Watching a cat react to catnip is to seemingly watch a cat react to a recreational drug. It makes some cats chill and others incredibly stimulated. Why this plant affects cats so powerfully is newly ...

A whiff of catnip can make mosquitoes buzz off, and now researchers know why. So researchers exposed mosquitoes and fruit flies to catnip and monitored the insects’ behavior. Fruit flies were less ...

For many cats, a mere whiff of catnip can send them into a licking, rolling, plant-shredding frenzy. Masao Miyazaki, a biologist at Iwate University in Morioka, Japan, and his colleagues analyzed the ...

Catnip, catmint, catwort, field balm -- it doesn't matter what you call Nepeta cataria. Lions, tigers, panthers, and your common domestic tabby just can't seem to get enough of this fragrant herb.

Cats go mad for catnip because chemicals released from the plant protect them against mosquitoes, according to new research. The common herb, also known by its taxonomic name Nepeta cataria, is a ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. When your feline ...

Cats act high when they're given catnip because, well, they are. Researchers say that catnip and another plant, silver vine, produce a chemical that activates their opioid reward systems. Even if you ...