Catnip

What Is Catnip?

Catnip is an aromatic perennial of the mint family, known for the playful response it sets off in many cats. In people it is a gentle herbal tea, taken for restlessness, indigestion and colic, and hot to bring on a sweat during a cold.

Nepeta cataria is native to Europe and western and central Asia, and it has naturalised across much of the temperate world ^{24,25,26Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 25HedgeHedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria L. — species description and distribution — flora. In Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 26North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Nepeta cataria (catmint, catnip) — cultivation referenceView study →}. It grows up to 1.5 m, with soft, heart-shaped leaves and small white flowers spotted with purple ^{24Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →}.

Its essential oil is usually dominated by nepetalactone, the compound that excites cats and repels insects ^{2,11Reference 2Melo N et al. · 2021In vitroThe irritant receptor TRPA1 mediates the mosquito repellent effect of catnip — [in vitro / in vivo mechanism]View study →Reference 11Zomorodian K et al. · 2012In vitroChemical composition and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil from Nepeta cataria L. against common causes of food-borne infections — [in vitro]View study →}. Research has focused on the oil as an insect repellent, which has been tested in human field trials. Studies of its calming and digestive effects are limited to animals and isolated tissue ^{1,9,16,17Reference 1Batume C et al. · 2026Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda — [field study, human]View study →Reference 9Gilani AH et al. · 2009Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. — [isolated-tissue pharmacology]View study →Reference 16Harney JW et al. · 1978AnimalBehavioral and toxicological studies of cyclopentanoid monoterpenes from Nepeta cataria — [animal in vivo]View study →Reference 17Massoco CO et al. · 1995AnimalBehavioral effects of acute and long-term administration of catnip (Nepeta cataria) in mice — [animal in vivo]View study →}.

The sleep and anxiety trials sometimes credited to catnip used a different Persian species, Nepeta menthoides ^{20,21Reference 20Ranjbar M et al. · 2018RCTEfficacy of a combination of Melissa officinalis L. and Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse on insomnia: a triple-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial — [human RCT (different species)]View study →Reference 21Firoozabadi A et al. · 2016RCTEfficacy of Nepeta menthoides Boiss and Buhse freeze-dried aqueous extract on anxiety of patients with depression: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial — [human RCT (different species)]View study →}.

How Is Catnip Used?

• Tea — the dried leaf and flowering tops, steeped in a covered cup. This is the main medicinal preparation.
• Essential oil — distilled from the aerial parts and made into skin lotions and sprays that repel mosquitoes and other biting insects ^{1,5Reference 1Batume C et al. · 2026Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda — [field study, human]View study →Reference 5Batume C et al. · 2024In vitroEvaluating repellence properties of catnip essential oil against the mosquito species Aedes aegypti using a Y-tube olfactometer — [in vitro bioassay]View study →}.
• Kitchen herb — the minty leaves can be added to soups, stews and sauces ^{26Reference 26North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Nepeta cataria (catmint, catnip) — cultivation referenceView study →}.

Traditional Uses

Western Herbal Medicine

The medicinal part is the dried leaf and flowering top, taken almost always as an infusion. The leaf is rich in volatile oil, so it is steeped covered rather than boiled.

Catnip is a gentle nervine and carminative. It is a calming tea for nervous tension, restlessness and light sleeplessness, and a remedy for an upset stomach, wind and colic. Taken hot during a cold or fever, it is used as a diaphoretic to bring on a sweat.

It is one of the traditional herbs for children: for colic ^{24Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →}, for teething fretfulness and for a feverish night.

It also appears in herbal smoking blends for its mild relaxing quality.

Indications

• Restlessness, nervous tension and light sleeplessness [leaf and flowering tops; Western herbal medicine] ⚠Caution: In mice, catnip oil lengthened barbiturate-induced sleep in one study, and whole catnip in the diet shortened it in another. The human sleep and anxiety trials often credited to catnip used a different species, Nepeta menthoides ^16,17,20,21.
• Indigestion, wind and colic [leaf and flowering tops; Western herbal medicine]
• Infant colic and teething fretfulness [leaf and flowering tops; Western herbal medicine]
• Colds and fevers, to bring on a sweat [hot infusion; Western herbal medicine]
• Insect and tick repellent [essential oil, on the skin]

Botany

Catnip is an upright herbaceous perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Its square stems grow 40–150 cm tall and are covered in fine white hairs ^{24,25Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 25HedgeHedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria L. — species description and distribution — flora. In Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200019873View study →}.

The leaves are ovate to triangular and heart-shaped at the base, 2.5–7 cm long, with coarsely toothed margins. They are yellow-green on top and whitish and softly hairy underneath ^{24Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →}.

The flowers grow in whorled clusters that form loose spikes at the tops of the stems. Each flower is small and two-lipped, 6–8 mm long, and white with purple spots on the lower lip ^{24,25,26Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 25HedgeHedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria L. — species description and distribution — flora. In Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 26North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Nepeta cataria (catmint, catnip) — cultivation referenceView study →}. Catnip flowers from late spring to early autumn, and the fruits are small nutlets about 1.5 mm long ^{24,25,26Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 25HedgeHedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria L. — species description and distribution — flora. In Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 26North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Nepeta cataria (catmint, catnip) — cultivation referenceView study →}.

Catnip is often confused with the garden catmint, Nepeta × faassenii ^{26Reference 26North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Nepeta cataria (catmint, catnip) — cultivation referenceView study →}.

Distribution

Catnip grows wild across most of Europe and in southwestern and central Asia, including the Himalayas ^{25Reference 25HedgeHedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria L. — species description and distribution — flora. In Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200019873View study →}. It has been introduced to many other parts of the world and is naturalised throughout North America ^{25,26Reference 25HedgeHedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria L. — species description and distribution — flora. In Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200019873View study →Reference 26North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Nepeta cataria (catmint, catnip) — cultivation referenceView study →}.

In China it is cultivated in many provinces, where it grows in thickets and around houses at up to 2,500 m ^{24Reference 24Li et al.Li, X.-w., & Hedge, I. C. Nepeta cataria Linnaeus — species description, habitat and uses — flora. In Flora of China, Vol. 17. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019873View study →}. It readily escapes from gardens and can become weedy ^{26Reference 26North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Nepeta cataria (catmint, catnip) — cultivation referenceView study →}.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Catnip

Lifeherbaceous perennialZoneUSDA 3–9

Sunfull sun to part shade; some afternoon shade helps in hot, humid summers.

Soilmost soils, as long as they drain well. It tolerates drought, dry soil and air pollution once established.

Habitfast-growing and low-maintenance. It spreads by self-seeding and can become weedy, so a container keeps it in check. Propagate by division or seed.

Grow it yourself

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Pharmacology & Research

Most research on catnip concerns its essential oil as an insect repellent. That work has reached human field trials and has a defined mechanism in insects ^{1,2Reference 1Batume C et al. · 2026Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda — [field study, human]View study →Reference 2Melo N et al. · 2021In vitroThe irritant receptor TRPA1 mediates the mosquito repellent effect of catnip — [in vitro / in vivo mechanism]View study →}. The spasmolytic, liver-protective, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory findings come from isolated tissue, rodents and cell-free assays.

No randomised controlled trial has tested Nepeta cataria for any internal use in people.

1. Insect & Arthropod Repellent

This is the one use of catnip tested in people. In a field trial in eastern Uganda using the human landing catch method, a lotion with 6% catnip essential oil (over 92% nepetalactone) repelled mosquitoes as well as 15% DEET, and a 2% lotion was also highly effective ^{1Reference 1Batume C et al. · 2026Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda — [field study, human]View study →}.

Earlier laboratory work pointed the same way. In a WHO-approved topical bioassay, catnip oil repelled the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae about as well as DEET, and was less active against Culex quinquefasciatus. It also repelled brown ear ticks in a climbing assay and reduced red poultry mite catches in field traps ^{3Reference 3Birkett MA et al. · 2011Repellent activity of catmint, Nepeta cataria, and iridoid nepetalactone isomers against Afro-tropical mosquitoes, ixodid ticks and red poultry mites — [WHO topical bioassay]View study →}.

Catnip was among the five most effective of 41 essential oils tested on human skin, giving up to 8 hours of protection ^{4Reference 4Amer A et al. · 2006Repellency effect of forty-one essential oils against Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes — [human-skin bioassay]View study →}.

In a Y-tube olfactometer, oil diluted to 2% repelled more than 70% of Aedes aegypti for one to four hours ^{5Reference 5Batume C et al. · 2024In vitroEvaluating repellence properties of catnip essential oil against the mosquito species Aedes aegypti using a Y-tube olfactometer — [in vitro bioassay]View study →}.

In laboratory bioassays, 20 mg of the oil repelled 96% of stable flies and 79% of houseflies ^{6Reference 6Zhu JJ et al. · 2009Efficacy and safety of catnip (Nepeta cataria) as a novel filth fly repellent — [laboratory bioassay + acute toxicity]View study →}.

One comparison went the other way. When applied to the skin of volunteers, catnip oil and its nepetalactones deterred Aedes aegypti bites significantly less well than DEET ^{7Reference 7Chauhan KR et al. · 2005Clinical trialFeeding deterrent effects of catnip oil components compared with two synthetic amides against Aedes aegypti — [comparative bioassay, human volunteers]View study →}.

The mechanism is defined. Nepetalactone activates the irritant receptor TRPA1 in flies and mosquitoes, and TRPA1-mutant insects are no longer repelled. Catnip does not activate human TRPA1 ^{2Reference 2Melo N et al. · 2021In vitroThe irritant receptor TRPA1 mediates the mosquito repellent effect of catnip — [in vitro / in vivo mechanism]View study →}.

Repellency depends on the chemotype. Against ticks, only the nepetalactone-rich oil of the varieties tested gave strong repellency ^{8Reference 8Amiro M et al. · 2026In vitroChemical composition matters! The role of nepetalactone isomers in tick repellency — [in vitro / electrophysiology]View study →}.

All of this is topical use against insects. It says nothing about internal medicinal use.

2. Spasmolytic & Antispasmodic

In isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea-pig trachea, N. cataria essential oil relaxed spontaneous and high-potassium contractions and shifted calcium dose–response curves to the right, indicating calcium-channel blockade. It also potentiated isoprenaline in a papaverine-like pattern, indicating phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibition ^{9Reference 9Gilani AH et al. · 2009Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. — [isolated-tissue pharmacology]View study →}.

The oil studied was a 1,8-cineole-rich chemotype (1,8-cineole 21%, α-humulene 14%, α-pinene 10%, geranyl acetate 8%), not a nepetalactone-dominant one ^{9Reference 9Gilani AH et al. · 2009Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. — [isolated-tissue pharmacology]View study →}. It depressed isolated heart muscle only at 25–80 times higher concentrations ^{9Reference 9Gilani AH et al. · 2009Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. — [isolated-tissue pharmacology]View study →}.

The authors read the dual calcium-channel and PDE action as a basis for the traditional use in colic, diarrhoea, cough and asthma ^{9Reference 9Gilani AH et al. · 2009Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. — [isolated-tissue pharmacology]View study →}.

Gap: the active oil was a 1,8-cineole chemotype, different in composition from the nepetalactone-rich material usually sold as catnip. This is one isolated-tissue study, with no whole-animal or human confirmation.

3. Hepatoprotective

A single animal study found that essential oil of N. cataria, extracted with supercritical CO₂, significantly reduced acetaminophen-induced liver damage ^{10Reference 10Tan J et al. · 2019AnimalHepatoprotective effect of essential oils of Nepeta cataria L. on acetaminophen-induced liver dysfunction — [animal in vivo]View study →}. The oil raised expression of the Phase II conjugating enzymes (UGTs and SULTs) and inhibited CYP2E1, the enzyme that forms acetaminophen’s toxic intermediate. Nrf-2 activation may be involved ^{10Reference 10Tan J et al. · 2019AnimalHepatoprotective effect of essential oils of Nepeta cataria L. on acetaminophen-induced liver dysfunction — [animal in vivo]View study →}.

This is one preclinical study, with no replication and no human data. The same CYP2E1 and UGT/SULT effects are also a possible drug-metabolism interaction, not yet studied in people.

4. Antimicrobial

Catnip essential oil shows consistent antimicrobial activity in vitro. Oils from three harvest stages, each rich in nepetalactone, inhibited common food-borne pathogens at 0.125–2 µL/mL ^{11Reference 11Zomorodian K et al. · 2012In vitroChemical composition and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil from Nepeta cataria L. against common causes of food-borne infections — [in vitro]View study →}.

A 2024 study found activity against canine skin pathogens, including Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Malassezia pachydermatis and several dermatophytes, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.0625–4 mg/mL. Electron microscopy and leakage assays showed the oil disrupting microbial cell membranes ^{12Reference 12Borlace GN et al. · 2024In vitroAntimicrobial effects of catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) essential oil against canine skin infection pathogens — [in vitro]View study →}.

Profiling of methanol, ethanol, water, acetone and hexane extracts identified 247 known and 127 unidentified metabolites, and the extracts inhibited a panel of microbes ^{13Reference 13Nadeem A et al. · 2022In vitroPhytochemical profiling of antimicrobial and potential antioxidant plant: Nepeta cataria — [in vitro (GC/MS, DPPH, ORAC)]View study →}.

Gap: every result uses the essential oil or a concentrated extract. The water infusion people drink was not tested, and nothing here has been tested clinically.

5. Antioxidant

Antioxidant activity is modest and measured only in vitro. Across solvent extracts of N. cataria, the acetone extract gave the highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity, and the ethanol extract had twice the ORAC value of the methanol extract ^{13Reference 13Nadeem A et al. · 2022In vitroPhytochemical profiling of antimicrobial and potential antioxidant plant: Nepeta cataria — [in vitro (GC/MS, DPPH, ORAC)]View study →}.

A separate study reported 63% radical scavenging at 5,000 µg/mL, but it tested silver nanoparticles made with catnip extract rather than the extract itself ^{14Reference 14Sari BR et al. · 2025AnimalSuperior in vivo wound-healing activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles with Nepeta cataria (catnip) on excision wound model in rat — [animal in vivo (nanoparticle-confounded)]View study →}.

These are assay results only, with no cellular or in-vivo endpoint.

6. Anti-Inflammatory

Activity-guided fractionation of catnip and wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) isolated three caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides, including verbascoside and teupolioside. They inhibited calcineurin, a key regulator of T-cell-mediated inflammation, both with and without calmodulin ^{15Reference 15Prescott TA et al. · 2011In vitroDirect inhibition of calcineurin by caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides from Teucrium chamaedrys and Nepeta cataria — [in vitro, isolated compounds]View study →}.

Calcineurin is also the target of drugs such as ciclosporin. The work was done on purified compounds in a biochemical assay, and no study has shown that a catnip preparation delivers enough of these glycosides to act in the body.

7. Sedative & Mild CNS

The animal data point in opposite directions. In mice, catnip oil (500 mg/kg) and nepetalic acid lengthened hexobarbital-induced sleep, and in rats the oil and its fractions reduced performance on an avoidance task ^{16Reference 16Harney JW et al. · 1978AnimalBehavioral and toxicological studies of cyclopentanoid monoterpenes from Nepeta cataria — [animal in vivo]View study →}. In a later study, mice fed catnip as 10% of their diet showed more locomotion, rearing and stereotyped behaviour, greater seizure susceptibility and shorter pentobarbital-induced sleep, which the authors described as an amphetamine-like effect ^{17Reference 17Massoco CO et al. · 1995AnimalBehavioral effects of acute and long-term administration of catnip (Nepeta cataria) in mice — [animal in vivo]View study →}.

The human insomnia and anxiety trials often cited for catnip used Nepeta menthoides, a different Persian species. The insomnia trial combined it with lemon balm, and the anxiety trial compared it with sertraline ^{20,21Reference 20Ranjbar M et al. · 2018RCTEfficacy of a combination of Melissa officinalis L. and Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse on insomnia: a triple-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial — [human RCT (different species)]View study →Reference 21Firoozabadi A et al. · 2016RCTEfficacy of Nepeta menthoides Boiss and Buhse freeze-dried aqueous extract on anxiety of patients with depression: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial — [human RCT (different species)]View study →}.

Catnip’s excitatory effect on cats does not occur in people, and its nepetalactone does not activate the human TRPA1 receptor that mediates its effect on insects ^{2Reference 2Melo N et al. · 2021In vitroThe irritant receptor TRPA1 mediates the mosquito repellent effect of catnip — [in vitro / in vivo mechanism]View study →}.

Gap: the rodent data contradict each other, and the human trials used a different species. The calming reputation rests on traditional use.

Mechanisms

Nepetalactone is an iridoid that activates the TRPA1 irritant receptor in insects. This accounts for its repellent effect, and it does not activate the human form of the receptor ^{2Reference 2Melo N et al. · 2021In vitroThe irritant receptor TRPA1 mediates the mosquito repellent effect of catnip — [in vitro / in vivo mechanism]View study →}.

The findings relevant to human use come from other constituents. A cineole-rich oil blocked calcium channels and phosphodiesterase in gut and airway tissue ^{9Reference 9Gilani AH et al. · 2009Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. — [isolated-tissue pharmacology]View study →}, and verbascoside inhibited calcineurin in a biochemical assay ^{15Reference 15Prescott TA et al. · 2011In vitroDirect inhibition of calcineurin by caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides from Teucrium chamaedrys and Nepeta cataria — [in vitro, isolated compounds]View study →}.

Clinical Trials

No registered clinical trial of Nepeta cataria for any internal use was identified. The one human study is a field trial of the essential oil as a mosquito repellent ^{1Reference 1Batume C et al. · 2026Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda — [field study, human]View study →}. The insomnia and anxiety trials sometimes attributed to catnip used Nepeta menthoides ^{20,21Reference 20Ranjbar M et al. · 2018RCTEfficacy of a combination of Melissa officinalis L. and Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse on insomnia: a triple-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial — [human RCT (different species)]View study →Reference 21Firoozabadi A et al. · 2016RCTEfficacy of Nepeta menthoides Boiss and Buhse freeze-dried aqueous extract on anxiety of patients with depression: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial — [human RCT (different species)]View study →}.

Human (therapeutic)	Human (topical repellent)	Ongoing	Preclinical
0	1	0	~20+

Last checked: July 2026.

Phytochemistry

In nepetalactone-rich oils, the two main nepetalactone isomers together make up roughly 85–97% of the oil ^{3,11,12Reference 3Birkett MA et al. · 2011Repellent activity of catmint, Nepeta cataria, and iridoid nepetalactone isomers against Afro-tropical mosquitoes, ixodid ticks and red poultry mites — [WHO topical bioassay]View study →Reference 11Zomorodian K et al. · 2012In vitroChemical composition and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil from Nepeta cataria L. against common causes of food-borne infections — [in vitro]View study →Reference 12Borlace GN et al. · 2024In vitroAntimicrobial effects of catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) essential oil against canine skin infection pathogens — [in vitro]View study →}. Caryophyllene is the other major component, at about 2–13% ^{3,12Reference 3Birkett MA et al. · 2011Repellent activity of catmint, Nepeta cataria, and iridoid nepetalactone isomers against Afro-tropical mosquitoes, ixodid ticks and red poultry mites — [WHO topical bioassay]View study →Reference 12Borlace GN et al. · 2024In vitroAntimicrobial effects of catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) essential oil against canine skin infection pathogens — [in vitro]View study →}. The ratio of the two nepetalactone isomers differs between chemotypes and affects repellency ^{3,8Reference 3Birkett MA et al. · 2011Repellent activity of catmint, Nepeta cataria, and iridoid nepetalactone isomers against Afro-tropical mosquitoes, ixodid ticks and red poultry mites — [WHO topical bioassay]View study →Reference 8Amiro M et al. · 2026In vitroChemical composition matters! The role of nepetalactone isomers in tick repellency — [in vitro / electrophysiology]View study →}.

Other catnip oils contain little or no nepetalactone. A Bulgarian cultivated oil was dominated by citronellol (26%), geraniol (16%), neral (11%) and nerol ^{18Reference 18Mollova S et al. · 2023Chemical composition of essential oils from Nepeta transcaucasica Grossh. and Nepeta cataria L. cultivated in Bulgaria — [analytical]View study →}. Other oils are rich in 1,8-cineole and α-humulene ^{9Reference 9Gilani AH et al. · 2009Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. — [isolated-tissue pharmacology]View study →}, or in α-pinene and menthone ^{8Reference 8Amiro M et al. · 2026In vitroChemical composition matters! The role of nepetalactone isomers in tick repellency — [in vitro / electrophysiology]View study →}. A commercial oil separated by distillation yielded about 40% nepetalactone and 43% nepetalic acid ^{16Reference 16Harney JW et al. · 1978AnimalBehavioral and toxicological studies of cyclopentanoid monoterpenes from Nepeta cataria — [animal in vivo]View study →}.

The leaf also contains the caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside verbascoside ^{15Reference 15Prescott TA et al. · 2011In vitroDirect inhibition of calcineurin by caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides from Teucrium chamaedrys and Nepeta cataria — [in vitro, isolated compounds]View study →}.

Constituent Summary

Amounts are shares of the essential oil and vary with chemotype.

Dosage

Catnip is taken as a tea of the dried leaf and flowering tops, steeped covered and drunk freely for restlessness or an upset stomach. No clinical trial has set a dose.

The essential oil is used on the skin as an insect repellent. The field and laboratory trials used lotions of 2–6% oil ^{1,5Reference 1Batume C et al. · 2026Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda — [field study, human]View study →Reference 5Batume C et al. · 2024In vitroEvaluating repellence properties of catnip essential oil against the mosquito species Aedes aegypti using a Y-tube olfactometer — [in vitro bioassay]View study →}.

Safety & Pregnancy

Catnip has low toxicity. Very large doses of the tea can upset the stomach, and its mild relaxing effect may add to sedatives.

Full Safety & Interactions Detail

Acute toxicity. In rats, the oral LD50 of catnip essential oil was 2,710–3,160 mg/kg and the dermal LD50 was over 5,000 mg/kg. The oil was a moderate skin irritant in rabbits and practically non-irritating to the eye ^{6Reference 6Zhu JJ et al. · 2009Efficacy and safety of catnip (Nepeta cataria) as a novel filth fly repellent — [laboratory bioassay + acute toxicity]View study →}. An older mouse study gave an LD50 of 1,300 mg/kg for the oil ^{16Reference 16Harney JW et al. · 1978AnimalBehavioral and toxicological studies of cyclopentanoid monoterpenes from Nepeta cataria — [animal in vivo]View study →}.

Very large doses. Very large amounts of the tea can cause nausea, vomiting or headache.

Sedatives. Its mild relaxing effect may add to the drowsiness of sedatives, alcohol or other CNS depressants.

Drug metabolism. In one animal study, catnip essential oil inhibited CYP2E1 and raised the Phase II enzymes UGT and SULT ^{10Reference 10Tan J et al. · 2019AnimalHepatoprotective effect of essential oils of Nepeta cataria L. on acetaminophen-induced liver dysfunction — [animal in vivo]View study →}. No interaction has been documented in people.

Catnip’s excitatory effect on cats does not occur in people ^{2Reference 2Melo N et al. · 2021In vitroThe irritant receptor TRPA1 mediates the mosquito repellent effect of catnip — [in vitro / in vivo mechanism]View study →}.

References

1. Batume C, et al. (2026). Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda — [field study, human]. Scientific Reports. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41832282/
2. Melo N, et al. (2021). The irritant receptor TRPA1 mediates the mosquito repellent effect of catnip — [in vitro / in vivo mechanism]. Current Biology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33667373/
3. Birkett MA, et al. (2011). Repellent activity of catmint, Nepeta cataria, and iridoid nepetalactone isomers against Afro-tropical mosquitoes, ixodid ticks and red poultry mites — [WHO topical bioassay]. Phytochemistry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21056438/
4. Amer A, & Mehlhorn H (2006). Repellency effect of forty-one essential oils against Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes — [human-skin bioassay]. Parasitology Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16642384/
5. Batume C, et al. (2024). Evaluating repellence properties of catnip essential oil against the mosquito species Aedes aegypti using a Y-tube olfactometer — [in vitro bioassay]. Scientific Reports. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38280895/
6. Zhu JJ, et al. (2009). Efficacy and safety of catnip (Nepeta cataria) as a novel filth fly repellent — [laboratory bioassay + acute toxicity]. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19712151/
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