What the heck is catnip?

As promised, a discussion on catnip.  One of the most common questions we are asked is "What does catnip do?"  Catnip is a beneficial herb that has been used for centuries in folk medicine for colic, anxiety, sleep disorders, and upset stomach. A compound distilled from catnip, nepetalactone,  is an effective mosquito and fly repellent. Catnip can be used as a calming tea, and even to season food.

Cats, though, are particularly attracted to the scent of catnip. It's believed that catnip produces a stimulatory response in cats, causing them to initially become excited and then quickly to calm down or become mellow. Basically, it turns them on and then they crash.  A small amount of the herb is all it takes to attract cats, which makes it a useful component in scratching pads and cat toys. Catnip can be used to "freshen" up an old scratching pad to make it more attractive to your cat.  Refillable toys, which feature a recloseable inner pouch, are a good value, since you can replace the catnip when it gets stale.

Not all cats are attracted to catnip.  Catnip is not native to Southeast Asia, so cats from that region often have not developed the gene that makes catnip attractive. If your cat is a pure-bred Siamese or Himalayan, it probably will not be attracted to catnip.  However, many big cats, like tigers, leopards, and lions are attracted to catnip, and will exhibit the same behavior your little house cat does - rubbing, rolling, drooling, chewing and licking.

Since your cat will be chewing and licking on catnip, it's important to make sure your catnip is pure and safe.  Certified organic catnip is a good choice. It is guaranteed to be free from chemical herbicides and pesticides which may be toxic to your cat.  You don't want to ruin a fun time with a bunch of nasty chemicals!  Good catnip should be green to brownish-green and have a strong, almost minty, aroma. Obviously, if your cat is attracted to catnip by smell, the best catnip needs to have a strong scent.

If you have any questions about catnip, just post a message below and I'll try to answer it.

Thanks for reading,

Kelly at Cat Claws

Spring Savings Event

I know I promised a discussion of catnip for my next post, but I thought I would offer you a taste of our newsletter instead.  I send a weekly email newsletter to subscribers, with sales, special offers, new products, freebies, etc. If you would like to sign up for the newsletter, just visit our subscription page at Cat Claws Newsletter Sign-up. Don't worry, we won't share your email with anyone else, or spam you with random stuff.  Just great pet products and pet news!

So here is our Spring Savings Event newsletter - browse through for some unique, hard-to-find pet products - over 75% of which are made in the USA.  Oh, and we have pet-themed gift items too!

Take advantage of great savings during our Spring Savings Event. Get ready for Spring cleaning with specially-formulated stain and odor eliminators like Get Serious or Petrotech Clean + Green.  Both products are made in the USA, I have tested them, and they REALLY work!

M.A.X. Orca Scratcher personalized with your cat's name

Replace that stale scratcher with a new scratcher personalized with your cat's name, and don't forget a Harness & Tie-out so your cat can enjoy the Spring weather with you! 

  

Harness & Tie-out

For sudden showers, check out our great umbrellas that open AND close with a push of a button, and keep muddy mess to a minimum with an fresh new door mat - over a dozen different styles to choose from!

Walk in the Park Umbrella

Use coupon code W660 to save 10% during our Spring Savings Event - expires March 24th, excludes oversize and dropship items. Shop now for best selection - these low prices won't last long!

We have lots of great Made-in-the-USA dog items, too! 

If you can't find what you're looking for, or don't know what you need, feel free to email me!

Thanks for reading,

Kelly at Cat Claws

The Scoop on Cat Claws

For those of you who don't know us, Cat Claws is  a small mail-order and manufacturing company.  We make, as you might guess, things for cats.  Our number one product, the one that started the company, is a corrugated cat scratching pad, corrugate being what most people call cardboard.  Cardboard though, is actually the stuff that cereal boxes are made from; for corrugate, think more like brown moving boxes.  We glue together many flat sheets of corrugate and then slice and dice the blocks down to the size we want, which is called a build-up, or in our case, a scratching pad. 

We put the scratching pad into a form-fitting box and then add the "secret" ingredient - certified organic catnip.  Most people know what organic means - it means that virtually no artificial chemicals are used to grow or make the catnip. The "certified" part of that description means that we go through a rigorous inspection process and maintain scrupulous records that show how we make sure the catnip remains organic all through the production process. The farm we buy the catnip from goes through the same process. Here is an important lesson - just because the catnip is organic on the farm, if the place that is packing it into nice little bags and toys and scratching pads is adulterating it with non-organic catnip or using industrial cleaning solutions and solvents, your catnip is no longer organic.  So that's why it's important to make sure you are buying certified organic catnip - and that's all we sell here at Cat Claws. 

We don't just dump some catnip on top of the scratching pad and call it good, though. Nope, over the years we have developed special "scrubbing" tools (they're not high tech, but they work great!) so we actually rub the catnip down into the flutes of the corrugate. So when your cat scratches the scratching pad, the aroma of catnip is constantly released and your cat continues to be attracted to the scratching pad. That's called positive reinforcement - your kitty gets a whiff of something he loves every time he uses the scratching pad.

Most of the catnip is rubbed into the flutes, so very little remains on top of the scratching pad.

I know what you're thinking - why corrugate? Won't my cat tear that up?  We think (and millions of cats back us up on this) that corrugate is the best scratching material for cats. Your cat really doesn't know the difference between the carpet or sisal rope on a traditional cat scratching post and the carpet on your floor. Wood scratching posts feel a lot like the wood trim around your door frames. Corrugate feels rough, sort of like tree bark, so your cat will instinctively appreciate the feel of corrugate. Plus, cats don't just scratch for the heck of it. Their scratch marks tell other animals that this territory is already claimed. Corrugate is strong enough for cats to really sink their claws in and scratch, but it also allows cats to mark their "territory" with visual scratch marks. Eventually, your cat will tear the scratching pad into little bits and pieces, but that's the whole point - satisfy your cat's instinctual need to scratch with something he CAN tear apart instead of your couch, your chair, your rug, your woodwork, your drapes, or anything else in your home.  The Cat Claws Scratching Pad with Certified Organic Catnip is starting to sound like a pretty good investment, isn't it? 

Although we've developed many other scratching pads since we started in 1986, the original Cat Claws Scratching Pad is still our best seller.  It's a great, high-quality product that really works. Cats really do love it, and better yet, they really do use it.  

That's all for this time.  Check back next time when I will go into detail about catnip - just what is it, and why does it get cats so darn excited? 

Thanks for reading,

Kelly at Cat Claws