Cats are mysterious creatures. They have almost 100 distinct noises to communicate with, yet they nearly never know whether they want to go in or out of the house.
Even if they get lost, they’ll find their way back after years, even if it’s 100 kilometers away. Their urine shines in the dark, they can hear ultrasonic noises, and they only meow to direct their people. It’s no surprise the Egyptians revered cats as goddesses.
When they find catnip in the garden, even the most serious cats go insane. This plant has an unpleasant odor that makes people itch. They start by sniffing and nibbling on the mint, then rub it in, and then roll in it until they’re completely high.
In fact, scientists have discovered that the plant’s nepetalactone acts similarly to a euphoric drug. So, are cats entirely human?
No, it appears that the cunning cats are one step ahead of us once again. According to a recent study published in the journal iScience, it’s not just about the mundane high. Through a complex biological mechanism, the pleasurable substances also repel insects. The amount of the chemical produced by the plant rose dramatically when the cats rolled in it, according to the researchers.
Cat ecstasy is also an extremely powerful biological repellent for mosquitoes and fleas, and the animals are likely to intentionally impregnate themselves with it. Is it true that rolling in catnip protects you from mosquito bites? Well, you’d have to ask a cat for advice.