Catnip Mania

My two darlings are delighted that two large hanging planters are growing their favorite treat. These bountiful baskets have become the focus of much attention from my feline friends.

My ginger cat makes no excuses and could care less what others think of his fondness for catnip.  And yet he requests that I hold the fresh, aromatic leaf so he can nimbly bite and lick it until a bird flutters by the screen porch or a squirrel barks in protest. Then he’s gone in a puff of orange and white fur. Stanley is a recreational user.

The hard core addict is my shy girl. Any time I walk out the back door, she is now on my heels and eager to have another…another…another. She consumes huge leaves, stems and I’ve wondered what would happen if I smeared fresh juice on her orange brother. So far I cannot convince him to participate in my science experiment. Her normal behavior is to get up to sleep more. With an occasional break to eat, get brushed, and contemplate more cat napping. They say addicts will do anything for another fix. Reminds me of the search for fossil fuels….hmmm.

At this rate I’ll have to create more baskets of herbal delight to keep up with the demand. My courtyard might become as famous as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. But it was also the only wonder that might have been purely legendary. Maybe their grew catnip, too.