Why is my cat ignoring catnip?
Cats lack the genetic sensitivity required to respond to catnip, leaving them completely uninterested in toys and products infused with it. This genetic trait means that trying higher-end brands or spending more money on pet store products will not change how your cats react to it.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1trying loose catnipDid this help you?
- 2using matatabi sticksDid this help you?
- 3trying catnip wall balls or plushiesDid this help you?
- 4trying silvervine or Silvernip blendsDid this help you?
- 5growing fresh catnip at homeDid this help you?
- 6waiting until the cat is olderDid this help you?
- 7Moving the cat tree near a window for a better viewDid this help you?
- 8Luring the cat onto the tree using treatsDid this help you?
- 9Exchanging the position of the cat tree with other room itemsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“neither cat seemed intrested”source ↗
“they still dont seem intrested ive seen so many videos of cats absolutely loving it and having the time of their life and id love that for my girls but it just dont seem to effect them.”source ↗
“After growing catnip at home mine has become a total snob and hardly reacts to the dried stuff.”source ↗
“Our cat isn't interested in catnip either”source ↗
“I've tried buying catnip toys and catnip spray to spray on his toys and even his scratcher to see if I would get some type of reaction out of Tommy, but I haven't seen that.”source ↗
“I'm not sure that Tommy doesn't like it; I'm just noticing that he doesn't have a reaction to it.”source ↗
“One loves the 'nip, the other does not care.”source ↗
“Weve gotten those little toys off Amazon but they just ignore them is pet store catnip better quality cause im willing to spend a but more money but i dont wanna just end up with a mountain of catnip stuff that they ignore”source ↗
“My cats will eat catnip if I give it to them; they don't really react like my previous cats.”source ↗
“Yes I used to have it like that but she didn't use it then either, I think because it's on the carpet so it was very wobbly and I think that she did not like that”source ↗
“Yes I used to have a different one that she did use! This one in particular she seems not to like”source ↗