{"id":7033735,"date":"2026-08-08T14:39:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/alternative-medicine\/catnip-not-just-for-cats\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:39:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:39:20","slug":"catnip-not-just-for-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735","title":{"rendered":"Catnip, Not Just for Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Catnip, Not Just for Cats
<\/span>By S. Marie Carlson<\/p>\n

From The Essential Herbal Magazine, Jul\/Aug 2019<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

I live on the edge of the
\nNorthwoods of Wisconsin, where our winters freeze you to the bone and our
\nsprings flood; the summers are hot & humid with mosquitos bigger than the
\nbirds, and the autumn brings tears to your eyes and a rich fullness to your
\nheart with gorgeous rainbow colored foliage. It is peak summer right now, so
\nthose of us who make herbal products are in over our heads with the bounteous
\nharvests waiting to be tinctured, infused, dried, cured and made into fabulous
\nconcoctions to better our health. <\/p>\n

The land I inhabit is lush with
\nallies like nettle, dandelion, cleavers, plantain, burdock, sumac, and
\nmotherwort, to name just a few, and they are all at a climax in their growth
\nright now before they begin to die back and focus their energy to their roots
\nfor the cold winter ahead.<\/p>\n

Today, I would like to share with
\nyou an ally that is often underutilized and perhaps a hidden treasure in your
\nbackyard. This ally is catnip (Nepeta
\ncataria<\/i>), she has been a part of my herbal journey for quite some time now,
\nand I hope you will learn something about her and find her as useful as I have.<\/p>\n

Catnip, known for causing a
\nreaction that drives our feline friends crazy, is a member of the mint family
\nand has been used for hundreds of years to help calm those with anxious nerves,
\nease indigestion, stomach aches, and diarrhea and combat nighttime restlessness
\nand even hyperactivity.\u00a0 <\/span>She is safe for
\nchildren and is an excellent remedy for colic, sore throats, teething and more.
\nMatthew Wood, in his book The Earthwise
\nHerbal<\/i>, remarks that catnip has been used to treat external skin conditions
\nsuch as “hives, measles, fever, acne, and scarlatina; brings rashes to the
\nsurface.” Some consider her to be an emmenagogue (brings on menstruation)
\nso it is best not to use her during pregnancy if this is worrisome to you. Topical
\nuse shouldn\u2019t be a problem, but ask your health care provider and do your own
\nresearch to make the right decision for you.<\/p>\n

Native to Europe, catnip is a
\nperennial that grows pretty much anywhere she feels like setting down roots.
\nShe can grow in a rocky cliff in very little poor soil, along old farm
\nbuildings or in the most enriched compost available. She loves the sun, and can
\noften be found on the southward side of a hill or building or in any spot that
\ngets more than six hours of sun. That said, catnip also occasionally can be
\nfound in places with spotty light and damp conditions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

To prepare catnip for tincture,
\nteas, and oil infusions, I believe that it is best to harvest her fresh when in
\nfull bloom and peak potency for a strong tincture. If you are looking for a
\nmilder tincture, collect only the leaves before blooming. I have tried both
\nversions of the tincture, and I have noticed better results on severe anxiety
\nattacks with a fresh bloom tincture. My anxiety settles in my gut and tends to
\nmake me head to the bathroom when I have an acute attack. Catnip calms my
\nnerves and takes the flight or fight response away. Often, after a dose or two
\nof tincture sublingually (under the tongue), my bowels will be calmed, and a
\nrush to the bathroom isn\u2019t as imminent. <\/p>\n

Oil infusions require most herbs
\nincluding catnip to be dry or very well wilted as any water can increase the
\nrisk of rancidity and spoilage. If you ever find mold, it is best to compost. <\/p>\n

Catnip is said to lose much of
\nits volatile oil content upon drying, especially if dried with heat. Susun Weed
\nstated on the Susun Weed Show<\/i> episode
\ntitled “Marvelous Mints: Catnip” that 80% of the volatile oils are
\nlost when a dehydrator with heat is used to dry catnip. If catnip were air
\ndried by hanging in bunches this ally would still lose up to 30%. Curing the
\nherb has not been tested, but I would assume it would be similar to the results
\nof hang drying, but I could be wrong.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

Speaking of that volatile oil, a
\ncombination of catnip and yarrow (Achillea
\nmillefolium<\/i>) used topically either as a tincture or essential oil blend
\nsprayed on the body has been tested to be better than DEET when it comes to
\ninsect repellant. (Please note: It takes many pounds to create a single drop of
\nessential oil, please be mindful of their use.)<\/p>\n

Bug repellent is easy to make.
\nJust fill a jar to the top with equal parts fresh catnip bloom and the aerial
\nparts of yarrow then fill with either 80 or 100 proof vodka and let sit 4-12
\nweeks depending on the strength of your vodka. After the herbs have infused,
\nstrain and filter into a spray bottle. It is suggested to spray every 20-30
\nminutes for the best repellant action, but I only use it as needed.<\/p>\n

I hope this gives you a little
\nenticement to explore the world of catnip and all her uses. If she is not
\nalready growing in your garden, maybe you can find a place for her and if
\nnothing else provide an additional food source for our essential pollinators.
\nHoneybees love catnip!\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Remember to get out in nature
\nevery day and let this land heal you!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Catnip, Not Just for CatsBy S. Marie Carlson From The Essential Herbal Magazine, Jul\/Aug 2019 I live on the edge of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where our winters freeze you to the bone and our springs flood; the summers are hot & humid with mosquitos bigger than the birds, and the autumn brings tears to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7033736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11764],"tags":[196968,4808],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7033735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alternative-medicine","tag-catnip","tag-cats"],"yoast_head":"\nCatnip, Not Just for Cats - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Catnip, Not Just for Cats - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Catnip, Not Just for CatsBy S. Marie Carlson From The Essential Herbal Magazine, Jul\/Aug 2019 I live on the edge of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where our winters freeze you to the bone and our springs flood; the summers are hot & humid with mosquitos bigger than the birds, and the autumn brings tears to […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T14:39:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371\"},\"headline\":\"Catnip, Not Just for Cats\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-08T14:39:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735\"},\"wordCount\":915,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG\",\"keywords\":[\"Catnip\",\"Cats\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alternative Medicine\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735\",\"name\":\"Catnip, Not Just for Cats - Som2ny Network\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-08T14:39:20+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?bp_activities=1\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Catnip, Not Just for Cats\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"description\":\"Daily Deals\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":86,\"caption\":\"Som2ny Network\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Catnip, Not Just for Cats - Som2ny Network","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Catnip, Not Just for Cats - Som2ny Network","og_description":"Catnip, Not Just for CatsBy S. Marie Carlson From The Essential Herbal Magazine, Jul\/Aug 2019 I live on the edge of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where our winters freeze you to the bone and our springs flood; the summers are hot & humid with mosquitos bigger than the birds, and the autumn brings tears to […]","og_url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735","og_site_name":"Som2ny Network","article_published_time":"2026-08-08T14:39:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371"},"headline":"Catnip, Not Just for Cats","datePublished":"2026-08-08T14:39:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735"},"wordCount":915,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG","keywords":["Catnip","Cats"],"articleSection":["Alternative Medicine"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735","name":"Catnip, Not Just for Cats - Som2ny Network","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG","datePublished":"2026-08-08T14:39:20+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG","contentUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Catnip20MA.JPG","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033735#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?bp_activities=1"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Catnip, Not Just for Cats"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/","name":"Som2ny Network","description":"Daily Deals","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization","name":"Som2ny Network","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","width":300,"height":86,"caption":"Som2ny Network"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/fivemor.com"],"url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7033735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7033735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7033735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7033736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7033735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7033735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7033735"},{"taxonomy":"dealstore","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdealstore&post=7033735"},{"taxonomy":"offerexpiration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fofferexpiration&post=7033735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}