Does my cat have a "problem?"

Good evening everyone. I hope you are all well. I have received several U2Us lately and it has got me thinking....

Does my cat have a problem? And when I say a "problem," I mean, of course, catnip. That's right. I have two cats. One, the crazy stray, couldn't be bothered with the stuff. He ignores it. Doesn't know what it is supposed to do or be for.

But my indoor cat, LOVES the stuff. She goes insane with the stuff. Can't have enough and when she's eaten some or smelled it...well, she goes crazy. She runs around the house, plays hide and seek, attacks the other cat and the dog and just becomes the creator of mayhem and mischief. She even knows where we hide the stuff and can be found sitting there trying to figure out how to get the cabinet open or waits for it to magically open on it's own.

Does she have a problem? Should she go to meetings?

Opinions? Anyone else dealing with this very serious family straining situation?

LOL

most cats usually go NUTS over catnip. Perhaps it is your other cat that has the problem. What I mean is maybe his sense of smell is not good and therefore cannot smell the catnip?

I have always known my cats to go crazy over it. But not so crazy as yours has...

LOL maybe she OD'd on the stuff. You really shouldn't give her too much.. LOL

Originally posted by misswanderer31
LOL

most cats usually go NUTS over catnip. Perhaps it is your other cat that has the problem. What I mean is maybe his sense of smell is not good and therefore cannot smell the catnip?

Nah it's not the smell, it's simply that some cats are not affected as much, also some are not because of genetics.

It's fun to see them go crazy thou haha.

Hey Excitable. I have to agree with _Phoenix_. Here is an article that implies the same, that it is inherited. No, you're cat doesn't need meetings.

Rush

Hmmmmm...a "problem"...well, there does seem to be a chemical basis for this over indulgence...

When my Uncle Al exhibits the same reaction to his "catnip" (the running around the house, playing hide and seek--with no one else!, attacking the cat and the dog, becoming the creator of mayhem and mischief, knowing where Aunt Lolly hides the stuff, sitting in front of and trying to figure out how to get the cabinet open or waiting for it to magically open on it's own), well, that behavior, while entertaining at family gatherings, does seem to have negative social consequences (at work, for example). And Aunt Lolly does have to feed him and clean up after him...

Your kitty, OTOH, doesn't appear to have any of these negative social consequences. The social expectations are that you must dutifully feed and clean up after her anyway, and as long as her only job is to catch a mouse or two, and she does that, then I would declare, "No problemo." She's providing much amusement, which is what a good house cat also should do anyway.

In fact, I would say that MY cat has the problem. We just spent 5 bucks on a catnip mouse and catnip refill, and no reaction! At least your thread explained why. We provide food and water and clean the litter box daily, he doesn't have to catch mice, so I envy you being able to watch your feline's antics. We get to see him lick himself!

Cats are picky animals, if they don't like something then they wont eat it. They also don't like changing their diet, if a cat grows up eating bits of food scraps from bins etc. then their not likely to change to dry food.

Try feeding it spam Sorry I just really wanted to use that.

reply to post by iced_blue


Indeed! Our cat grew up on dry cat food. After he had been with us awhile, we went to the coast and brought back our lunch's leftover fish. I thought he would enjoy it; instead, from his reaction, you would have thought we were trying to poison him. He sniffed, backed away, and gave us a, "What is this crap?" look.

He will beg for an ort of soy bacon (probably tastes like his catfood!), but won't eat it if it's too big, and he only wants that one small bit, never seconds.

mmmmmm...I could eat breakfast, lunch and dinner! Yeah, that IS fun to use!

Cats in a 12step meeting? I know a woman that takes her Jack Russel terrier to meetings. He refuses to go on his own despite the court order.

[edit on 9-3-2009 by whaaa]

Funny you should mention catnip. I just refilled the tube on the scratching post for my cat yesterday. Who needs a TV to watch when you’ve got a cat and some catnip. If I could liken my cat, Sammy, with a movie or TV show…I’d have to call it a “Smutty-Romance” to illustrate the very effect catnip has on my feline.

MY cats sadly do not have this problem. Both are immune to the wondrous effects of catnip.

While earlier in my childhood I had a cat that was addicted to the stuff. He became lazy and forgot where his food was, the whole story is saddening when he went out one evening to catch mice and ended up in the garden all night just meowing "NOOOOOEWWWWW" "NOOOOWWWWWW" Poor thing wanted his catnip and let the whole neighborhood know.

We put him in a 10 step kitty program after that.


HAH!!!