10 Best Catnips in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

Cats are mysterious creatures. They love to pounce, chase, and hide, just like their ancestors of old. You never really know what they are going to want or what things they will ignore completely.

Catnip has been known for hundreds of years as their playtime kryptonite. Their response to it is hereditary, and about 70-80% of cats have a strong reaction to catnip.

Catnip is one of the only drugs that we commonly give our pets. Cats tend to get excited, rub their faces in it, drool, or race around the room. The plant contains volatile oils that create this reaction. It is known to be non-addictive and completely harmless.

One of these oils, nepetalactone, enters the cat through their nasal tissue. The brain creates an immediate response to it, one that is slightly different for almost any cat. If you need something to get your cat off the couch or get them interested in an old toy, consider one of these best catnips.

A Quick Glance at Our Favorites of 2023

The 10 Best Catnips

1. OurPets Cosmic Catnip — Best Overall

The OurPets company has grown its catnip in a way that brings out its strongest features. OurPets Cosmic Catnip is extremely aromatic and retains these long-lasting scents through many a playtime with your kitty.

OurPets pick and dry its catnip in a way that preserves the catnip’s most desirable aspects for a cat. Pinch it to release more of the aroma held up in the leaves and flowers of the dried herb. It promises to drive your cats wild.

There have been complaints concerning the way that the herb is picked and cleaned in this product. Watch out for thorns and long stems that could present a choking hazard.

Catnip should always be 100% natural because it is a naturally-occurring herb. OurPets gives you just that with their completely natural and safe product. Use it, put it in a toy, sprinkle it on food, or rub it into their scratch post. It is grown in North America.

All in all, we think this is the strongest catnip and best catnip for cats available this year.

2. Multipet Catnip Garden Catnip Bag — Best Value

Is your cat sinking into laziness — or at least more than a cat normally would? Multipet Catnip Garden Catnip Bag can stimulate your furry friend in a way to get them going and keep them up for a while. The catnip is picked and dried. To use it, sprinkle it whenever your cat likes to hang out. The sweet aroma is one that most cats find irresistible.

To maintain the desired freshness of the herb, Multipet stores it in a resealable bag. Once you open it, though, it is recommended to use it consistently and then seal it back up right away. There are two size options, 0.5 ounces to 1 ounce, so choose depending on how quickly your cat will work through it.

This catnip is produced in North America and thus has a short shipping time. It is 100% natural and entirely made from catnip. It is one of the best catnips for the money.

3. Catit Catnip Garden — Premium Choice

Our kitties are often as close to our hearts as our other family members are. If you will only accept the best for your feline, Catit Catnip Garden is a product worth considering. It is our premium option because it is more expensive than most, but many customers and kitties would say that it is worth it.

Catit grows its catnip without any pesticides to keep it as safe as possible for your pet. Beyond that, the catnip is 100% organic, healthier for both your cat and the environment.

This catnip comes in a sealed plastic container to keep it fresh and ready. To renew your pet’s interest in toys, an area, or a scratching post, simply sprinkle this ‘nip on it. It is a non-addictive substance and harmless to your pet, and they will love it.

When it comes to premium options, we think this is the best catnip for cats.

4. Yeowww! Organic Catnip

Yeowww! sources their catnip from farmers who grow it the best. Yeowww! Organic Catnip is certified organic as well, so you can take comfort in knowing that it is safe from chemicals of any kind. The blend is signature to the company.

Many issues that cat owners experience with catnip producers is the harvesting and packaging methods they use. The pungent parts of the catnip are its leaves and flower tops. Stems and seeds carry no value for the cats because they don’t produce the oils and aroma to which cats are so attracted.

Yeowww! only uses the leaves and tops of the flowers, so every part of the 2 ounces is useful material. Just like the name suggests, the catnip makes your cats zing, stimulating them to play. Due to the high-quality and extra effort during processing, this catnip is more expensive per ounce than other, similar products.

5. Kitty Hots Zoom Around the Room Organic Catnip

Zoom Around the Room Catnip is an organic product that undergoes a high-quality process to ensure that only leaves and flowers are used. Cats find it more than paw-fect and get hyped at even the sound of the bag being cracked open.

The bag itself is zip-sealed, and it is resealable to maintain the catnip’s freshness. To use it, put it in or on some of their favorite toys or sprinkle it around an area. The product’s name, Zoom Around the Room, comes from a cat’s tendency to be super stimulated when the aroma is released.

Kitty Hots sources all its products from North America. Even though this catnip is organic, it is more affordable than similar products, though it does come in small packets of only half an ounce.

6. Meowijuana Catnibas Rolled Catnip

Meowijuana Catnibas Rolled Catnip contains no THC or CBD. The catnip is rolled into J’s for good, clean fun. Most catnip products are only the dried and packaged form of catnip. It is messy if you want to take any of it out and give it to your cat.

The pre-rolled packages filled with premium catnip pellets keep both your feline and you happy. The catnip collected for this product is harvested at the prime point during the season when it’s producing the highest amounts of essential oils. These contain that highly-favored aroma.

Premium catnip is rolled in RAW cones, so storage and freshness are all maintained. Be careful that your cats don’t eat it, though, since it can present a choking hazard. The catnip in Meowijuana is organic, grown, and harvested within the United States.

7. Petlinks Pure Bliss Organic Catnip

Petlinks has plenty of high-quality products for our beloved animals. The Petlinks Pure Bliss Organic Catnip is up there with the best of them. It comes in a range of sizes, packed into jars or resealable bags.

Pure, organic catnip makes up the entirety of this product. It is all-natural and non-toxic to give your furry feline a burst of energy. It comes dried. Sprinkle it around their favorite hangouts, or put it in one of their toys.

The entire process is free of chemicals to keep your kitty safe. The packaging is meant to keep the herb fresh for as long as possible. The jars don’t seem to seal as well as the standard bags for most customers.

8. SynergyLabs Xtreme Catnip

SynergyLabs has adapted growing methods to reap the best harvest possible. They grow their catnip in high elevations in North America. These increased heights keep the plant smaller in height and more focused on flower production due to the shorter growing season.

The result of this is the increased production of catnip oil. SynergyLabs Xtreme Catnip‘s ingredients are 100% natural catnip. The pouch is small but resealable. There are two sizing options: 0.5-ounce and 1-ounce.

To use this natural product, entice your cats by sprinkling it on or in their favorite toys. If they are finicky eaters, mix a small amount in their food. The zip-lock pouch is resealable and keeps it fresh.

9. From the Field Ultimate Blend Catnip

From the Fields hasn’t just focused on producing some of the best catnip on the market. It has a blended pure catnip with silvervine. Silvervine is a fruit related to the kiwi that is lesser-known but has a more intense effect than even catnip.

The From the Field Ultimate Blend Catnip ends up being more potent than catnip itself, meaning that this product often entices cats that don’t exhibit a significant interest in catnip. You also have to use less to get an equal reaction to that of catnip.

From the Fields source both their catnip and silvervine from growers in the U.S.A. It is tested to ensure its safety for your cat. The container that the product comes in is a brittle plastic. For better freshness, try to store it in a resealable bag.

10. Petlinks Hypernip Silvervine & Catnip Blend

Petlinks has taken advantage of the combined potential of silvervine with catnip. The Petlinks Hypernip Silvervine & Catnip Blend container options come in two sizes: .75 ounces and 1.25 ounces. The company markets it like a cat’s version of a coffee product, giving them a boost of energy and attracting them to items that they might not have typically been interested in.

It forages and imports their silvervine from the mountain areas in Japan and China. It has a strong effect on cats that is just as safe and natural as that of catnip.

Hypernip is a dried product made from all-natural products. It can be useful to use for cats that don’t typically respond to catnip.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Catnip

When it comes to buying products for your pets, it often comes down to how it works and the quality of the materials used. When you buy something like this that has a shelf life, there are numerous other factors to consider. Each part of a company’s process can impact the quality of herbs, as well as their potency and longevity.

Harvesting and Packaging Form

There are multiple different forms that catnip comes in, including fresh, dried, and sprays. The more potent that a product is, the more your cat will be attracted to it, and the longer the product should last.

Dried catnip is the most common form and encompasses all the products on our list above. It tends to pack the most punch because it lasts the longest and isolates some of the oils as it dries. It is also the cheapest option per ounce. Keep it sealed, cool, and dry, and it should last for a long time, sometimes years.

You can grow fresh catnip or buy it fresh from a greenhouse. The oils are the freshest, although they are a bit harder to use and don’t last long compared to the dried form. The name of the specific catnip is Nepeta cataria.

The last form is a spray. Most cats don’t prefer this against the choice of dried or fresh ‘nip. Sprays are most commonly used during training. Distract them from harmful areas that you don’t want them close to by spraying it on their scratch post or around their toy area.

Quality of Materials

For the most part, when companies have their product harvested, they dry the entire herb and the stem. Then, they hang them up or fan dry them in large batches. After the product is dry, they split the dried product up, so it is in fragments, stem and all.

The negative part of this is that the stem offers no value to the product. Oils do not produce on it, and it doesn’t develop the overall aroma of the plant.

Essentially, when you pay for an item with only leaves and flower tops that is the same size as one with stems, you are getting more for your money.

Packaging

The packaging of herbs is vital to their retained freshness. The longer that a picked herb, especially dried, is exposed to oxygen, the faster it loses its potency. It is the most convenient if you don’t have to transfer the packaging each time you buy the product. Try to find one with a reliable jar or resealable bag.

Common Terms

Be careful when reading through the common descriptions given to a catnip blend. Some manufacturers try to save themselves money by filling the product with a material that isn’t only catnip. These are often natural products. If a product doesn’t say “100% catnip” and only says “all-natural,” check the ingredients.

Sometimes, if they do supplement it, it is advertised. Common fillers include silvervine and valerian root. These both elicit strong reactions in cats.

Organic

Many cats like to eat what catnip they can get a hold of, whether sprinkled on something or in a toy. If they interact with the product consistently, ensuring their safety should be a priority.

Looking for organic catnip is a good way to ensure that your cat isn’t coming into contact with chemicals and pesticides. Usually, organic catnip is slightly more expensive. However, for many cat owners, the increased safety is well worth it.

Price

If your cat goes through a large amount of catnip, then you might not want to invest in a more expensive product that you need to buy frequently. However, a higher price can also buy you higher quality, perhaps without stems included or produced organically.

Quantity

Looking at the price includes thinking about how much you get for the cost. Consider how fast your cat goes through their catnip. You don’t want to get something too large and have it go stale before you get around to using it all.

Final Verdict

Spoiling your kitty is half of the fun of having such a cute feline friend. Getting them to play around and engage with you is also rewarding. Most people don’t take their cats out for walks and extra exercise. If you need a way to get them active again, especially as they age, catnip offers a good solution.

If you are looking to kick them into overdrive, going with a tried-and-true product like OurPets Cosmic Catnip works well. Is this your first time trying out catnip with your cat? You might want to opt for a cheaper option first, such as the Multipet Catnip Garden Catnip Bag.

No matter the goals you have for your cat, catnip is a healthy, non-addictive way to engage them. You may have to try more than one type out since some cats are pickier than others.

Featured Image Credit: Doug McLean, Shutterstock