It is an old farm custom to plant catnip at the perimeter of a field of grain to keep the rats away. The procedure may indeed work, because cats love catnip, and if cats are around, rats are likely to stay clear of the area.
Famous for feline fun, catnip is one herb that lives up to its legend. Cats love to eat it, smell it, roll in it, and rub every part of their bodies in it. An easy way to treat a cat to some nip is to buy organically grown dried catnip and sprinkle it in any open-topped corrugated carton, the kind you get from the supermarket. Cut little peek-out holes in the sides of the carton, and the cat will leap in to play and enjoy some nip without making a total mess of the room. To choose the best dried catnip, smell it first. If it has no aroma, the cat won't be attracted to it.
Catnip is especially effective with sick and elderly cats who refuse to eat. Many such cats have at last been enticed to dine when fresh or dried catnip leaves are stirred into wet cat food or meat based baby food.
What attracts cats to catnip is a volatile oil that contains compounds similar to those that make the herb valerian a sedative. This may be why some people find drinking catnip tea to be soothing and relaxing. To make a cup, steep one teaspoon of dried catnip in one cup of boiling water, cover for four minutes, strain and then sip.
Catnip seeds look like poppy seeds and can be substituted for them by using the same amount in recipes. Their slightly minty flavor adds a nice accent to quick breads, pastry fillings, and muffins.
Fresh catnip leaves, which taste like very strong mint, can add robustness to green salads. The early Romans used them more generously, but start out with a tablespoon of fresh leaves for each serving of greens, then dress with olive oil and lemon juice.
