If your cat sniffs a catnip toy, gives it a withering look and walks off, you have not raised a defective cat. Roughly three in ten cats simply don’t respond to catnip at all — it’s written into their genes, not their personality. The good news: there’s a second herb that works on most of that group too, and it isn’t as well known this side of Japan.
What’s actually going on
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) contains a compound called nepetalactone. When a cat sniffs it, the molecule binds to receptors in the nose that trigger a euphoric response — rolling, rubbing, drooling, the odd zoomie lap of the living room. It’s not a stimulant in the human sense and it isn’t addictive; think of it as a lovely smell that happens to flip a very specific switch. That switch is inherited as a dominant gene, and not every cat has it. Kittens under about three months old also won’t react yet, whether or not they carry the gene — the response switches on with sexual maturity.
Silvervine: the one your catnip-immune cat might love
Silvervine (Actinidia polygama, also sold as matatabi) is a plant native to Japan and parts of China, traditionally dried into little galls or sticks. It works on a different, wider set of compounds — actinidine and dolichodial among them — and a widely cited 2017 study (Bol et al., BMC Veterinary Research) found roughly 75–80% of cats respond to it, including a large chunk of the cats who shrugged at catnip entirely. If catnip is a locked door your cat doesn’t have the key for, silvervine is often a second door that does open.
So which is “better”?
Neither, really — they’re just different keys for different locks:
- Catnip tends to produce a calmer, sniffier, more rolling-and-rubbing reaction. Easy to find, well studied, and the response tends to fade after 10–15 minutes before your cat can be re-interested (nepetalactone needs a rest period to work again).
- Silvervine often produces a more intense reaction — face-rubbing, chewing, occasional drooling — and some cats seem to stay interested for longer. It’s also worth a try even if your cat already loves catnip; a fair few enjoy both.
The only real way to know is to offer both and watch. Cats are not shy about telling you.
Is either safe?
Yes. Both are non-toxic and non-addictive, cats self-regulate (they simply stop and walk away once they’ve had enough), and there’s no hangover or dependency to worry about. The only real caveat is quantity of enthusiasm rather than the herb itself — a cat mid-silvervine-spiral can misjudge a jump or two, so keep the introduction to a safe, low surface the first time.
Getting the most out of it
A few things make either herb go further:
- Rotate, don’t leave it out permanently. Constant access dulls the response; putting the toy away between sessions keeps it exciting.
- Rub, don’t just sprinkle. Crushing the leaf or working it into a rope or fabric releases more of the compound than a light dusting.
- Combine it with something to chew or wrestle. Our catnip rope toy is catnip-filled woven rope rather than loose leaf, which suits cats who like to bunny-kick and gnaw as well as sniff — and the rough weave gives teeth a bit of a clean in the process.
- If catnip gets nothing, don’t assume your cat is immune to fun in general — try silvervine before writing enrichment herbs off entirely.
FAQ: why doesn’t my cat react to catnip?
Almost always genetics, not fussiness. The sensitivity gene is inherited, so entire litters can be responders or non-responders, and kittens under roughly three months won’t show a reaction yet either way. If your cat is past that age and still unmoved by catnip specifically, silvervine is the next thing worth trying — it works through different compounds and reaches a good chunk of the cats catnip misses entirely.
Ruby is a committed catnip responder — full rolling display within about four seconds of a catnip rope toy hitting the floor. Rosie is more selective and mostly just chews thoughtfully, which we’ve decided counts as participation. For more enrichment ideas that don’t rely on the herb cabinet, see 10 Ways to Entertain an Indoor Cat.