A study conducted by researchers from Iwate University and Nagoya University in Japan has determined that cats show a preference for silvervine, also known as matatabi, compared to catnip. The research, published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, involved observing free-roaming cats that demonstrated typical behaviors such as rubbing against and rolling in silvervine, favoring it over catnip in most instances.
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Masao Miyazaki, a professor at Iwate University, explained that the study indicated cats were not solely attracted by scent, noting the strong smell of catnip. He mentioned that the reason cats display self-anointing behavior less frequently with catnip remains unclear but suggested that the intense aroma of raw catnip might deter such behavior.
The researchers monitored the reactions of six cats over ten days in a designated outdoor space where both catnip and silvervine were present. The cats engaged in self-anointing primarily with silvervine. An additional experiment involving 22 domestic cats of various origins, including North America, Europe, and the Middle East, showed that 15 cats rolled or rubbed themselves on silvervine, whereas only three did so with catnip.
Chemical analyses revealed that the catnip extract contained approximately 170 times more nepetalactone, a known cat attractant, than the silvervine extract. The research team noted that the differences in chemical composition and laboratory bioactivity do not always predict the actual behavior of cats in natural settings.
Miyazaki stated that these findings will inform habitat surveys for endangered cat species and expressed hope that the study could help promote natural behaviors and improve the well-being of cats.