Well, I am not actually, but I just love the phrase above. In French it is 'Herbe a chat', and I think the Italian is 'Herba Gatera'
And in English? 'Catnip'!
And the reason I am writing about Catnip? (Nepeta Cataria). I have two cats with dilated pupils who are drooling and rolling on the floor. And it is all thanks to my sister who sent them a little gift in the shape of two felt fish stuffed with dried catnip. The fish arrived in a parcel that contained two books for me, as Dizz regularly sends me super books from the SPCA in Pietermaritzburg, and once I have read them, I pass them on to a small nursery in St Helena Bay as they sell them for Animal Welfare. In that way the proceeds are still going to the animals who so badly need it.
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| The fish, still looking fishy! |
But, I digress!
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| Dopey and fish! |
When I opened the parcel, out fell these fish and Basil and Dopey both pounced on them immediately. After a minute, both the fish were rather damp, as was the floor, and the cats were on a complete 'high'. Basil then leaped onto the table where the books were and proceeded to rub and drool on them, even knocking one onto the floor! I quickly removed them!
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| Basil and Dopey, both drooling! |
Interestingly enough, our third cat Dilly (by name and by nature), ignored the fish completely. In fact, he went as far as giving them a wide berth, walking round the table instead of past them!
Odd, I thought, and did some research!! Onto Google......
Catnip is a member of the mint family. Here I immediately thought of making sauce for lamb and seeing what happens to the people who eat it! The ingredient that causes such a reaction is 'Nepatalactone' and can effect even BIG cats like tigers. (I wonder what it would do to a lion, and I also wonder who would be brave enough to stand around to watch!)
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| Catnip (Pic thanks to Google) |
It is irresistible to 10 - 30% of domestic cats, so obviously our Dilly falls within the 70% who are left un-moved. It causes salivating (I can vouch for that), purring and sleepy behaviour, or it can cause anxiety.
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| Anise oil (Pic thanks to Google) |
I then went on to discover that dogs are unmoved by catnip, but they react strongly to anise! Anise is used to scent the 'rabbit' in greyhound racing and also in 'fox hunting' where a sack is dragged along the ground.
But, back to catnip!
I jokingly thought that if it is so good for cats, maybe it would work for humans?
More Googling!!
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| I must tell Rob about the mosquito repellent bit! (Thanks to Google) |
And it does! The flowers are used in several medicines and help with insomnia, anxiety, migraine and also upper tract infections, flu and stomach cramps and.......flatulence!
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| Catnip drops (Pic thanks to Google) |
Then, it can be dried and smoked to give a recreational 'high' and here I had visions of Basil rolling a joint! I even found a website that makes several different types of 'tobacco' using catnip!
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| Look, he also has a fish! (Pic thanks to Google) |
It can also be applied to the skin to help relieve arthritis and a compress will relieve swelling!
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| Tea anyone? (Pic thanks to Google) |
And, you can make tea with it!
So, please excuse me, I am off to wrestle a fish away from the cats. Hopefully they have dried out a bit by now!
Move over Basil!
2 comments:
Fascinating reading I didn't know there were 'human' uses we must try them! By the way, those fish look distinctly the worse for wear, rather like the several that are littering our bedroom floor!
Yes, I should have taken a 'before' pic, these were taken very much 'after'! Your gift is highly popular!
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