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And if both parents react to 'nip, the odds increase to at least three in four. If a kitten has one catnip-sensitive parent, there’s a one-in-two chance that it will also grow up to crave the plant. Scientists still don’t know quite why some kitties go crazy for the aromatic herb and others don’t, but they have figured out that catnip sensitivity is hereditary. More than half of the world’s felines don’t respond to catnip. The compounds trigger the typical odd behaviors you associate with the wacky kitty weed, including sniffing, head shaking, head rubbing, and rolling around on the ground. A cat's nose has catnip receptors.Įver wonder why catnip lulls felines into a trance? The herb contains several chemical compounds, including one called nepetalactone, which a cat detects with receptors in its nose and mouth. "Because cats have adapted to conserve energy via long periods of rest and sleep, it is possible that purring is a low energy mechanism that stimulates muscles and bones without a lot of energy." 4. Lyons, an assistant professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, in an article for Scientific American. Scientists don’t quite know why cats purr, but one hypothesis is that the sound frequency of purring-between 25 and 150 Hertz-"can improve bone density and promote healing," theorizes Leslie A. It's possible that purring helps bone density.
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Purring doesn't always mean a cat is happy.Ĭats often make the sound when they’re content, but they also purr when they’re sick, stressed, hurt, or giving birth. Grooming also serves as a sign of affection between two cats, and it’s thought that saliva contains enzymes that serve as a natural antibiotic for wounds. Are you that clean? This behavior serves several purposes: It helps cats tone down their scent so they can avoid predators, it cools them down, it promotes blood flow, and it distributes natural oils evenly around their coat, allowing them to stay warm and dry.