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Yesterday at the pet store I noticed a plastic tub of dried catnip. I instantly remembered my mother's long ago cat Pansy loving it ~ because we had it growing in the yard. I looked at the little toys (mice, etc.) containing it. They were cheaply made, very little, with two many $'s on the price tags. So, I bought the tub for $1.99, went home, and made a larger "mouse" out of pink felt. (My hubby poked some holes in the material with a pin.) As soon as Pretty smelled the "mouse" she started rolling all over on it and purring. Also, long ago a tea made from catnip herb stopped my baby son's colic right after taking it. (It never came back.) Have any of you had experience with catnip and your kitty? Do you have a suggestion on how to make a better toy with it? Thanks! Jayna

We just crumble some up on the floor and the cats get spastic over it. Drooling, rubbing, rolling. When they're thru, we just vacuum up the remaining. No toy needed because they just want to rub and roll in it.

to encourage my cats to use the scratch boxes and posts, i sprinkle it on them. does seem to get them motivated.

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Originally posted by yeeehawterri:
We just crumble some up on the floor and the cats get spastic over it. Drooling, rubbing, rolling. When they're thru, we just vacuum up the remaining. No toy needed because they just want to rub and roll in it.

Mine do this too. I sprinkle on their cardboard scratchersd and it's like they have a new toy all over again.

I had bought a few cat toys already w/o the catnip. I put a toy or two in a plastic bag containing the catnip..smoosh it all over the toy...take the toy out...shake off the excess and then take the toys to an area rug for Lola to play with. Once she gets a whiff, she is all over it!LOL

Later on (or when I think about it), I vac up any remaining catnip from area rug.

Hey...you might check out the crafts section of Walmart (or other crafts store) for those little fuzzy pompoms. There are several in a package and both of my kitties love those! I've bought the fuzzy ones and the fuzzy ones with sparkly threads running throughout. My girls like the sparkly ones the best~

Warning about those...the kitties love to intentionally lose them underneath the sofa. So I just pull out another one from the bag or about once a week...do a "search and rescue" of pompoms!LOL

Another little thing you might check out in the crafts section...pipe cleaners. You can bend those in any shape that you want. Callie loves those a bunch...and even carries them around in her mouth. I've made things that look like spiral shapes and put several together to resemble a spider type figure (Callie doesn't seem to mind if it's not perfect~ ). One word of caution...pipe cleaners have wire running through the piece...so be sure to bend the ends over. If the pipe cleaner begins to look ratty or wire coming through...just pitch it and get out another one.

I wish I'd looked through the crafts section before buying all the other cat toys! You get more plus they are cheaper.

Just thought I would share my experience~

Paula

I bought a catnip-filled furry mouse about 4 inches long with a velcro opening/closing on the stomach some years ago. Whenever the catnip loses its "potency," I just dump it out, re-fill and back they go after it again!

Although mine was commercially made, crafty types could probable make something similar. The velcro is strong enough and overlaps enough that none of my five indoor-only cats have ever torn it open no matter how much they "maul" it!

You wouldn't have to make an animal shape; I imagine a pillow shape would be just as enticing as long as it is filled with catnip.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,

Thank you for all of your suggestions! She did not know what it was until she took a second smell! Then she was all over it! Letting her roll in it sounds like a good idea because the toy got old too quickly! Maybe I should plant some as it is easy to grow!
Blessings! Jayna

If you do plant it, make sure you do it in a container and don't allow it to grow out of the bottom. It's a member of the mint family, if I remember correctly, and is very invasive.

Hey Yeehawterri, I just wanted to mention that I've had several of those FITS =("Arachnoleptic! fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web."). I totally cracked up when I saw the explanation in your sig line!

I've had some while riding the lawn mower as well!

Every year I make several small catnip pillows out of cotton fabric & catnip for Christmas, give one each to my girls, and send one each to my sister's 3 cats. They throw them, roll on them, slobber and drool all over them until the are soggy masses, but they obviously love them.

(My sister finds the resulting soggy pillows very disgusting and I find that hilarious, so I also do it for her. hehehe)

The rest of the year I usually just make small piles of catnip for my girls to roll in and eat.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mrsmoondog,

That's wonderful! I sprinkled some on her new sleeping area ~ and she slept more today! Now, I just need a "peoplenip" for my hubby!

Whenever I get a Package from Petmeds for the cats there is a small bag of catnip in with the stuff I ordered. The cats go crazy trying to get into the box. It sure is funny watching them so I just end up giving them the package of catnip and watch them trying tet into it. I guess I am a mean mama. Kulani