It's a plant. You can buy the seeds at the gardening store, or get dried catnip in the cat toy aisle. Cats REALLY like the smell/taste/essence, and they eat it and roll around in it and stuff. It's often used to entice them into using things, like sprinkling it over a new scratching post.
It's completely harmless, though. Think temporary sugar high. Cats chew plants by instinct, so why not something that appeals?
It's completely harmless, though. Think temporary sugar high. Cats chew plants by instinct, so why not something that appeals?