Feline Funday on this Sunday Funday – Catnip
We have two cats. Will and Jasmine. No matter what they are doing, when you say treats, they come running. But no treat compares to catnip. Back in May for Mother’s Day, my family started a garden for me. I was never the one to have a green thumb but over the last several months we have enjoyed cherry tomatoes, leeks, peppers and cilantro out of our little garden. Last time we went to buy some “food” for our garden, I saw catnip and thought how fun it would be to grow our own cat treats.
A few days ago I picked some catnip and left it hanging in the sun to dry. Today I crushed it up and gave the treat to our sweet kitties. I think it’s fair to say they loved their treat. Check out this video of them eating and rolling in our home grown and dried catnip! Having their own Feline Funday on this Sunday Funday!
Do you give your cats special treats? Have you ever grown your own catnip? I read that you can make a very healthy tea from catniptoday. The healthy benefits and think I may give that a try in my next batch…if the cats agree to share. 😉
Catnip tea is made from the herb known as Catnip which is known to have originated from Europe. Catnip belongs to the mint family and grows in mild climates of the Northern Hemisphere. There are many benefits of drinking tea made from catnip. Before we look into the benefits of drinking catnip tea, let us first learn to make catnip tea at home.
To make catnip tea at home you require fresh or dried catnip, a mug, about 10 oz. of boiling water and flavors like lemon or honey. You can make catnip tea from either dried or fresh catnip. Using home grown catnip for making catnip tea is the best option. However, if you don’t have a catnip plant at home, you can buy dried catnip from the market to make catnip tea. If you have catnip plant at home, avoid using chemicals on the plant.
If you plan to use home grown dry catnip, you need to cut the catnip stem and hang them in a dark cool area. When the leaves on the stem are fully dried, you have to remove them from the catnip stem and stuff them into a bag. Once the leaves are removed from the stem, you can dispose of the stems. Now store the dried catnip leaves in a cool dark place. If you feel the process of drying catnip leaves is cumbersome, you can use fresh catnip leaves to make catnip tea. You can also use the oil from the catnip plant to make catnip tea.
To make catnip tea, take either one teaspoon of dried catnip or three or four teaspoons of fresh catnip leaves. Boil the water and remove it from the heat. Allow the water to cool down before you add catnip. If you add catnip when the water is hot it will lose its natural flavor and certain positive benefits.
The duration of catnip tea steep will depend on the taste and the requirement of the person. If you want to get the most out of the catnip, then it best to steep the catnip as long as possible. However, if you are just looking for flavor then the duration of catnip tea steep should be short. The maximum steeping time should not exceed 18 minutes.
To change the taste of catnip tea you can add herbs like mint or lemon grass. You can also add other natural products like honey, lemon juice, strawberry and sugar. The quantity of herb or natural products that has to be added to catnip tea will depend on the taste of the person. If you prefer drinking cold catnip tea, you can place the catnip tea on an ice cube tray and freeze it. You can add the desired flavor to your cold catnip tea to improve its flavor.
Drinking catnip tea is known to have many benefits. Catnip tea is known to contain a chemical called nepetalctone which promotes relaxation and sleep. Catnip tea is also known to alleviate pain caused due to menstrual cramping. Also strong catnip tea can help in reducing pain caused due to migraine headaches. Catnip tea can also help in easing the symptoms of flu like fever and sore throat. You can also use strong catnip tea for nasal decongestion. Catnip tea can also help in reducing the symptoms of diarrhea.
However, if you are pregnant then it is best that you avoid taking catnip tea as it promotes urine contraction. Excessive drinking of catnip tea can cause fatigue, headaches, vomiting and nausea. Also it is best that you avoid drinking catnip tea if you intend to drive a vehicle as it can cause drowsiness.
Shared from http://catniptea.org/
Happy Feline Funday to your cats and Happy Sunday Funday to you!
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I love this! I will definitely need to find some catnip to add to my herb garden.
It grows very fast with little up keep. 🙂
We have a cat and I use to grow catnip for him. He’s old and boring now 🙁 Loved reading your post, the video was funny. Your cat is adorable.
Thanks Tiffany! It was the first time we gave them homegrown catnip and we think it’s a bit stronger. They were so funny!
What cute kitties – they sure do look like they appreciate their treats! I’ve never heard of Catnip tea… interesting…