I have grown catnip for my cats over the years and have concluded that some varieties do not appeal to cats.ie Six Hills Giant, which my cat totally ignored. Cat mint does need well drained soil in full sun to do well.
I have a plant in the border now which all visiting felines love so to avoid the poor plant being decimated I have put an old, large, upturned, wire, hanging basket over the crown of the the plant, leaving the stems to grow through it. It is pegged down with short lengths of cane pushed in around the edge as the cats will dislodge it if it is not fixed firmly. The cats can then chew and roll as much as they like and the basket doesn't really show once the plant is in full growth. I leave the basket in situ all year round as I have seen the local felines rolling on it in the middle of winter, scratching their backs I suspect.
It gives me a laugh to see them all try to stand up and walk in a straight line after a dose, their eyes are positively crossed with delerium.
Must say I quite like the smell and the flowers are loved by bees.
I do like the catnip plant which is why I bought a good one. The hanging basket idea is excellent and might save the plant (should I buy another one). However I'm not entirely sure I want a border full of junkies as there are dozens of cats round about. There's 6 in two of the flats upstairs and 4 in the houses immediately over the fence and goodness knows how many in the same group of dwellings. And I have to be a bit cautious with the bone/blood etc as all the neighbourhood dogs suddenly take up gardening and mine, of course, is the worst of the lot
My cat has just come home after 10 days in the cattery. First thing he did was to patrol his patch to see who'd been visiting in his absence. Second thing was to spend 15 mins rolling all over the newly emerging catmint leaves giving himself a good coating of the scent. He was thoroughly high by the time he'd finished and didn't even notice that it was pouring with rain and blowing a hooley
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I had plants of Six Hills Giant round my previous garden to deter the local cats from using my flower beds as a loo. I was very successful. I used scrunched up chicken wire to keep them off the emerging shoots after they cropped them too often for the plant to grow.
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Verdun, you're not usually shy so where's a photograph of you on the catnip?
Pansyface
I have grown catnip for my cats over the years and have concluded that some varieties do not appeal to cats.ie Six Hills Giant, which my cat totally ignored. Cat mint does need well drained soil in full sun to do well.
I have a plant in the border now which all visiting felines love so to avoid the poor plant being decimated I have put an old, large, upturned, wire, hanging basket over the crown of the the plant, leaving the stems to grow through it. It is pegged down with short lengths of cane pushed in around the edge as the cats will dislodge it if it is not fixed firmly. The cats can then chew and roll as much as they like and the basket doesn't really show once the plant is in full growth. I leave the basket in situ all year round as I have seen the local felines rolling on it in the middle of winter, scratching their backs I suspect.
It gives me a laugh to see them all try to stand up and walk in a straight line after a dose, their eyes are positively crossed with delerium.
Must say I quite like the smell and the flowers are loved by bees.
I do like the catnip plant which is why I bought a good one. The hanging basket idea is excellent and might save the plant (should I buy another one). However I'm not entirely sure I want a border full of junkies as there are dozens of cats round about. There's 6 in two of the flats upstairs and 4 in the houses immediately over the fence and goodness knows how many in the same group of dwellings. And I have to be a bit cautious with the bone/blood etc as all the neighbourhood dogs suddenly take up gardening and mine, of course, is the worst of the lot
My cat has just come home after 10 days in the cattery. First thing he did was to patrol his patch to see who'd been visiting in his absence. Second thing was to spend 15 mins rolling all over the newly emerging catmint leaves giving himself a good coating of the scent. He was thoroughly high by the time he'd finished and didn't even notice that it was pouring with rain and blowing a hooley
I'd love to have seen that Topbird!
Ive got a tiny cutting in a pot outside and my cat goes straight to it for a good sniff and five minutes of madness!
I had plants of Six Hills Giant round my previous garden to deter the local cats from using my flower beds as a loo. I was very successful. I used scrunched up chicken wire to keep them off the emerging shoots after they cropped them too often for the plant to grow.
Joyce, great idea to use an upturned hanging basket! Thanks for the tip...