Totally Bogarting the Sock
Posted on February 26, 2008 Posted by John Scalzi 22 Comments
In the mail yesterday: organic catnip from these folks. Put a little in the toe of a worn sock this morning and presented it to Zeus. Then eventually tried to take it away. He was against that. I think I’ll be rationing his intake from here on out. But judging from the reaction, that’s primo ‘nip, dude.
A while ago, a friend of ours brought her cat over to our house. He was absolutely obsessed with our computer desk, and we couldn’t figure out why. Then it struck us: I use peppermint lotion on my feet in the summer, or else the skin cracks, and when I use the computer I put my feet up on the desk. The cat was convinced he smelled catnip, when in fact he was smelling peppermint lotion à la feet.
You combined catnip and a sock? Either one of them is enough to drive a cat insane; putting them together is like giving a six-year-old a crack-laced latte.
(Disclaimer: I’ve never gave my daughter crack. Or lattes, although the latter is bases on her turning them down. I have, however, given the cats catnip, and inadvertently given them socks.)
The first time I gave our cats catnip in a sock they started fighting for possession of said sock and I swear to you they started doing moves straight out of “The Matrix”. Mid-air back flips and the like. Quite a feat for the fat one too.
Oh man, harshin’ the little cat’s mellow . . . first the testicles, then the ‘nip . . . . .
Be careful what you get him hooked on. Our 15 lb bruiser gets frisky, in the ‘claws and teeth’ sense, when he’s had a snootful. He’s a mean drunk.
Because someone *had* to do it…
A little LOLZeus
My cat seems immune to nip – which is unfortunate. Nipped out cats are funny.
Pat J: Catnip was more commonly called “cat mint” at one time and the plant is a member of the mint family.
Some cats have little or no response to catnip, and some cats respond to other members of the mint family.
My reaction to this is… why doesn’t it work on humans? I feel so cheated.
No fear, Anonymous. We have lots of things that do work on us.
Zeus is helping in his own way — cat ownership found to lower risk of heart attack, by a lot:
http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=612800
Irene #6: Yeah, it is tough to resist…
Having failed to get him hooked on caffeine, you now try catnip? For shame.
My cat shows no reaction to catnip, except a fondness for rolling in the growing plant. But then, she shows very little reaction to anything except food.
Catnip sensitivity is genetic.
All of my cats have had the gene that lets them react to it… thus I learned long ago, the hard way, that you never give catnip to a cat in your lap. Mine never turned mean, they just sort of forgot the finer points of managing their claws politely.
Anonymous,
Trust me, don’t feel cheated. In my teen years I watched two of my friends smoke catnip in a homemade bong. Words could not describe the migraines they experienced as a result.
I buy my catnip in the bulk food/health food section of the grocery store. Consequently, I have little baggies of dried green leaves* in drawers all over my house. My cabin was broken into about 4 years ago, and amongst other things, every single baggie of catnip was gone. I like to think of those bastards trying to get high on my catnip. Heh
*I live in Alaska and thanks to the Raven decision (1975) one can legally have 4 oz for personal use, under state law. The feds, they aren’t so understanding.
I was about to ask where the captions were. Glad someone could take care of it ;)
http://xkcd.com/262/
What are the other two cats thinking? ‘Don’t bogart that sock, my friend. Pass it over to me.’
Tania, in Alaska, they only allow you to have 4oz of catnip for personal use? Why, that’s just crazy. How could they sell it at the bulk food store that way. :)
I once gave my evil exroomates cat some nip around 2 a.m. She got the point and let him stay in her bedroom at night.
Catnip and catmint are different plants, although both are part of the mint family. Both contain nepetalactone, the essential oil cats react to.
Some cats are immune to the effects of catnip, but these cats will react to valerian root. Valerian smells like feet (kinda gross), but you can mix it in with catnip.
I have the exact same cat. his name is Panda. Kittens rawk.