic with slightly more cats in the fan club than not. Absolutely catnip is safe for kittens.

While most cats do about 15 percent reportedly do not. To sum it up catnip can be safely used as a recreational stimulant for your cat if used in moderation. Try reintroducing the catnip then and you will probably find that your cat will greatly enjoy it. The herb s influence is genetic so not all cats respond to it according to the humane society of the united states.

Not all felines respond to catnip. Kittens whether they possess the gene or not generally do not react to catnip until they are from six to nine months old. Catnip is generally safe for kittens. Catnip s effects it s genetics that determines whether your feline friend falls for this cousin to basil and oregano.

But of course you won t want to give a kitten too much catnip as over ingesting can lead to vomit and diarrhea and kittens have much smaller bodies and thus lower tolerances in general than full grown cats. Although catnip is totally harmless and safe around kittens both to smell and to eat it isn t necessarily effective. Newborn kittens aren t usually responsive to catnip at all until they are about 3 months of age. About one cat in two inherits a sensitivity to the herb.

One thing that is important to note about using catnip for kittens is that some may attempt to eat it in addition to just sniffing it or playing with it inside of a pet toy. If he s still young give it some time. Cats must possess a gene for it. Always consult a veterinarian before making any drastic changes to your cat s diet.

Eating a small amount of catnip is unlikely to cause a cat any harm. Eating catnip is fairly safe though it will have a sedative rather than stimulating effect.