You buy the catnip. You sprinkle it hopefully. Your cat sniffs once, looks at you, and walks away.
This is not a defective cat and it is not bad catnip. Roughly a third of cats have no catnip response at all, and it is inherited.
Meowijuana makes genuinely good catnip under a very silly name. It also sells the thing you should try when catnip does nothing.
Read the spray’s label before you count on it for a non-responder. Chewy lists it as a blend of catnip oil and honeysuckle, not pure honeysuckle, and it does not say which honeysuckle or how much. The research behind honeysuckle used Tatarian honeysuckle wood, which about half the cats responded to in a 2017 study of 100 cats.
That same study found silvervine reached about 80 percent of cats, including roughly three in four of the cats that ignored catnip. So if the spray does nothing, try silvervine next rather than a stronger catnip.
Why a third of cats feel nothing
If your cat ignores catnip, nothing is wrong with either of you. The response is genetic, and a substantial minority of cats simply do not have it.
How it works. Catnip contains nepetalactone, which binds to receptors in a cat’s nasal tissue and triggers a response in the brain regions handling emotion and behaviour. Cats without the inherited trait have no reaction at all, no matter how fresh or potent the catnip is.
Two more groups that will not respond. Kittens under about three to six months usually show no reaction, and the trait can appear later. Some older cats respond less than they used to.
The effect is biphasic, which explains why owners describe opposite outcomes. Sniffing catnip generally stimulates: rolling, rubbing, vocalising, the occasional burst of zoomies. Eating it generally sedates: a cat who chews a pinch often settles and dozes. If you want calm rather than chaos, offer it to eat rather than to smell.
It also wears off. Most cats disengage after five to fifteen minutes and then become temporarily immune for an hour or two, so leaving catnip out permanently just wastes it and dulls the effect. Put it away between sessions.
What to use when catnip does nothing
This is the genuinely useful part, and it is why the honeysuckle spray earns its place in the range.
Honeysuckle works on a different compound and a different pathway from catnip. A cat with no catnip response will often react strongly to honeysuckle wood or spray, and the reverse is also true. It is the first thing to try before concluding your cat has no interest in play.
Silvervine is the other major alternative, widely used in Japan, and research suggests it reaches a higher proportion of cats than catnip does. Valerian is a third option. Between catnip, honeysuckle and silvervine, very few cats respond to none of them. If food is a stronger motivator for your cat than herbs, a high-value treat does the same job of building enthusiasm for play.
Why this matters beyond fun. Play is not optional for indoor cats. Obesity, boredom, over-grooming and inter-cat aggression all trace back partly to under-stimulation, and a plant that reliably triggers play is a practical tool for an indoor cat’s welfare rather than a novelty. The International Cat Care guidance on play covers why it matters and how much cats need.
On safety: catnip is not addictive and cats do not overdose on it in any meaningful sense, though eating a great deal can cause mild stomach upset. Meowijuana products contain no THC or CBD, which is worth stating plainly given the branding.
Getting the most from a jar
- Store it sealed and dark. Nepetalactone degrades with air, light and heat. A screw-top jar in a cupboard keeps its strength for months; an open bag on a sunny shelf does not.
- Buds beat leaf and stem. The active oil concentrates in the buds, so you use less for a stronger response.
- Ration it. Offer catnip once or twice a week rather than daily, since constant exposure blunts the response.
- Use it with purpose. On a scratching post to redirect from furniture, in a carrier before a vet trip, or on a new bed a cat is avoiding.
- Refresh old toys with a sprinkle rather than buying new ones. Most cats reject a catnip toy because the catnip inside went stale, not because they are bored of the shape.
On price, the Pawty Mix is the everyday jar: 60 grams for $15.99, about 27 cents a gram, against about $1.00 a gram for the 20-gram bud jar. Here is the whole range sorted by job.
| Product | Size | Price | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Catnibas Buds | 20 g | $19.99 | Your cat responds and you want the strongest jar. |
| Catnibas Pawty Mix | 60 g | $15.99 | Your cat responds and you want an everyday jar for less. |
| Catnip Oil Honeysuckle Spray | 3 oz | $11.99 | Catnip does nothing. Try this, then silvervine. |
| Mice Dreams Blend | 0.917 oz | $11.49 | You want a calmer blend for evening play. |
| Birthjays Catnip Joint | 1 toy | $13.99 | Your cat bunny-kicks. It is a kicker toy under the joke. |
| Sprinkle ‘n’ Scratch Taco | Scratcher + catnip tube | $12.99 | You are steering scratching away from the sofa. |
Should you buy Meowijuana?
Buy the bud jar if your cat responds to catnip and you want a potent, well-stored product. The quality is genuinely good and the packaging protects it properly, which matters more than most people realise.
Buy the honeysuckle spray if your cat ignores catnip, before you give up on play entirely. Compare toy options in our treats guide for the reward side, and see Inaba Churu if what motivates your cat is food rather than herbs.
Ridiculous name, real product. North American grown, no THC or CBD, sold in jars that actually preserve potency, with buds rather than dusty stem filler.
And if your cat is one of the third who feel nothing, that is genetics rather than a failure. Try the honeysuckle spray next. Start with Meowijuana Jar of Organic Catnibas Catnip Buds, 20-g jar. This article is educational rather than veterinary advice.
Catnip questions
Q: Why doesn’t my cat react to catnip?
Roughly one third of cats have no catnip response, and the trait is inherited. Kittens under about three to six months also usually show no reaction, and may develop it later. It is not a sign that anything is wrong with your cat.
Q: Does Meowijuana contain THC or CBD?
No. Despite the branding, Meowijuana products contain no THC or CBD. They are catnip and related plants such as honeysuckle, passion flower and lavender.
Q: What can I use if my cat ignores catnip?
Honeysuckle works through a different mechanism and often reaches cats that catnip does not. Silvervine is the other main alternative and research suggests it reaches a higher proportion of cats than catnip. Valerian is a third option.
Q: How often should I give my cat catnip?
Once or twice a week. Most cats disengage after five to fifteen minutes and are then temporarily unresponsive for an hour or two, so constant availability wastes the catnip and dulls the effect.
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