Cats & basil?

[maherwoman]

Question: Does anyone know the effect basil has on cats?

Naturestee: Is it related to catnip?

We bought some fresh basil last night, so I just gave each bun a teeny leaf of it, and Hobbes was ON MY HEELS the whole time, sniffin' the air, being TERRIBLY interested...and I gave him a leaf, but he squinted, and didn't wanna eat it. Now, five minutes later, the smell of basil in the air...the kitties are GOING NUTS!! It's like they ate catnip! They're both running around, all poofed, both yowling like goofballs...it's funny!!

So...I ask...is it related to catnip?

 

[naturestee]

Basil and catnip are both in the Mint family, although I'm pretty sure basil doesn't have the chemical that cats are supposed to get the reaction from. Although my cats have never been interested in it. Eve has a thing for kale though, which is totally unrelated.

 

[maherwoman]

LOL...that's just ODD, then, that they reacted like that!

Maybe just having the different smell in the house made them a little nutty...

 

[undergunfire]

maherwoman wrote:

Maybe just having the different smell in the house made them a little nutty...

They aren't nutty all the time? Our kitties are :laughsmiley:.

 

[maherwoman]

undergunfire wrote:

maherwoman wrote:

Maybe just having the different smell in the house made them a little nutty...

They aren't nutty all the time? Our kitties are :laughsmiley:.

Yeah, good point, lol...they are pretty nutty all the time...

But with the basil smell, Hobbes poofed up and went yowling around the house, hehe!! It was really funny!

If they weren't altered, I'd wonder, hehe!!