On The Prowl:

A Feline Purr…spective

DuckyWorld Catnip

By Stacy Mantle

Look for the special bonus at bottom of review!

DuckyWorld specializes in producing the freshest, most fragrant catnip in the world.  They grow it themselves, and they only choose the best herbs for inclusion in their product line.  They also understand that presentation is everything to our finicky felines, and have come up with some very unique ideas on how to present this catnip.  For example, who would have thought that a cat would enjoy playing with a catnip-filled banana?  I, for one, would never have guessed, but the people at DuckyWorld did, and it turns out they were right.  The banana-shaped toy is a perfect size for a cat to wrap its paws around, or drag around a room like some kind of treasured prize.  DuckyWorld even has a “banana rack” where you can hang an entire collection of catnip-bananas for aesthetic purposes.  (I think it would be fun to use in order to fool your friends when they come over and visit.)  In addition to the banana, they have a Pollock (which is a fish for those of you who don’t know), a lemon, and a number of other innovative designs.

My favorite catnip product thus far is the Yeowww! Budes, which is Catnip in raw form. Not only do the cats love them, but they are great for scaring my mom when she comes over for a visit.  While this particular product is not really popular with airport security, (luckily the buds were still in their original package when my bags were searched,) they are the most potent forms of the catnip and the cats love them, which is probably how they were named.  

You can pick up DuckyWorld products at retail stores or online.  The prices range depending on where they are purchased, but I can guarantee they will be worth it.  DuckyWorld has, what I consider to be, the best catnip product on the market.

And I should know. . .

Let me tell you my personal experience with catnip in general, and why I’m so happy with this product. The statistics say that approximately 18% of all felines don’t respond to catnip.  Near as I can tell, that 18% reside solely in my home, which is actually good news for the rest of you, because you probably have the other 82% of the cats that do respond to catnip!  The bad news is that I have to deal with cats that don’t generally respond to it.  With a few exceptions – and those exceptions are, oddly enough, the feral colony of cats that I maintain.

Now, as most of you know, it’s not easy to get a feral cat to take anything at all, let alone a toy.  But, they took the banana toy.  And they took all of the catnip buds – all of them.  The entire package.  They also took the Pollock fish.  And now I have no more toys.  They took them from their little feral cathouse, out of their little feral kennel area, and into the big feral neighborhood where I’m sure they are hiding them from all their feral friends.  They probably go out late at night, looking for their catnip fix, which probably explains all the weird noises I’m hearing around 2 am. 

I tell you this story because if you are planning on making a catnip purchase, I recommend that you buy them in bulk.  It’s cheaper to buy in bulk, and if your cats are anything like mine, all of your little catnip toys will begin to disappear as your cats begin hoarding them away. 

Catnip is also great for the owners, and can provide a lot of free entertainment with little to no effort on your part.  For several minutes, the cat will rub on it, roll over top of it, toss it in the air only to catch it before it hits the ground, pounce on it, and generally make a complete fool of itself.  Then suddenly, as if it remembers its history as a God, the cat will completely lose interest and walk away from the catnip, appearing to be completely disgusted with its previous actions a it flicks its tail indignantly. Inevitably, the cat will return to the herb, lured by its appeal.  This may occur in a few minutes or a few hours, but they always come back.  And when they come back, they exhibit the exact same response as before.

This response is confusing to the average human because it doesn’t cause the same type of reaction in us.  We smell the catnip, play with it, some have even tried to eat it, but to no avail.  We simply do not have the same reaction as cats.  There is some type of natural response that is triggered in an animal’s brain which makes them want to roll in it, to wrap themselves up in the odor, and become completely consumed in the event.  Which is not unlike the effect that Josh Holloway (also known as Sawyer, from the TV series LOST!) has on women…

But I digress…

What we do know is that this reaction in cats is caused by the chemical nepetalactone that is found in catnip.  For some unknown reason, the majority of cats are very sensitive to this chemical.  What is really strange is that the “catnip reaction” is an inherited response.  What is even stranger is that the reaction only lasts for a few minutes, long enough for the brain to become acclimated to the chemical’s presence and lose interest.  It then takes a few hours for the cat to reset its reaction before it can become sensitive to the chemical once more. 

Since we are on the topic of catnip, I took the liberty of doing some research on the history of the herb.  Catnip is from the Mint family of herbs. Native to Europe, it is an import to the United States (and lots of other countries) and probably made its first journey to North America around the time that Columbus was the last person to discover America. My personal theory is that the ship cats Columbus kept on board the Santa Maria to work as mousers decided to start a little black market of their own.  Bored with their time in Hispaniola, they probably decided to have a little party and invited all the Caribbean wildcats aboard. They probably showed these Caribbean cats how to play with the fine herb they had brought along on the cruise, (unbeknownst to the very Catholic Columbus, who I’m sure would have been appalled at the idea of catnip on his ship).  And, ignorant of his assistance to what amounted to the first known “catnip” trade, Columbus became responsible for the herbal plant that now grows wild across the vast North American continent.

And now that the history lesson is over, let’s return to the product review.  All in all, DuckyWorld’s Catnip will give you the most “bang for your buck”.  They have the most potent and the freshest catnip on the market, which is really the only way one should ever serve the herb.  Your feline’s reaction will also be wonderfully entertaining to observe, particularly when it is coming from a cat as noble as a feral cat. 

In all, I have to highly recommend DuckyWorld Products to my readers, for obviously they are the ultimate catnip connoisseurs and understand what cats really want! 

As a SPECIAL BONUS to PetsWeekly readers, Pet Planet Outfitters is offering a 5% discount on all DuckyWorld products!  Just click here to order all of your Catnip Toys now! 

From the Cats:

Hisses & Spits:  (Silence from the cats as they anxiously await the next catnip contact high.) 

Purrs:  We love the Pollock and adore the Yeowww! buds”. (Whispering amongst themselves) “If we keep hiding them, she’ll buy more…” 

From the Humans:

Two opposable thumbs up!  If you happen to have cats in that 80% of the population that love catnip, then rush out and buy this product. Don’t waste your time on cheap, ineffective, dried catnip from large stores! 

Drawback?  Can’t think of a one!  Catnip is fun, non-addictive, and 100% natural.  The cats love it and the humans love the entertainment!  It’s like having kittens all over again!