What Drives Cats Crazy?

     Cat always acts like an emperor who rules the men, but there's one thing which makes cat crazy and roll with ecstasy. Even the most dignified cat also does. It's Nepeta cataria (貓薄荷), also called catnip.  Actually it's not a kind of mint. The phenomenon that cats will get high once contacting with this plant was found two hundred years ago.

 Nepetalactone

     Nepetalactone (荊芥內酯), a unique compound in Nepeta cataria, was regarded as the key of craze. Nepetalactone is similar to some chemicals found in male cats' urine, so female cats get high after smelling it. However, the later research showed that no matter what gender the cat is, he or she get crazy once smelling catnip. It seems that catnip makes cat's skin more sensitive, and cat rolls on the ground to ease.Not every cat reacts with catnip. About ten percentage of cats never react when smelling catnid. So do the kitten under six month. Scientists said, whether a cat reacts or not is dependent on genes.

     Furthermore, not only domestic cats but also big cats are sensitive to  catnip.  No matter leopards, lynx or African lions and so on. Other animals like mice, dogs, rabbits and pigs doesn't give a reaction to catnip. Luckily, the research doesn't cause the change of catnip's name.

     Beside nepetalactone,  there are 14 compounds can make cat get high. Although we found the secret of catnip, we still haven't find the reason why cats get crazy on it. Perhaps it's as mysterious as the un usual behavior of cats. (265 words)

Resources: http://pansci.tw/archives/56502