The Feline Beeline: Why Do Cats Love Catnip?
A while back, I bought a bed for my eleven-year-old cat. It’s both functional and stylish (it has a “leather” base and leopard-print upholstery fabric), it’s just the right size to fit my cat’s body comfortably, and it came with an overstuffed cushion that puts most pillowtop mattresses to shame. As I forked over thirty bucks for my purchase, I thought, This is going to be worth every penny—no more cat hair on the couch, no more cat paws on my pillow in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have been more off-base—my cat wouldn’t go near the thing. I physically forced him into the new bed dozens of times, but the moment I thought I’d gotten him settled, he’d just sneak out and jump right back up onto the sofa. I debated selling the bed at a garage sale or just leaving it out on the sidewalk for some lucky fellow cat owner to take, but before I resorted to those desperate measures, I wanted to try one last tactic: I bought some catnip at the pet store and rubbed a little of
