Buzz
You bet they do!
In the 1970s, researchers from the University of Tennessee and the Knoxville Zoological Park gave catnip and rocks sprayed with catnip extract to 33 of the park's large cats to observe their reactions. The responses were mostly positive.
The lions and jaguars at the park had the strongest reactions to catnip, even when given small amounts. Both male and female big cats responded in a similar manner, though adults in their reproductive years showed a greater sensitivity than cubs, younger adults, or elderly animals.
Tigers, cougars, and bobcats showed a weaker reaction, and the park's two cheetahs didn’t even approach the catnip or control objects. The researchers pointed out that the animals responding to the catnip don’t typically encounter it in the wild, as the catnip plant is native to North America and Europe. Except for the cheetahs, the other cats that were less responsive would likely come across catnip in their natural environment, and the researchers speculated that the variation in reactions could be due to the novelty—or lack of it—of the plant.
The animals that did engage with the catnip behaved much like domestic cats—sniffing and licking the catnip or sprayed rocks, rubbing their chins and cheeks on it, or rolling over and rubbing their bodies on it. The key difference the researchers found was that while domestic cats typically respond to catnip for about 15 minutes before needing a reset period of about an hour, the big cats’ reactions could last over an hour, and they would exhibit the same behavior even if they lost interest and returned to the catnip shortly after.
Take a look at some of these big cats enjoying catnip below.
