PDA

View Full Version : Catnip Dance


disnut8
January 13th, 2007, 08:00 AM
I had to share this. Rich's co-worker was given a bunch of carpet samples as a "gift". She didn't want them and was going to throw them out. I asked Rich to bring them home for the cats. Some were useable but one was a long narrow piece of carpet, crookedly cut and about five feet long. One cat, Gus, took to using it as a horizontal scratching post. None of the five cats has front claws but he loved moving his little front feet on it.

Last night, I was downstairs reading and Rich was upstairs getting ready for bed. Gus did his little scratching thing. I thought "hey, he's been pretty good lately, maybe he'd like a treat". No other cats were around, preferring Rich's nighttime ritual to mine. We have a container of catnip in the fridge so I got that out (we don't use it much - five cats and catnip?) and sprinkled the piece of carpet with it. What happened in the next fifteen minutes was THE most hilarious thing I have ever watched in my life!

As soon as the sound of the sprinkling started, Meeko and Todd joined Gus. Each one took a section of the carpet and rubbed it, rolled it, probably made love to it, licked it, protected it, stroked it. I know everyone has seen cats on catnip but three of them at once with this one piece of carpet was too much. I couldn't take a picture because Rich (who witnessed this for a bit) was in bed and sleeping.

Then the funny thing was when Nemo joined the other three. He could not get a piece of the carpet. Todd, Gus and Meeko wouldn't move at all. I had sprinkled some catnip on the the pieces of carpet samples where we are attempting to make a kitty condo. I picked Nemo up and put him on another piece of carpeting. Now I had four cats doing the Catnip Dance. (Belle stayed upstairs with her father).

A long time later, some very contented kitties settled down for the night. That might have been the only night that we didn't have a hissy fit from one of them. I think I'm onto something here!

gloria
January 13th, 2007, 08:13 AM
i have a cat, but never tried cat nip..... what is the purpose for it? to make them hyper?

disnut8
January 13th, 2007, 10:59 AM
I don't want to call catnip a kittie drug but it's close. It's very safe for a cat. It gets them frisky and in a playful mood. You're supposed to sprinkle it on their toys and in areas where you want them to play. A small dose will keep a cat happy for a while. A word of warning - the reason we keep it in the fridge is that even though it's in a plastic container, the cats know it's there. It's safe in the fridge.

Another alternative, at least with my cats, is olive juice. The stuff the olives are in in the jar. My husband can't open olives without five cats there wanting a treat.

Cats are extremely weird.

Rachel
January 13th, 2007, 11:59 AM
See, this is how lazy our cats are. They just lay on their backs when there is catnip and play with whatever it's on. Once the toy or whatever falls. They don't move.

gloria
January 13th, 2007, 01:22 PM
hmm i guess i still dont get it....... why would you want your cat to be more hyper? some days ours is hyper, and she goes crazy around the house.......jumping on everything.....

is it maybe so they can burn off energy in the day and sleep at night?

MaryM
January 13th, 2007, 01:32 PM
It gives them a little "kitty high" and it is so funny to watch them. It is sold separately in the stores and also is in some of the toys. It usually says on the toys if it has catnip in it or not. We get some out for our cats, too (5 of them). They roll in it, lick it, eat it...etc etc etc.....then they lay down and just look really comfy. It doesn't hurt them Gloria...it is FOR cats.

disnut8
January 14th, 2007, 08:52 AM
hmm i guess i still dont get it....... why would you want your cat to be more hyper? some days ours is hyper, and she goes crazy around the house.......jumping on everything.....

is it maybe so they can burn off energy in the day and sleep at night?

The only place they go hyper is where the catnip is. Whatever you sprinkle it on will be their best friend for a while. They don't run around the house or anything. They just love that catnip and stay where it is. And then, after that, they will usually either (1) come over to you for some lovin' in your lap or (2) lay down and go to sleep. I have some excellent pictures of the four of them sleeping off their Catnip Dance.