How to Make Cat nip is a herb commonly used to make cats happy and give them harmless, enjoyable stimulation. It can be useful for providing something enjoyable to do for an indoor pet, and can even help create positive associations in them with behaviours you would like them to adopt. Here’s what you need to know about catnip – and how to make it yourself.
How to Make Cat Nip?
The easiest way to get your hands on catnip is by growing it yourself! You can buy catnip plants either in seed form or already established from most nurseries, garden centres and online.
When choosing which variety of catnip you want to grow, there are two main types: Nepeta Cataria (the common species) and Nepeta Mussinii (the larger-leaved type). They each have unique effects that appeal more strongly to some cats than others, so experiment until you find the perfect one.
Prepare the Soil
For indoor or container planting, use quality vegetable garden soil mixed with peat moss for added airiness and drainage. For outdoor planting, loosen up the soil and rake it till it’s nice and smooth before planting your seeds or transplanting your mature plant.
Preparing Catnip for Use
Two weeks after flowers appear on your catnip plants, they should be ready for harvesting. Prune off only the top third of the plant while cutting down as much stem material as possible; when leaves dry they will become brittle and easy to crumble into tiny pieces.
Put your fresh prunings on a screen so air can flow through them; this should take at least three days depending on ambient humidity levels before leaves are dry enough for crumbling. Alternately, they can be put in a slow oven or hung upside down in bunches from a hook secured in their stems; both methods work well but require more monitoring than using a screen does.
Adding Toys & Treats
You don’t necessarily need toys or treats when giving your pet catnip – but if you choose add them it may make the experience even more enjoyable! Small squeaky toys with stuffing made from dried herbs (like lavender or rosemary) will give great fragrance along with classic play elements.
whereas natural chewable treats such as beechnut pieces serve as edible surprises when hidden around the area where your cat is playing with her catnip pile . This encourages her investigative behaviour while providing her with wholesome nutrition – all in one perfectly paw-sized package!
Gather Your Supplies
To begin crafting your own catnip, gather supplies of dried or fresh catnip leaves, seeds or sprouts from the nearby garden store. If the herbs are not available near you, buy them online instead. You can use scissors or shears to cut through the plants and reduce their size for storage.
Harvest Catnip From The Garden
If you have a garden, it’s easy enough to start growing catnip from seedlings in springtime and harvesting it without any additional cost throughout the summer months. This perennial herb can die back each autumn but will usually regenerate in early spring once again if cared for properly by providing enough water and light. Make sure to leave some flowers so they can produce seeds afterwards as well!
Create A Mixture
Once you’ve procured the necessary plant-based ingredients, create a mixture by blending them together. Use KitchenAid immersion blenders or mixers with blade attachments to speed up this process; also make sure that there are no large chunks within the blend before adding it into small containers such as spice jars with tightfitting lids or zip pouches that seal securely shut when not in use (for example).
Store It Properly
Ensure proper storage of your homemade cat nip by keeping it away from heat sources and direct sunlight—a cool spot in cabinets is ideal for maximum longevity of stored goods over time! Also keep any leftover blend into airtight plastic bags or containers where moisture won’t accumulate; this will help retain freshness longer than just leaving open bags or pouches lying around in open air environments exposed to light exposure (which can cause faster spoilage).
