The MGS Forum
Miscellaneous => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Alice on February 28, 2013, 06:16:34 PM
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Each following morning the cat tracks have headed straight to the T.marum., commonly known as Cat Thyme. The poor plant has no leaves left, even though I thought it was well protected by netting. Clever creatures, cats. How could the plant ever survive in its natural habitat?
I reluctantly gave up on Teucrium marum. Even planted among the strongest smelling herbs the cats immediately sussed it out as you've described. And the big toms rolling about started to destroy the neighbouring plants too.
Thank you for that information, Joanna and Fleur. I didn't know that cats were attracted to Teucrium marum. I will have to provide a shrub for our part-time cat on Paros!
Interestingly whenever I have tried offering catnip to cats in Greece they have not shown the slightest interest. I understand that only about 80% of cats react to it and susceptibility is gene-linked. Knowing that the responsible chemical in catnip (Nepeta cataria) was nepetalactone I did a little online research and discovered that the volatile substances emitted by Teucrium marum were: dolichodial, bergamotene, caryophyllene, dolicholactone, bisabolene, estragole and sesquiphellandrene (Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 2013, 28 (1), pp 14-24). Dolicholactone and nepetalactone are both non-glycosidid iridoids and their chemical structures are very similar, indicating that they might act at the same receptor (in the vomeronasal organ above the feline palate - this is your territory, Jorun) and that dolicholactone is the cat-attractant chemical in T. marum. I wonder, would cats that don't react to N. cataria also not react to T. marum?
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We had one cat which would get intoxicated by cat-thyme and we had to drag her off it;when she died we planted cuttings on her grave which grew into nice little bushes. Our second cat enjoys it but not to the same extent. I've heard that some peopel plant it in hanging baskets to keep it away from the moggies ;D
cheers
fermi
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Fermi, That's an idea - but click on this picture (http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5021/5629839303_eff96f3ae2_z.jpg)! ;)
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Brilliant photo Alisdair.
It gave me the giggles. ;D ;D ;D
Daisy :)
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Obviously no easy answer to this problem ::)
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Found a soft comfortable hanging bed to enjoy its fix, perhaps...?
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Catmint in my mother's garden in the North of England.
The neighbour's cat spent most of the afternoon asleep in its shade.
Mother, catmint and I suppose cat, McDuff, all long gone.
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Na ziseis na tous thymasai, Hilary
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(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss112/daisyincrete/IMG_4709.jpg)
My cat, above has never shown any interest in my catmint.
However, we have a temporary lodger, Mavros, our friends cat.
They are in England, for four months.
He loves the catmint, but, even more, he loves the Calamintha nepetoides.
He makes a beeline for it all the time. He plays in it, lays in it and sleeps in it.
Any attempt to get him off of it is futile.
I don't know what he will think when I put souvlaki skewers all through it ;D
Daisy :)
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This topic seems to have flushed the cat lovers out!
Daisy, your cat is gorgeous. What is her/his name?
Here is Cephus, sleeping on a bed of straw in the shade of an olive tree.
Apart from the already mentioned Nepeta cataria (catnip, catmint), Teucrium marum (cat thyme) and Calamintha nepetoides (lesser calamint), other plants which some cats love or which contain cat-attracting chemicals are: Valeriana officinalis (valerian) - strange, considering it stinks of dirty socks - , Actinidia polygama (silver vine), Menyanthes trifoliata (buckbean, bog-bean), the parasitic Boschniakia rossica, Tecoma stans, Campsis radicans, Viburnum opulus (guelder rose), Origanum dictamnus (Cretan dittany), Nemophilla menziesii (baby blue eyes), Lippia javanica (Cape verbena), Nepeta nepetella, Valeriana phu, V. celtica (Alpine valerian) and the wood of Lonicera tatarica (Tatarian honeysuckle).
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Alice, you said "...Valeriana officinalis (valerian) - strange, considering it stinks of dirty socks..."
but that might explain something I'd never understood, which is why cats so often rub themselves against my ankles?
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Another proof, Alisdair?
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Nice one, Alice!