The main active ingredient of catnip is nepetalactone. Its structure has little obvious resemblance to mammalian biochemicals, but just happens to fit particular receptor molecules. In several carnivores, nepetalactone molecules seem to fit vomeronasal receptors for sex pheromones and induce orgasmic behaviour, complete with a period of resolution.
The response is genetically determined; some cats are unaffected. This supports the suspicion that nepetalactone is different from the real pheromone. The drug should be of little selective relevance to cats, because few of their ancestors would have encountered catnip lactones.
p.s. so, catnip = cat's viagra?
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