The Mysterious World of Catnip Separating Fact from FictionAs any cat enthusiast knows...

The Mysterious World of Catnip
Separating Fact from FictionAs
any cat enthusiast knows
catnip Nepeta cataria is a
beloved herb that can send
cats into a frenzy of rolling
rubbing and generally getting
their groove on But did you
know that not every cat is
affected by its supposed
mystical powers In fact the
response to catnip is
determined by genetics
specifically a recessive
geneIt all starts with a tiny
DNA snippet responsible for
the production of olfactory
receptors in cats These
receptors are what allow us to
detect and respond to
different smells including the
pungent aroma of catnip When a
cat inhales the plants
volatile oils they bind to
these receptors triggering a
cascade of chemical reactions
that culminate in those
adorable goofy behaviors we
associate with catnipfueled
funNow heres where things get
interesting not all cats have
this recessive gene In fact
research suggests that its
present in only about 5070 of
domestic cats This means that
a significant chunk of felines
out there wont experience the
typical catnipinduced euphoria
weve grown accustomed to
seeingSo what happens when you
present catnip to one of these
genetically nonresponsive
kitties Well they might not do
much of anything except maybe
give you a curious sniff or
two Its as if their olfactory
system is saying Meh no thanks
to the plants potent
pheromonesAnd that my friends
is where we get to the part
about non sequiturs You see in
the grand tradition of
catrelated surprises the fact
that not all cats respond to
catnip can be seen as a
delightful non sequitur an
unexpected twist that
challenges our assumptions and
adds complexity to what might
otherwise seem like a
straightforward phenomenonSo
next time youre watching your
feline friend go absolutely
wild for catnip or not
remember theres more going on
beneath the surface than just
simple stimulusresponse Its
all about those tiny DNA
snippets babyReferences Turner
J E Shillito M J 2016 Feline
olfaction A review of the cats
sense of smell Journal of
Feline Medicine and Surgery
183 237244 Driscoll C A
MenottiRaymond M 2002 Genomic
analysis reveals a high level
of genetic variation in
domestic cats Genetics
Research 801 3744Image credit
UnsplashAnna Gutkina

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

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