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Herbs for Pets (part 1)
Lately
I have been asked if there were any herbs our pets would like or benefit
from. The first one that came to mind was catnip (Nepeta cataria).
Catnip is a member of the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family with
square stems. This family of plants is considered to be mints, though most
of them do not possess the minty aroma or flavor.
Cats
especially like the essence of catnip. Manufactured play toys for cats are
sometimes stuffed with dried catnip leaves or batting materials pomandized
with the oil extracts of this plant.
Another
Nepeta cats somewhat like is catmint. The essence doesn’t seem to
be quite as wild-behavior inducing as the catnip though.
I
remember when back in the 1960s, some of my old hippie friends would smoke
the stuff! Stunk up my parlor something terrible. They said it got them
all buzzed up! After college, I read where the chemicals in catnip wouldn’t
get a gnat to buzz. I figured if they were getting high then it was
because they were robbing the oxygen from their brains —- kind of like
being almost asphyxiated by being in a house fire.
Cat
thyme (Teucrium marum) is a great herb for cats! Though not a true
thyme, it looks similar and grows in mounds with delicate purple flowers
in the spring. Cat thyme has a medicinal scent to humans. Cats will take a
few stems of this plant and play for a long time. You will see them act
like they are having fits. They will jump, run, foam at the mouth and roll
around on the floor!
It’s
fun to watch our furry friends have fun!
Next
month I’ll have some more information on herbs our pets like. In the
meantime, email me at [email protected]
with questions about more herbs for cats and where to find them.
As
always; check with an expert, like your veterinarian, before using this or
any other herbal remedy.
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