BuyCatnip / Safety
Is catnip harmless?
The short answer: in small amounts it is a normal treat for most cats, but too much can upset the stomach, and the toy can be a bigger risk than the herb.
What "toxic" means here
The ASPCA plant list files catnip under plants that are toxic to cats. The reason given is an upset stomach: vomiting and diarrhea when a cat eats too much. That is a different kind of warning from the plants that harm the kidneys or the heart. The practical rule is simple: small amounts, put away after play.
The bigger risk: the toy
Many catnip toys come with tassels, strings or feathers. A cat that chews a toy for the catnip inside can swallow those parts, and string-like objects are among the most common things that block a cat's gut. Check every toy before you hand it over, and see our toy check.
When to call a vet
- Vomiting or diarrhea that does not stop after the catnip is gone.
- String hanging from the mouth: do not pull it, call a vet.
- Any question about your own cat's health: your vet knows your cat.
BuyCatnip is an independent guide, not a veterinary service: for your own cat's health, ask your vet. Brand and product names, eBay included, are trademarks of their owners.
Good to know
- Too much catnip can cause vomiting and diarrhea, which is why the ASPCA lists catnip as toxic to cats.1,2
- Catnip makes some cats calm and others lively.1,3
- Kittens under about six months old usually do not react to catnip yet.4,5
- String, thread, yarn, tinsel and rubber bands are among the things cats swallow most often, and they can block the gut: keep them out of reach.6,7,8,9
How we checked this page
Checked on October 20, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Catnip, ASPCA
- What Is Catnip and What Does It Do to Cats? (Heather Hoffmann, DVM), PetMD
- Feline Fine: The Benefits of Catnip (2019), Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine
- Why Do Cats Love Catnip?, Scientific American
- What is catnip and what does it do to cats?, Cats Protection
- Linear Foreign Body in Cats, VCA Animal Hospitals
- Bowel Obstruction/Intestinal Blockage in Cats, PDSA
- Linear foreign bodies can be disastrous for cats, UF Health, University of Florida
- Cats and String: To Pull or Not to Pull, Preventive Vet