How often can you give a cat catnip?
Quick answer
As often as you like. Cats set their own limit: they walk away when they've had enough and won't react again for a while. Daily catnip isn't harmful, but it can dull the reaction, so it stays more fun as a treat. A pinch at a time is plenty.
It's the question people ask once they've seen their cat on catnip for the first time. If the cat loves it that much, is it all right to give it every day? Is there such a thing as too much?
The short answer is reassuring. The longer answer is about getting the most out of it.
Photo by Madalyn Cox on Unsplash
The short answer: as often as you like
Cats set the limit themselves. A session lasts about ten minutes, then the cat loses interest, often sleeps, and won't react again for a while however much catnip is still around. You can't push a cat past that point by putting more down.
Catnip isn't addictive. Cats don't go looking for it between sessions, and they don't miss it if it stops. There's no schedule to keep and no number of days in a row that becomes a problem.
Why every day isn't always best
The one thing frequent use does is dull the reaction a little. Not harm: familiarity. A cat that has catnip every evening tends to react less than a cat that gets it now and then, in the same way a toy that's always on the floor stops being exciting.
So while daily catnip is fine, most owners get a bigger response by keeping it as a treat, for when there's a reason: a new scratching post, a carrier before the vet, a quiet evening after a house full of visitors.
If you've been using it daily and the reaction has faded, stop for a few days. It usually comes back.
How much at a time
A pinch: about a quarter of a teaspoon, crushed between your fingers to release the oil. More doesn't make the reaction bigger; fresher catnip does. A heap left on the floor does nothing extra except tempt the cat to eat it, which is the one way to have too much.
What happens if a cat has too much
There's a difference between sniffing catnip and eating it. Sniffing is how the reaction works, and it switches itself off. Eating a lot of it, which happens when a pouch is left open or a pile is left out, can make a cat sick or give it a loose stomach for a day, the same as eating a lot of any plant. Then it passes.
That's the whole downside. If your cat seems unwell beyond that, call your vet as you would for anything else.
When to hold off
- Kittens under about eight months. No harm, but most don't react yet, so there's nothing to gain.
- Pregnant cats, cats on medication, cats with a health condition. Ask your vet first.
- A stressed or frightened cat. A cat that's hiding won't play with anything. Wait until it's settled.
A simple routine
- Toys: rub a crushed pinch into a kicker toy, or mist it with spray, when it goes quiet. Every few weeks.
- Scratching post: a pinch or two mists every few days until the cat has claimed it, then stop.
- Play sessions: use it at the same time as play, so catnip and play go together.
- The carrier: two mists of spray ten minutes before you need it.
The spray follows the same rules as the leaf: two or three mists is a session. Ours has two ingredients, distilled water and catnip hydrosol, which is the scented water left when catnip leaf is steam-distilled, so it's water-clear and doesn't mark fabric.
Fresh catnip, used less
The easiest way to use less catnip is to use fresher catnip: a smaller pinch gets a bigger reaction. Ours is grown on a family farm, hand-picked, air-dried the same season and packed leaf and flower only. A 30g pouch is around eight weeks of ordinary use, which is why our subscription sends a fresh one every eight weeks: £4.99 for the first pouch, then £7.49, or £9.99 as a one-off.
If your cat doesn't react at all
A lot of cats don't respond to catnip, and it's genetic rather than anything to do with how often you use it. If you bought ours and your cat is one of them, our money-back cat guarantee covers it: tell us within 14 days of delivery and we'll refund, nothing to send back. Silvervine is the next thing to try.
Related guides: How to use catnip · What does catnip do to cats? · How long does catnip last? · Can kittens have catnip? · The Catnip Guide
Questions cat owners ask
Can cats have catnip every day?
Yes. Daily catnip isn't harmful, and cats stop when they've had enough. The only catch is that very frequent use can dull the reaction a little, so most owners get a bigger response by keeping it as a treat.
Can a cat overdose on catnip?
Not in the way the word usually means. A cat that eats a lot of catnip may be sick or have a loose stomach for a day, as with any plant, and then it passes. Sniffing it, which is how most cats use it, switches itself off.
Do cats build a tolerance to catnip?
The reaction can get a little weaker with very frequent use, and a break of a few days usually brings it back. It isn't dependency: cats don't seek catnip out between sessions or miss it when it's gone.
How much catnip is too much?
More than a pinch at a time is more than you need. About a quarter of a teaspoon, crushed, is plenty for a session. A pile left out does nothing extra except tempt the cat to eat it.
When should I check with a vet first?
If your cat is pregnant, on medication or has a health condition, ask your vet before using catnip. Kittens under about eight months don't need it; most don't react yet.
