Quite a few herbs can be dangerous or even fatal for cats such as evening primrose, borage, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, and comfrey, but there are two that you may want to start growing now if you have a cat.
The popular one most cats can’t resist is catnip, which is a herbaceous plant with a strong odor. This herb is dark green to gray in color with tiny white flowers at the top. The good thing about adding this member of the mint family to your garden is that it will come back every spring since it is a perennial.
Catnip happens to be very easy to start from seedlings. I just went ahead and soaked the seeds overnight before planting in a sunny spot about four or five weeks after the first frost. You need to keep the soil moist and in about 20 to 40 days the catnip will start growing. One thing that I want to warn is that catnip is an invasive plant.
Besides attracting more cats to your yard to get their high from catnip’s hallucinogenic effect, you also will find more butterflies visiting your catnip patch. Some cats also will chew the leaves for its soothing medicinal purposes. However, not all cats have the ability to appreciate catnip due to missing a certain gene.
Another of these herbs for cats that you should consider growing is valerian. This herb is a great alternative if your kitty doesn’t care for catnip. Unlike catnip’s uninhibited show of pleasure and calming, valerian is a stimulant. This plant also has a cluster of white flowers and is especially helpful for cats that are fat, lazy or just depressed to get them moving.
You can start valerian basically in the same method as you do for catnip. You can also buy these two herbs for cats at your home center to plant. Your pet will be so grateful!
Wow, I had no idea valerian had any kind of effect on cats! And how funny, too, that it helps humans relax and sleep, but is a stimulant for felines. I have two black thumbs, but maybe I should try growing one or both of these herbs. Thanks for the tips!