Why don't all cats respond to catnip: maybe there's something wrong with your pet?
Nepetolactone, which is part of catnip, causes the release of beta-endorphin, which can be called the hormone of happiness. It is this chain that makes cats "high" on life.
However, some cats show quite genuine indifference when they see catnip (as catnip is also called).
It turns out that this reaction is typical for about a third of cats, and we decided to find out what causes this behavior.
The reason should be sought in the animals' parents.
It is quite possible that a distant ancestor of your pet had an unpleasant experience with this plant.
For example, the cat's body released not only the hormone of happiness, but also an allergic reaction, to which the animal's immune system immediately "produced" blockers.
This information was encoded by DNA in a hidden gene, which was then passed on “by inheritance” to all descendants.
If such a reaction, or rather its absence, is observed in small kittens, then the reason may be hidden in their young age, because their hormone levels are not yet stabilized, which is why the olfactory organs do not recognize all aromas.
As a rule, this situation is observed before the animal reaches six months of age.
Finally, cats that were forcibly deprived of “parental rights” and those animals that are not affected by March due to their advanced age have a neutral attitude towards catnip.
Earlier we named the 3 rarest cat breeds that will require some work.
