Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Abstract

BackgroundOlfactory stimulation is an often overlooked method of environmental enrichment for cats in captivity. The best known example of olfactory enrichment is the use of catnip, a plant that can cause an apparently euphoric reaction in domestic cats and most of the Pantherinae. It has long been known that some domestic cats and most tigers do not respond to catnip. Although many anecdotes exist of other plants with similar effects, data are lacking about the number of cats that respond to these plants, and if cats that do not respond to catnip respond to any of them. Furthermore, much is still unknown about which chemicals in these plants cause this response.MethodsWe tested catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root on 100 domestic cats and observed their response. Each cat was offered all four plant materials and a control, multiple times. Catnip and silver vine also were offered to nine tigers. The plant materials were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to quantify concentrations of compounds believed to exert stimulating effects on cats.ResultsNearly all domestic cats responded positively to olfactory enrichment. In agreement with previous studies, one out of every three cats did not respond to catnip. Almost 80% of the domestic cats responded to silver vine and about 50% to Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root. Although cats predominantly responded to fruit galls of the silver vine plant, some also responded positively to its wood. Of the cats that did not respond to catnip, almost 75% did respond to silver vine and about one out of three to Tatarian honeysuckle. Unlike domestic cats, tigers were either not interested in silver vine or responded disapprovingly. The amount of nepetalactone was highest in catnip and only present at marginal levels in the other plants. Silver vine contained the highest concentrations of all other compounds tested.ConclusionsOlfactory enrichment for cats may have great potential. Silver vine powder from dried fruit galls and catnip were most popular among domestic cats. Silver vine and Tatarian honeysuckle appear to be good alternatives to catnip for domestic cats that do not respond to catnip.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Plant-Based Natural Product Chemistry for Integrated Pest Management of Drosophila suzukii

“…Future experiments in greenhouses will reveal whether the close vicinity of Actinidia plants is sufficient to reduce crop loss by oviposition of D. suzukii adults . Future analyses with additional plant species such as Indian nettle ( Acalypha indica ), valerian herbs ( Valeriana officinalisi ; Nardostachys jatamansi ), snapdragon ( Catharanthus roseus ), yellowbells ( Tecoma stans ), and honeysuckle ( Lonicera caerulea ; Lonicera tatarica ), which have all also been suggested to produce different kinds of iridoids (Bol et al 2017); Scaffidi et al 2016;, might reveal further potent D. suzukii or other Dipteran deterrents from natural or plant sources. It has also been shown previously that different isomers of iridoid compounds can have varying degrees of bioactivity (Civjan 2012; Ebrahim et al 2015; Stökl et al 2012), thus more work is needed to address stereochemistry of bioactive compounds.…”

“…Actinidia (Lu et al 2007; Matich et al 2003; Tatsuka et al 1990; Twidle et al 2017), we therefore hypothesized that these plant genera may provide a natural source of functional odorants to repel D. suzukii adults. Commercial products already exist from Nepeta plants, such as dried Nepeta leaves, as well as extracted oils or synthetic compounds that have similar bioactivity to those identified from Nepeta varieties, where all products are sold as cat toys or feline attractants (Bol et al 2017). Catnip oil extracts have also been shown previously to possess some behavioral repellency against other Dipterans, such as the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans , and other biting flies, which are pests of livestock (Zhu 2011).…”

Sprouts and Microgreens: Trends, Opportunities, and Horizons for Novel Research

“…As an example, the grass (i.e., 10-15 Days After Sowing, DAS) obtained from barley, wheat, oat, or rye, improperly called "catnip", is said to facilitate cat digestion and regurgitation of hairballs. True catnip (Nepeta cataria), instead, decreases the stress of homebound cats, by stimulating their olfactory system and causing an apparently euphoric reaction [335]. Further research is needed in all pet species using multiple varieties of sprouts.…”

The evolutionary origins of the cat attractant nepetalactone in catnip

“…Plants from the genus Nepeta L. are commonly known as catmint or catnip due to their ability to modify the behavior of cats. Catnip affects approximately two-thirds of domestic cats and many wild felid species including lions, tigers, and ocelots (1) and induces playful actions such as rolling over, cheek rubbing, and pawing (2). The responsible agents are nepetalactones, volatile metabolites thought to mimic cat pheromones ( Fig 1A).…”