The kitten & cat thread
#3027
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,684
Total Cats: 806
I grow a few catnip plants around the house for mosquito repellent. One bite on a leaf and the cats fall over cashed out for about an hour.
I'm contemplating taking a bite.
I'm contemplating taking a bite.
#3028
Hello folks this is my first time posting on the forum so if stuff is formatted incorrectly please forgive.
I thought for my first post I would post something informative, and there seems to be a lot of argument on whether or not catnip has effects on humans.
Well for those of you with doubt, it does. So I'll post some facts on how and why it affects you through different methods of use.
First off, Catnips primary ingredient (nepetalactone) does not have much of an effect on humans, though it is a powerful mosquito repellent, 10x more powerful then Deet.
However, catnip has other ingredients that function as a natural relaxant, for both the muscles and nervous system.
When ingested as a tea, or eaten, catnip functions as a muscle relaxant and it soothes stomach aches and relaxes the body. Too much used however can over relax the stomach and make one feel sick, or even vomit. It also has a mild laxative effect. It can also help with insomnia.
When smoked, catnip has a mild nervous system relaxing effect. In some people this gives a mild high effect and it aids sleep and muscle spasms.
By the way, with regular use its nervous system relaxing function can increase the chance of seizures. Smoking too much can cause mild nervous problems at the time so care should be taken.
For anyone wondering, the reason I know these things is I have an anxiety disorder(Diagnosed and medicated) as well as chronic back spasms. I use catnip regularly, eaten, smoked, and tea. It provides relief of many problems I have. The reason people believe catnip has no effects is because its effects are so mild, and many of them are comparing it to other things.
So, there are some facts. I hope this helps anyone wondering about catnip.
I thought for my first post I would post something informative, and there seems to be a lot of argument on whether or not catnip has effects on humans.
Well for those of you with doubt, it does. So I'll post some facts on how and why it affects you through different methods of use.
First off, Catnips primary ingredient (nepetalactone) does not have much of an effect on humans, though it is a powerful mosquito repellent, 10x more powerful then Deet.
However, catnip has other ingredients that function as a natural relaxant, for both the muscles and nervous system.
When ingested as a tea, or eaten, catnip functions as a muscle relaxant and it soothes stomach aches and relaxes the body. Too much used however can over relax the stomach and make one feel sick, or even vomit. It also has a mild laxative effect. It can also help with insomnia.
When smoked, catnip has a mild nervous system relaxing effect. In some people this gives a mild high effect and it aids sleep and muscle spasms.
By the way, with regular use its nervous system relaxing function can increase the chance of seizures. Smoking too much can cause mild nervous problems at the time so care should be taken.
For anyone wondering, the reason I know these things is I have an anxiety disorder(Diagnosed and medicated) as well as chronic back spasms. I use catnip regularly, eaten, smoked, and tea. It provides relief of many problems I have. The reason people believe catnip has no effects is because its effects are so mild, and many of them are comparing it to other things.
So, there are some facts. I hope this helps anyone wondering about catnip.
#3029
Elite Member
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Huntington, Indiana
Posts: 2,885
Total Cats: 616
Sorry, I got busy and keep putting this off.
I'm going to condense this story a bit.
One night, I stepped outside my front door and nearly on to a kitten.
The mother came up to the door and just plopped it out onto the concrete.
I found her all freaked out hiding under some bushes, and she wanted nothing to do with the kitten.
I took the kitten inside and cleaned it up and got it warm. After a while I got the mom to finally start licking it and, she let it nurse for the first time.
Thinking she was going to start doing her job, I went back to bed.
The next morning, I went out to check on the little girl and found her dead and cold.
I have a policy with kittens though that they are not dead until they are warm and dead.
I warmed her up under the water faucet and tried some compressions.
It worked! She started weekly stirring after a few minutes.
I tried to bottle feed her, but she wasn't having it.
My only option was to try to get the mom to let it nurse again.
Fortunately, the cat likes belly rubs, and I was able to buy the kitten enough time to nurse periodically throughout the day.
I put out one of those round Cat boxes next to the door, and she stayed in it with the kitten for several days.
Then one day the kitten was gone and I could not find it anywhere even though the mother never left.
For a little over a week, I thought the kitten was dead.
Then a few days ago I found this little guy roaming around.
Thinking it was my long-lost kitty, I took it inside for a while.
Here's the plot twist.
I took my long-lost kitty back outside only to find my actual long lost Kitty.
To my surprise, there was one more kitten accompanying it.
As it turns out, a completely different cat, that I had no idea had a small litter of her own, adopted the other kitten.
I have seen this happen before, but never when the kitten is significantly younger than the adoptive litter, and certainly not when the other mother is still present.
I'm going to condense this story a bit.
One night, I stepped outside my front door and nearly on to a kitten.
The mother came up to the door and just plopped it out onto the concrete.
I found her all freaked out hiding under some bushes, and she wanted nothing to do with the kitten.
I took the kitten inside and cleaned it up and got it warm. After a while I got the mom to finally start licking it and, she let it nurse for the first time.
Thinking she was going to start doing her job, I went back to bed.
The next morning, I went out to check on the little girl and found her dead and cold.
I have a policy with kittens though that they are not dead until they are warm and dead.
I warmed her up under the water faucet and tried some compressions.
It worked! She started weekly stirring after a few minutes.
I tried to bottle feed her, but she wasn't having it.
My only option was to try to get the mom to let it nurse again.
Fortunately, the cat likes belly rubs, and I was able to buy the kitten enough time to nurse periodically throughout the day.
I put out one of those round Cat boxes next to the door, and she stayed in it with the kitten for several days.
Then one day the kitten was gone and I could not find it anywhere even though the mother never left.
For a little over a week, I thought the kitten was dead.
Then a few days ago I found this little guy roaming around.
Thinking it was my long-lost kitty, I took it inside for a while.
Here's the plot twist.
I took my long-lost kitty back outside only to find my actual long lost Kitty.
To my surprise, there was one more kitten accompanying it.
As it turns out, a completely different cat, that I had no idea had a small litter of her own, adopted the other kitten.
I have seen this happen before, but never when the kitten is significantly younger than the adoptive litter, and certainly not when the other mother is still present.
Last edited by Monk; 06-15-2016 at 09:46 AM.
#3039
Boost Pope
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,455
Total Cats: 6,874