This is a very well produced spoof video about the effects of catnip on cats and an anti-drug film parody. The video can be seen on YouTube where you will also see some comments. It is one of the films playing at the Sundance’s Short Film Program in 2013. The Sundance Film Festival is Robert Redford’s creation.
“Yes, it can lead to much harder substances – Valerian being the classic example”
“I think Valerian is much more of a problem on our streets. I know of several members of the local feline community who have succumbed to it’s sinister appeal.”
Seriously, it is a fun video. However, no one has done any work on whether catnip or one of the other hallucinogenic drugs that cats like actually does do harm.
The title is deliberately ambiguous. I don’t think, to be honest, that there is any ambiguity about cats chewing catnip or Valerian. I believe it is safe for the cat. In my opinion very few cats eat or sniff catnip. Sure, there are households where catnip or Valerian is probably used quite a lot but these are probably exceptional.
If there is a home where catnip is used a lot it would be nice to hear from them. The catnip effect is similar to recreational drug taking by people. Drugs can be addictive and/or change personalities.
The key factor for cats is that they don’t seek catnip. They don’t look for it and crave it as many people crave drugs. A cat will only chew on catnip of sniff it if a person either grows catnip or puts a catnip product in front of their cat.
There is no chance of addiction under those circumstances as far as I can see. Can cats becoming addicts? That idea makes me smile for some reason but cats do have similar anatomies to humans.
I have a junkie in the house. What can I say.