Herbs for my Dog (and cat) - Catmint
My cat could really care less about catnip (Nepeta cataria). He’s part of that 30% group of cats that are labeled as “non-reactive” to catnip. However, he loves the aroma of catMINT.
Catmint (Nepeta faassenii) grows abundantly outside our front door every summer. It is a beautiful, low-maintenance cousin of catnip that is drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly.
I harvest bundles to make smudge sticks for the home and fragrance bundles for my cat. I realized the calming effect of catmint when I was in the living room one day putting together the smudge sticks. I was having fun and making a huge mess in the process. Flower buds were all over the floor, making the room smell very cat minty. And then I realized that both my dog and cat were napping. They slept the entire time I made my bundles. And that’s when I realized the calming effect this plant had on the nervous system of animals.
A quick internet search revealed that catmint contains nepetalactone, the same essential oil that causes euphoric reactions in cats exposed to catnip.
However, the concentration of nepetalactone in catmint is lower compared to catnip. Now I have placed little bundles of catmint where my cat and dog like to rest. I don’t put it directly in their bed, as their sense of smell is far more advanced than ours. I put it within 1 – 2 feet of these areas.
