What Is In Catnip That Makes Cats Go Mad?

Cat nip is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family.
It is native to Europe, but was imported to the United states and other countries.Catnip is now a widespread weed all over North America.
When cats encounter it they seem to have an amazing reaction to it, and can literally go crazy over it.
They may rub against it, roll in it, sniff and even kick it, then they seem to recover and then may return later for a second
look.
Since this herb, seems to have no real scent that we humans can detect, it is strange to us that it provokes this reaction in cats.
Yet cats react to a chemical it contains, called nepetalactone
which is a chemical that provokes this response in them.
The reaction is less often found in very young kittens and older cats, however.
Tigers and other big cats have a similar reaction to this herb.
Not all cats react however, because the sensitivity to this herb is thought to be inherited.