Cats' obsession with catnip and the relatively lesser-known silvervine plant helps repel insects and mosquitoes. It is well-known that cats are fascinated by catnip, and silvervine evokes a joyful response in cats, causing them to engage in amusing and adorable behaviors such as meowing, playing, and rolling around. This has a secondary and quite beneficial effect for cats, as researchers suggest that catnip and silvervine induce skin reactions in cats, causing friction that makes them roll and feel happier. Cats love to be petted and have their backs scratched, right?
According to a recent study conducted by researchers from Iwata University in Japan, this behavior may have evolved for a beneficial reason—providing cats with natural protection against mosquitoes and insects. The natural compound responsible for this is nepatalactone, a phytochemical that produces the joyful response in cats. It has been found that this same substance also has mosquito and insect-repelling effects, helping to protect cats from these pests when they rub their fur against the plants, as some of the nepatalactone phytochemical transfers to their fur.
The study indicates that the cats involved in the research that underwent this procedure had fewer insects clinging to their fur, and the number of mosquitoes approaching them was significantly lower compared to cats that were not exposed to the substance. The lead researcher of the study, Professor Masao Miyazaki, stated, "We found that cats' reactions to catnip and silvervine can provide a natural chemical defensive protection against mosquitoes, and possibly against viruses and parasitic insects as well. This was the most significant finding in our study, but we are now searching for answers as to why this reaction is limited to cats and not other animals or humans, and we are trying to identify the gene responsible for it as well."
