Everyone knows that cat facts and cat videos make the internet go around. Some of the best revolve around the wacky, bizarre antics that cats get up to after indulging in their version of demon weed: catnip. Why do our feline friends crave catnip so hard?

Not all cats even react to catnip’s mind-altering capabilities. According to Scientific American, catnip highs are hereditary; “about 70 to 80 percent of cats” are susceptible to its effects as adults. Kittens don’t react to catnip at all; the lucky 70 to 80 percent who do react can catch the buzz once they reach sexual maturity at about six months old. 

Catnip works when one of its volatile oils, nepetalactone, enters feline nasal passages and “bind[s] to protein receptors that stimulate sensory neurons.” These neurons’ responses project to the brain’s amygdala, which controls emotional response to stimuli, and the hypothalamus, which “plays a role in regulating everything from hunger to emotions.” Altogether, cats exposed to catnip are “react[ing] to an artificial cat pheromone.”

Catnip's chemicals act like an artificial cat pheromone

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