If there’s one thing that all cats love, it’s catnip.
Catnip is a universal treat among cats and has been one of the biggest sources of entertainment for cat owners around the world.
While only 70% of cats are affected by catnip, bengal cats seem to be more reactive than other cat breeds, possibly due their hyperactive nature.
Bengals naturally have high energy levels, so when catnip is added to the mix, they can sometimes get a little wound up.
It should also be noted that bengal kittens will not react to catnip, as most bengals will only begin to react to catnip once they have reached the age of 1-2 years old.
The reaction that most cats have to catnip is positive, making it a good tool for positive reinforcement in order to reward good behavior, or just to give them a treat.
To find the best catnip for your bengal, you may need to compare multiple products to see which one is best for your cat, however the below products have been tested and reviewed for quality and should be able to get the job done!
Most Inexpensive Catnip For Bengal Cats
If you’re a bengal owner on a budget, the most inexpensive catnips to buy for your bengal are Yeoww Cat Catnip, OurPets Premium Catnip, and Cat Weed catnip.
Ounce for ounce, the Yeoww Cat catnip is sightly less expensive, however all three of these catnips are fairly similar in price and have enough catnip to last your bengal for many months.
Best Value Catnip For Bengal Cats
If you are more interested in saving money and buying a larger amount of catnip to have long term (catnip does not expire), then Frontier Co-op Catnip is likely best for you.
Frontier Co-op catnip offers 1 lb of catnip which is more than a year’s worth of catnip – enough to last your cat for it’s lifetime.
The price of this item comes out to $0.67 per oz which means you’re saving about 422% per ounce if you buy catnip by the pound.
A full pound of catnip may be a little excessive, but can make sense if you have a high consumption bengal or own several cats.
How Much Catnip Can Bengal Cats Have?
Limiting your bengals catnip consumption should not be a concern, generally, as all cats will naturally limit themselves well before their intake of catnip becomes unhealthy or dangerous.
The effects that catnip has on cats are similar to the effects of weed on humans and tend to taper off rapidly, rather than building up with time.
Of course, if your bengal is displaying symptoms of toxicity such as vomiting or diarrhea, then it should be taken seriously, however adverse reactions like this to catnip are very rare and do not lead to actual harm or danger for your feline.
How Does Catnip Affect Bengal Cats?
Catnip will usually make bengal cats hyper and alert, and in some cases, more aggressive.
The influence of catnip can either be more like a stimulant or depressant depending on how your bengal consumes it.
The key chemical compound in catnip is nepetalactone, which is responsible for its energy increasing effects.
If catnip is only smelled, then nepetalactone will act as more of a stimulant, however if catnip is eaten, nepetalactone tends to act more of a sedative, meaning the mode of consumption impacts the effects that catnip has on your cat.
Catnip is not habit forming or addictive, so there should not be any resulting behavioral issues from allowing your bengal catnip as a treat on occasion or as a positive reward.
Most of the time, catnip will just cause your cat to act ridiculous and drunk, which can be hilarious to watch and makes for sharable videos to post on the internet!
Photo attribution: source
