Happy “Fur-20,” friends and felines! Like many cat parents, you’ve probably seen your cats “high” after giving them catnip. What most people don’t know is that there’s an even more potent plant-based stimulant to get your kitty (responsibly) high: silver vine! So, what exactly is silver vine for cats? Let’s explore here.
What is silver vine?
Silver vine (Actinidia polygama) is a species of kiwifruit that grows in the mountainous areas of Japan and China. In traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, silver vine is still commonly used to treat high blood pressure, pain from arthritis, and more.
In recent years, silver vine has become a widely used alternative to catnip as a powerful cat stimulant. As with catnip, silver vine can help relieve feline stress and anxiety—not to mention encourage the daily exercise that your cat needs.
What is the difference between silver vine and catnip?
Did you know that 30%-50% of felines don’t have the gene that makes them react to catnip? While catnip contains one attractant ingredient, nepetalactone, silver vine for cats contains nepetalactone as well as the ingredient actinidine. Actinidine is typically more potent than nepetalactone and more likely to elicit a response in your cat. What's more, recent studies have shown there is a third ingredient in silver vine, nepetalactol, which elicits the strongest response of all in cats.
Is silver vine safe for cats?
Silver vine is safe for cats, although, like catnip, it should not be ingested in large quantities. Most cats will know when they’ve had enough!
What does silver vine do to cats?
Similar to catnip, silver vine provokes a euphoric response in cats. After your kitty comes in contact with silver vine, you may observe everything from hyperactive behavior (such as running around the house) to licking, chin and cheek rubbing, rolling around, and even a small amount of drooling.
The effects of silver vine for cats typically wear off after 5 to 30 minutes, but may resurface again another 20-30 minutes later. Talk about a second wave of fun!
Where can I find silver vine for cats?
At Litterbox.com, we offer silver vine for cats in its loose form, which you can sprinkle on its own or on your cat’s toys for enjoyment.
A note about cats and marijuana
All fun aside, the 4/20 “holiday” is a good time to educate cat parents about the dangers of cats and marijuana. No, this is not a “gateway drug” lecture: Marijuana is actually toxic for cats and dogs. As we note in our post about herbs safe for cats and herbs to avoid, ingestion of marijuana in any form (including edibles, tinctures, the plant itself, etc.) may result in the following symptoms of poisoning in cats: prolonged depression, vomiting, incoordination, sleepiness or excitation, hypersalivation, dilated pupils, low blood pressure, low body temperature, seizure, coma, and, rarely, death. So, please—enjoy the holiday responsibly by keeping your plants, edibles, and so on away from your pets!
Recommendations
