Olive Wood and Cats

[Penny]

Not sure exactly where to post this, so I thought here would do.

Today I received in the post eight Olive Wood pen blanks, and nicely taped up in a 2x4 block. I put them on the coffee table ready to take out to my workshop when I next go out there (the fact that I forgot and they're still there is by-the-by!). However, my 2 year old male cat has taken a real liking to them. Licking them, rubbing himself on them and laying with his head on them. He's never had this reaction to any other wood before.

So, a couple of questions.

1. Why is it so fascinating to him?
2. Will licking it harm him?

He almost looks... orgasmic! (He is speyed by the way!)

 

[bugbear]

A quick google shows this reaction is quite common, although not universal.

BugBear

 

[NazNomad]

Olives contain a chemical similar to that found in catnip, makes sense that the wood might show the same properties.

Edit: 'isoprenoids'... apparently.

 

[sunnybob]

Weird, i live next door to a small olive tree orchard, and never see a cat among them, and this island is over run with feral cats.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Very interesting - I had no idea of this. I don't have any olive wood, but I do have lots of ash (fraxinus excelsior) which is in the same family - I'm tempted to try an experiment with our cats (speyed boys and girls). I'll report any interesting results....
Cheers, W2S

 

[NazNomad]

The volatile chemicals that are currently known to cause the catnip effect in cats are:

* actinidine
* actinidiolide
* boschnialactone
* boschniakine
* dihydroactinidiolide
* dihydronepetalactone
* epinepetalactone
* iridomyrmecin
* isodihydronepetalactone
* mitsugashiwalactone
* nepetalactone (classical catnip)
* neonepetalactone
* onikulactone


In a survey of 1000 cats, it was found that 987 of them were most likely stoned off their t1ts. :-D

 

[sunnybob]

Thats a list of cars I have owned.