Whether it’s a cuddly or rustling cushion, cuddly animal, ball, cuddly roll, toy mouse, a mint-filled, tooth-friendly dental-stick or in other designs: there’s the right catmint toy for every cat. And the scent is magical. This is especially true for sexually mature cats, as the plant contains the ingredient actinidine, among other things. Female, unneutered cats excrete this substance with their urine. That’s why cats in particular seem to be attracted heavily to cat mints and plants with similar scents. This usually also applies to neutered cats. However, the effect is less pronounced in young cats who are not yet sexually mature or very old cats. Of course, this does not mean that these house cats do not really appreciate a fine catmint toy. After all, it is not only the scent that should be attractive, but also the playing device itself that convinces.
It is best if you let your cat play outdoors with scent toys because for us humans the smell of valerian and catnip can be quite intense – especially when high doses are present, for example, with some valerian or catmint cushions. If the catmint toy is used in the apartment, it is best to store it in an airtight plastic bag and ventilate the room properly.