Cats chewing on catnip boosts the plant’s insect-repelling powers

Damage can boost the plant’s chemical defenses — and its appeal to cats

a cat chewing a catnip plant

Catnip is known to bug bugs. When a cat chews, licks and destroys catnip, the plant releases more insect-repelling compounds, a new study finds.

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For many cats, a mere whiff of catnip can send them into a licking, rolling, plant-shredding frenzy.