Opioids Catnip

[mabzie55]

Preface: I'm not advocating nor asking about giving drugs to animals, just asking a question about nonhuman biology and psychoactives and also the effects of these substances on humans.

So, I read that Nepetalactone which is in catnip, actually acts on the opioid receptors in cats (obviously not in humans). There was no citation and I can't find much else about it.
Does anyone here know how catnip effects cats, and if it does indeed act on opioid receptors?

On a side note-- what's your experience with human consumption of catnip?

I've made catnip tea before when I was a bored kid with a few friends.
Felt slightly relaxed but that may have just been a placebo.

When we started drinking, my friend said "This isn't going to do shit" to which I replied,
"You're not going to get a placebo with that attitude."

Perhaps that was perfect foreshadowing.

 

[spacejunk]

I was under the impression that catnip stimulates cats - not by any drug action - but by emitting a scent (which I believe is the nepetalactone) that is similar to cat pheromones.

Cats that are sensitive to catnip have had a good whiff of the stuff don't necessarily act "stoned" as much as they act "frisky" or sort of aroused. Well; maybe a bit stoned, but I don't think it has anything to do with opioid receptors.

 

[sekio]

Catnip is a very mild sedative, but nothing like an actual opioid.

 

[keeping]

i totally forgot about this but i did actually ingest a size-able quantity of catnip when i was in my teens. it was basically an hour or so of vomiting.

 

[The Doc.]

Haha I can't help but laugh at the thought of humans trying to get high off catnip.

Catnip is closer to cannabis they are close relatives in the plant family. If catnip was an opioid every addict would be buying pet stores out of their catnip.

 

[mabzie55]

Just to clarify, I'm well aware catnip is not an opioid.

I just read that it has an opioid effect in cats and was taken back by that, of course with no citation I figured it was BS but thought someone on here would be able to tell me exactly what it does to cats.

 

[The Doc.]

Read this I don't know anything about nip myself but there's some information on here.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-how-does-catnip-work-on-cats/

 

[Seattle_Stranger]

I can definitely say it builds rapid tolerance like opioids do, and I think even comes with a bit of addiction. My cat used to LOVE catnip, a little bit and she'd bug out. She finally found out where I keep it and would hover around and then start acting erratic when I'm near it, and if I pulled the bag out she'd nearly climb my leg for it.

After giving it to her rather often, she seems to have built a tolerance to it and now is barely affected by it. I'll put mounds of it down on her little scratch pad, she'll sniff it and then walk away, and then eventually later I'll find her just laying on it. Nowhere near the reaction she used to have..