Feline curiosity regarding plants is rooted in instinctual drives and sensory stimulation. Attraction is categorized by the primary sense involved: a potent volatile scent, an appealing texture, or a perceived nutritional or digestive benefit. This interaction often echoes their wild ancestors’ need for environmental enrichment and self-medication. Understanding these mechanisms helps owners provide safe and appropriate plant interaction for their pets.
The Primary Scent Attractants
The most powerful plant attractants trigger a profound behavioral response through smell. These plants contain volatile organic compounds that mimic feline pheromones, binding to nasal receptors and activating the brain’s pleasure centers. The classic example is catnip (Nepeta cataria), which contains the chemical compound nepetalactone, a monoterpenoid that induces temporary euphoria.
The common feline response involves sniffing, licking, chewing, rubbing, and full-body rolling, typically lasting five to fifteen minutes. Approximately one-third of domestic cats do not react to nepetalactone due to a hereditary trait. For these non-responders, other plants offer a similar stimulating effect, such as silver vine (Actinidia polygama), also known as matatabi.
Silver vine contains multiple active compounds, including actinidine and dihydroactinidiolide, which are structurally distinct from nepetalactone but elicit a nearly identical euphoric reaction. Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis) also attracts certain felines, releasing actinidine and other compounds that trigger rubbing and rolling behavior. These alternative attractants are useful for enriching the environment of cats that show no interest in catnip.
Culinary and Textural Appeal
Beyond euphoric scent attractants, many cats are drawn to plants for physical and digestive reasons, seeking appealing textures to chew. This attraction is driven by the ingestion or manipulation of the plant material rather than an olfactory high. A prime example is cat grass, which refers to various cereal grains, most commonly oat, wheat, or barley grasses, grown specifically for felines.
Cats graze on these grasses to add fiber, which aids in peristalsis and helps manage hairballs by binding to indigestible material. Ingestion of grass often induces vomiting, acting as a natural mechanism for purging foreign material, including hair. Another highly attractive houseplant is the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), which draws cats with its long, ribbon-like leaves.
The dangling leaves of the spider plant appeal to a cat’s predatory instinct, encouraging batting and chewing. While non-toxic, consuming the fibrous leaves can cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some cats. Some research suggests spider plants may contain compounds that produce a mild, non-euphoric effect, further encouraging ingestion, though this is not comparable to the potent reaction caused by nepetalactone.
Safety Considerations for Attractive Plants
A cat’s instinctive drive to chew means they do not discriminate between safe and highly toxic varieties. Many common houseplants are dangerously attractive due to their stringy texture or movement, mimicking the appeal of cat grass or spider plants. Fibrous plants like Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) or Philodendron varieties contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which cause immediate and painful irritation to the mouth and throat upon chewing.
Even more hazardous are plants like lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis species), which are extremely toxic and can cause acute kidney failure from ingesting a small amount of material or pollen. Similarly, some members of the mint family, such as peppermint and spearmint, are distinct from catnip and contain essential oils toxic to cats if consumed in large quantities. Owners must also consider that any plant can be contaminated with chemical hazards. Fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides applied to garden plants or potting soil can be inadvertently ingested by a curious cat.