The adverts labelled them "Dog's Delight" and included gushing testimonials from wealthy customers. Ironically, Spratt's also promoted the fact that they were chosen to feed the sled dogs on Captain Scott's 1901 trip to the Antarctic, though we now know they would much rather have eaten seal. WE’VE GOT THE GOOD STUFF: with a 78%+ Nepetalactone content material. It’s the very best and most potent kitty dope commercially obtainable.

It’s no secret that cats love catnip. The alluring herb, also known as catnip, catmint and field balm, is irresistible to most cats. And while its effects may seem mysterious to us humans, the science behind why cats love catnip is actually pretty simple. The oils in catnip contain a chemical called nepetalactone. When cats smell nepetalactone, it binds to olfactory receptors in their nose. These receptors, in turn, trigger a neurological response that causes the cat’s euphoric behavior. There is a broad recognition that the need to be more sustainable will have a big impact on the pet food business," says Logan, who explains that the pet food company he works for has just released its own brand of insect-based pet food. Not all cats react to catnip. In fact, it’s estimated that only about 50% of cats are affected by the herb. It;s the Original catnip cigar, or banana, from Yeoww....yes? The only brand of catnip toy I bother to buy, available from

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Examples include putrescine and cadaverine, colourless chemicals produced naturally by the breakdown of proteins. They're largely responsible for the revolting smell of rotting flesh – and cats love them. While in human food, their levels are sometimes closely monitored as a way of ensuring the freshness and safety of meat, they're often actively added to cat and dog food, either as offal extracts or lab-made additives.

Hand Poured Soy Wax Candle | Gifts for Her | Vegan Candles | Candle Jars | Christmas Gifts | Cat Lover | Eco Friendly Keep collections to yourself or inspire other shoppers! Keep in mind that anyone can view public collections - they may also appear in recommendations and other places. This is where palatants come in. Because most pet foods comprise a fairly tasteless base that is spruced up with delicious flavourings and smells, pet foods made from more sustainable ingredients such as insects or soya are generally just as acceptable to carnivorous pets as the real deal. (Though cats cannot be fed a diet that is meat free.) Other insights are arguably more surprising. A recent study identified nine volatile compounds in common pet food flavourings that are linked to how delicious they are to dogs, including heptanal, nonanal, and octanal, which all have strong, fruity odours. There is no evidence to show that there are health risks associated with giving cats catnip,’ Vanessa tells us. ‘Nepetalactone, the active component of catnip has been shown not to be harmful to cats even when fed at high doses.MORE : A blind 18-year-old cat is retiring from her work as a receptionist and searching for a home In terms of safety, the only other thing you need to conscious of is that catnip can make cats want to chew (call it the munchies, if you wish) so any toys containing catnip must be safe to chew and would not cause problems if accidentally swallowed. Some cats will roll around in catnip, rub their face in it, or chew on it. Others will simply smell it and then walk away. The effects usually last for about 10 minutes before wearing off. Catnip Nugs, Catnip Buds, Catnip Nug Toys, Stoner Catnip Toys, Funny Cat Toys, Funny Stoner Gift, Catnip Toys, Fuzzy Sparkle Catnip Toys

So, why do our pets find pet food so addictive? Well, because it's been made that way. Just like us, our pets find it hard to say no to the food we have designed to be tasty. Many animals rely heavily on smell to navigate the world around them, and this is often the main sense that's targeted. While human noses contain around 50 million olfactory receptors, cats have 67 million, rabbits have 100 million and dogs have around 220 million. On the other hand, their sense of taste is generally less discriminating than ours – our relatively high density of taste receptors is thought to have evolved to help us cope with our diverse omnivorous diets.So, if catnip is not a drug, what is it? Well, catnip is actually a herb. It has been used for centuries in folk medicine as a treatment for various ailments. These days, it is mostly used as a natural way to keep cats entertained. Cat toy | Rooster feathers cat wand teaser toy | Feather cat toy | Natural cat toy | Interactive cat toy Our ranking system The TopChoice.co.uk Team selects top-of-the-line items from a wide selection and conducts rigorous evaluations on almost all the products available on the internet. We rank each product based on how well it matches our criteria. Eventually the company branched out into cat food – "Spratt's puts pussy into fine form!", they said – and the rest is history. However, the science of pet food palatants still had some way to go.