Tatarian Honeysuckle is a Special Kind of Honeysuckle
Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) is one variant of the honeysuckle family that is special in one way, its wood contains compounds that evoke the "catnip response" in about 50% of cats. This wood is hard to get, it is not allowed to be grown commercially and has to be harvested from the wild. Its freshly-cut wood has a minty or citrusy smell that even humans enjoy. The leaves or fruits of this honeysuckle bush, or any other honeysuckle bush may be toxic to cats, so do not experiment with your cat and any other species of honeysuckle or any other part of the tatarian honeysuckle bush, get your tatarian honeysuckle wood from a trusted source, like us!
What Does Tatarian Honeysuckle Do To Cats?
The active ingredients in tatarian honeysuckle wood are completely different than those in catnip. This is why some cats who don't respond to catnip absolutely love tatarian honeysuckle. Tatarian honeysuckle generates a "catnip response" in about 50% of cats, which can include:
- Biting of a catnip-containing toy
- Rubbing their head on the toy
- Shaking their head
- Holding the toy with their paws
- Licking the toy
- Bunny kicking the toy
- Rolling on their side
- Twitching or rippling of the muscles of their back
All observations indicate that these are blissful experiences for the cat. This behavior may look like the cat is "getting high" or "tripping", but these are not good descriptions of what is happening. Tatarian honeysuckle and other cat-attracting plants can be used to make kitties more comfortable with new situations, or just be a daily fun experience. We get videos from customers all the time telling us that our herbaceous toy is their new favorite.
While the active ingredient in catnip is nepetalactone, the cat-attracting ingredients in Tatarian Honeysuckle include actinidine and iridomyrmecin, and a variety of other chemicals that are similar to, but not identical to, nepetalactone. This cocktail of chemicals drives some cats wild.
How Do I Give Tatarian Honeysuckle To My Cat?
This is a great question, especially for tatarian honeysuckle wood chips/dust. Even though cats only get the "catnip response" by smelling the active ingredients in cat-attracting plants, some cats seem to enjoy eating catnip, silver vine leaves and fruit, and valerian root, but tatarian honeysuckle wood is, well... wood. Cats are not supposed to eat wood, and we highly recommend that you give your tatarian honeysuckle to your cat in a toy, in a sock, or in way where they can't eat too much of it, like sprinkle it in a carboard scratcher or on a blanket. All of our toys come with the option of being stuffed with tatarian honeysuckle, so that is one option to try it out. It is not an emergency if they eat a small amount of wood, but if they eat too much tatarian honeysuckle wood (or catnip leaves, or silver vine), it could cause blockages or nausea because again, cats are not supposed to eat a lot of leafy greens.
We always tell people that its the smell that is what's really important when it comes to catnip and catnip-alternatives. Our tatarian honeysuckle is briefly dried to get rid of excess water, but then it is kept in airtight containers which keeps most of the fragrance and active ingredients in. Eventually, the honeysuckle wood in our toys may dry out, but they can be refreshed by sprinkling a few drops of water on the dried wood. This causes the fibers of the wood to open up and release some of the active ingredients.
We think the best way to give a cat tatarian honeysuckle is in a toy. We sell many different toys with velcro openings that allow for refilling and refreshing with any of our herbs, including tatarian honeysuckle!
Is Tatarian Honeysuckle More Potent Than Catnip?
Whether a cat has a euphoric experience with tatarian honeysuckle (or catnip, or silver vine, or valerian root) depends randomly on their genetics and their personality. A study of 100 cats found that around 50% of cats will respond to tatarian honeysuckle, while 68% percent of cats will respond to catnip, 80% will respond to silver vine, and about 50% of cats will respond to valerian root. That being said, some cats who do not respond to catnip will respond to tatarian honeysuckle, so if your cat doesn't roll around on the catnip toys you buy, they might go wild for tatarian honeysuckle. Your cat isn't broken, they just don't have the right receptors in their nose to detect the volatile active ingredient in catnip, nepetalactone.
If you want to try each different herb in its pure state to find out which ones are your cats favorites, try one of our sample packs of refillable toys. That way, once you find your cats favorite, you can refill the toy over and over again.
Is Tatarian Honeysuckle a Drug? (No!)
Tatarian honeysuckle, like all cat herbs, is not addictive, and does not induce any long lasting negative effects. Equating tatarian honeysuckle to drugs may be harmful because it causes some people to deny their cats a euphoric, natural experience and important olfactory enrichment that contributes to a healthy, comfortable home environment.
Famed cat scientist Sebastiaan Bol has studied hundreds of cats and their reactions to cat-attracting plants, in one of his published studies, he states that he "did not observe any withdrawal, abnormal behavior, or changes in behavior of any of the participating cats after the cat attractants had been taken away from the cats." He also believes that it improves relationships in a multi-cat household, stating "we believe that we observed more positive interactions between the cats in the testing area when the cat-attracting plants...were present”
What if My Cat Doesn't Like Tatarian Honeysuckle?
Only 50% of cats display the "catnip response" when they smell the fragrance of Tatarian Honeysuckle. If your cat doesn't respond this way, you should try the other herbs that are known to catch the attention of kitties. We also offer Silver Vine, Valerian Root, Organic Catnip, and herbal mixes containing them all! If you want to try them all, check out one of our Sample Packs.
Comments