When you become a cat owner, there are equipment that you immediately think of.
The litter box, the cat tree or the water fountain are among these essential accessories.
And then there are others, of which we think much less, and which nevertheless turn out to be just as essential.
With many health benefits for your pet (see below),
catnip
naturally invites itself into your cat's environment.
The good news is that there is now a whole range of products around this catnip.
The worst is that the choice of catnip becomes more complex for those who do not fully master the subject.
Our catnip selection allows you to buy catnip for your four-legged friend by choosing a product from the must-haves on the market.
The presentation of each catnip (with its qualities and its defects) will be very useful for you to make your choice from your sofa or your bedroom.
Let yourself be guided, moreover, by the various tips delivered at the end of the guide.
You will learn more about catnip and its daily use and will then have all the cards in hand to select the product that best suits your needs (and those of your cat!).
our selection
Pfotenolymp catnip with bamboo frame
Our favorite
Catnip Cyperus alternifolius 3 plants
Trixie Catnip 100g
Vitakraft Catnip
Riga Herbariga Catnip 300g
Catit Catnip 3 Piece Kit
GimCat Meadow Aroma Catnip
GimCat Gras Bits Catnip
Catit Catnip Garden
Zolux natural depurative catnip
Pfotenolymp catnip with bamboo frame
Amazon
€30.99
SEE
eBay
€43.16
SEE
The catnip offered by the Pfotenolymp brand contributes to the good health of your animal by helping your cat to eliminate the hair swallowed during its toilet.
Presented in the form of an all-inclusive kit, it is both easy to use, aesthetic with its bamboo frame and durable over time.
A must and a safe bet for all owners of a small feline.
Aesthetic
complete
Sustainable
Easy to use
The dirt can come with the grass when the cat pulls on it
Requires precise water dosage
Catnip Cyperus alternifolius 3 plants
ManoMano
€9.99
SEE
Amazon
€9.99
SEE
Cyperus alternifolius catnip helps improve your pet's digestion.
Its compact size and low price are two arguments that appeal to cat owners looking for catnip with a very good price/quality ratio.
Only the dosage of water requires special attention to make the most of it.
Very good value for money
Compact size
Requires very regular watering
Sold in sets of 3 plants, which can lead to wastage
Trixie Catnip 100g
Cdiscount
2,76 €
SEE
Amazon
€6.59
SEE
With this tender grass for cats, Trixie offers cat owners the opportunity to grow cat grass, essential for improving the animal's digestion.
Rich in fiber and vitamins, this Trixie catnip comes in a 100g sachet for easy use.
The seeds are sold without a growing container.
Optimized packaging
Ease of use
rapid growth
Sold without container for growth
Branches of fine herbs
Vitakraft Catnip
Cdiscount
€2.60
SEE
Amazon
2,77 €
SEE
In the "catnip to grow yourself" category, the Vitakraft brand is positioned with a product that has all the qualities required to appeal to cat owners.
The mixture of seeds contained in this sachet is intended to be both beneficial for the health of the animal (digestion) and easy to grow for its owner (no need to have a green thumb!).
rapid growth
Resists cold and heat
Supplied without container suitable for growing seeds
The grass can turn yellow
Riga Herbariga Catnip 300g
Amazon
€2.74
SEE
eBay
4 €
SEE
Sold with a tray and small gravels, this Riga Herbariga catnip is ideal for cat owners who want to get catnip for their feline quickly, and without having to buy other items.
A true all-in-one kit, this catnip offers excellent value for money in addition to its ease of use.
Rich in fiber
Sold with a tray for growing
Very easy to use
Grass doesn't last very long
No hole in the tray for the evacuation of excess water
Catit Catnip 3 Piece Kit
Amazon
€16.29
SEE
Cdiscount
€23.71
SEE
With three packets of seeds and three packets of vermiculite, this Catit Kit catnip kit also makes it possible to grow your catnip in just a few days.
It guarantees optimal results both in digestion and in the prevention of the formation of hairballs.
Requires Senses 2.0 planter for optimal use.
Full set
Individually wrapped packets to ensure freshness
Compatible with branded products
Sold without the associated herb planter
Delivered without instructions for use
GimCat Meadow Aroma Catnip
Amazon
€10.99
SEE
eBay
17 €
SEE
Rich in vitamins, this catnip from the GimCat brand acts as a real dietary supplement to help your pet's digestion.
Made in Germany, it is made from a mixture of seeds from controlled outdoor cultivation, a guarantee of its quality.
It is delivered with its tray for a ready-to-use product.
Ready to use
Seeds from controlled outdoor cultivation
Grows a little slower than competing products
Requires daily misting of water
GimCat Gras Bits Catnip
Amazon
€14.99
SEE
Cdiscount
€55.99
SEE
Do you want your cat to benefit from the effects of catnip without becoming an apprentice gardener?
Cat product maker GimCat offers a dietary supplement to give your four-legged friend as a treat rather than as blades of grass to grow.
A practical alternative, and just as effective.
Catnip in the form of treats
Avoid all gardening operations
More difficult for the cat to consume
Dosage to respect
Catit Catnip Garden
Amazon
€17.50
SEE
Cdiscount
€21.80
SEE
Sleek and contemporary, the catnip garden is as much a decorative object as it is a catnip holder dedicated to your faithful four-legged friend.
Its design promotes the growth of catnip seeds (sold separately) with, among other things, a drainage system to avoid excessive watering.
Vermiculite replaces earth for more cleanliness.
Design
Easy to assemble
Easy to clean
Anti-slip system
Sold without the seeds (refills)
Planting instructions to be consulted on the manufacturer's website
Zolux natural depurative catnip
Amazon
€4.49
SEE
Cdiscount
€20.95
SEE
Specially designed for indoor cats who taste little of the scent of outdoor grass, this catnip promotes (like its competitors) the elimination of hairballs and delivers a supply of plant nutrients.
The rather slow growth is compensated by a lasting freshness.
However, the packaging suffers in terms of quality.
Quality catnip
Lasting freshness
Slow growing
Unsightly container
What are the effects of catnip?
Animal health professionals are unanimous on the subject.
Catnip meets a real need of the feline to preserve its good health.
As a cat owner, you have no doubt noticed how much time your pet spends licking its hair.
When grooming, the cat ingests a significant amount of these hairs.
A part is eliminated by natural means, but only a part.
When the remaining hair becomes too numerous, the formation of hairballs occurs, which the cat vomits to expel them most often.
The danger lies in the non-expulsion of these hairballs with, in most cases, a blocked digestive tract.
The cat may then have an intestinal obstruction.
By facilitating digestion and improving intestinal transit (catnip is rich in fiber), catnip avoids these complications for your cat's health.
In other words, catnip helps your pet to “purge” itself.
This solution does not, however, dispense with other measures to preserve the health of the animal, such as the administration of dewormers or the choice of quality food.
Catnip VS catnip
There is a common confusion between catnip and catnip.
The first expression designates these young shoots of grassy plants rich in fiber and vitamins and useful for the digestion of the feline.
Catnip refers to another type of plant, catnip, also called catmint.
This is not intended for consumption.
Cats tend to smell this herb which gives them a euphoric, relaxing effect.
Catnip indeed contains a chemical substance (nepetalactone) which acts on the nervous system of the animal, like a drug.
The cat loves this drug which gives him a feeling of well-being (it does not present any real danger to his health).
Is it good to give catnip?
Yes.
As mentioned above, catnip helps your pet expel hairballs that form inside the stomach or esophagus.
It is also a source of vitamins and fiber.
Catnip is therefore an integral part of the diet of the little feline.
By giving catnip to your four-legged friend, you also anticipate his quest for fibers which could lead him to taste other indoor or outdoor plants, some of which can be toxic!
Do all cats like catnip?
À priori, oui, avec une petite subtilité. Un chat qui mange de l’herbe à chat le fait avant tout parce qu’il en ressent le besoin, davantage que par pure gourmandise. Autrement dit, un chat qui se désintéresse de l’herbe à chat ne signifie pas forcément qu’il n’aime pas ça. C’est juste que son instinct ne le pousse pas, à l’instant T, à en consommer. Si vous possédez un jardin, il est également possible que votre chat trouve à l’extérieur ce dont il a besoin pour « se purger » naturellement et faciliter son transit intestinal, et décide alors de bouder l’herbe à chat que vous avez mis à sa disposition en intérieur ou en extérieur. Il convient toutefois, dans la mesure du possible, de privilégier l’herbe à chat à l’herbe de votre gazon qui peut contenir, avec les plantes situées aux alentours, des substances potentiellement toxiques pour votre animal de compagnie.
Where to plant catnip?
As you will have seen through our selection of the best catnips, catnip is most often marketed as seeds to plant and grow yourself.
The good news is that catnip is very easy to grow, whether in pots or in the ground.
In both cases, exposure to sunlight is important to promote seed growth.
On average, catnip shoots are considered to wither after three weeks.
For a supply throughout the year, you will therefore have to renew the operation regularly.
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