Active and passive responses to catnip (Nepeta cataria) are primarily affected by age, with sex and spaying/neutering making little difference.
Luz Teresa Espín-Iturbe, Bernardo A. López Yañez, Apolo Carrasco García, Rodolfo Canseco-Sedano, Maribel Vázquez-Hernández, Genaro A. Coria-Avila. Active and passive responses to catnip (Nepeta cataria) are affected by age, sex and early gonadectomy in male and female cats. Behavioural Processes, Volume 142, 2017, Pages 110-115, ISSN 0376-6357. See original source.
Who Responds and When?
Findings: This study found that young kittens (under 3 months) generally do not show an active response to catnip, often showing avoidance instead. However, as cats reach maturity, the intensity of their response increases. Crucially, there is no difference in response between adult males and females, and early neutering (gonadectomy) does not prevent a cat from enjoying catnip.
DankNips “Takeaways” of this study:
Although the full study is not available to the public, from what we can gather it shows that prior misconception about the effects of catnip being sexual are disproven as gonadectomy (AKA spaying and/or neutering) would prevent the effects of catnip however no such evidence is apparent, suggesting no correlation. Therefore the receptors are not the same as sexual receptors but only alike in the sense of being pleasurable for the cat. This is more like a natural high such as what a human gets from foods like chocolate.
Maturity Matters: The study found that the intensity of a cat’s behavioral response to catnip increases as they reach maturity.
No Sex Differences in Adults: Among adult cats, there is no significant difference in how males and females respond to catnip.
Safety and Enrichment: This research is used to support the idea that catnip is a safe and effective tool for feline enrichment, regardless of the cat’s sex or whether they were neutered early in life.
These specific findings reinforce DankNips’ commitment to providing science-backed enrichment for all indoor cats.
Broad Effectiveness: Since sex and early neutering do not prevent a response, products like Certified Organic Catnip are suitable for the vast majority of adult indoor cats.
Age Consideration: Because younger kittens may not show the full “catnip response” until they are more mature, owners can look forward to their pets “growing into” their DankNips sessions.
Validation of Ethics: The study confirms that the “euphoric” behaviors seen during a session are a natural, safe part of a cat’s biology, supporting DankNips’ mission to provide high-quality, ethical treats for the conscious owner.
Long-Term Safety: Research conducted by the same team monitored cats exposed to cat-attracting plants like silver vine for nearly 1,000 hours over two years, finding no adverse physical or mental health effects.
Safety vs. Drugs: Unlike psychoactive drugs (such as THC or cocaine), the active compounds in silver vine only work through olfactory receptors in the nose and do not enter the bloodstream to bind with brain receptors in the same way, making them a safe form of enrichment.
Non-Addictive: The euphoric response is short-lived (seconds to minutes) and easily interrupted, with no observed withdrawal or abnormal behavior after the stimulus is removed.
Sensory Sessions for Pet Enrichment and Bonding