What Age Can Kittens Use Catnip

If he s still young give it some time.

What age can kittens use catnip. Kittens get catnip for the first time and some new toys. Your cat is among the lucky ones by the way since some cats don t react to catnip at all. The reaction to a catnip can vary from kitten to kitten. Some cats don t care about catnip very young under 3 months old and senior cats do not respond as much or at all to catnip.

It is generally considered safe to use catnip for kittens but it is important to note that some cats may not prove very interested in the herb especially kittens that are younger than two to three months old and some elderly cats. These hard wired preferences aren t immediately apparent though since kittens under the age of 3 months don t react to catnip at all. Although catnip is totally harmless and safe around kittens both to smell and to eat it isn t necessarily effective. It s perfectly safe to give a kitten small amounts of catnip however.

But you won t know if your kitten is one of them until sometime between ages 3 and 6 months. He may wind up falling in love with his catnip toys when he gets a little older but don t be discouraged if he never seems to care. The herb s influence is genetic so not all cats respond to it according to the humane society of the united states. This is generally safe as catnip isn t toxic.

Not all felines respond to catnip. Catnip also seems to make most cats more playful and more interested in toys. A cat s behavior can change dramatically when they are introduced to catnip. About one cat in two inherits a sensitivity to the herb.

That being said kittens don t develop the ability to react to catnip until they are around 3 6 months of age. Newborn kittens aren t usually responsive to catnip at all until they are about 3 months of age. Also 10 percent to 30 percent of the cat population does not respond to catnip at all at any age. Kittens whether they possess the gene or not generally do not react to catnip until they are from six to nine months old.

Cats must possess a gene for it. If a kitten is going to be a catnip lover you usually can tell that when he is 3 to 6 months old. While most cats do about 15 percent reportedly do not. Try reintroducing the catnip then and you will probably find that your cat will greatly enjoy it.

They have to be near sexual maturity for it to have effects.