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For a lesson in euphoria, look no further than a domestic cat wrapped around a silver vine twig. When offered a cut of the plant, which contains chemicals similar to those found in catnip, most domestic felines purr, drool, and break their faces in its intoxicating leaves and stems, then zoning into a state of catatonic bliss.
But the ecstatic rush might not be the only reason felines flock to these plants, new research suggests. Compounds incorporated into plants like silver vine and catnip could also help cats keep mosquitoes away, equipping them with a DIY repellant that’s a lot more fun to apply than a greasy coat of DEET.
Other articles have highlighted the insect deterrent effects of catnip and similar plants. But the new study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, is the first to establish a direct link between plants and their protective effects on cats.
“It’s a really interesting observation, that such well-known behavior could have this little-known benefit for cats,” said Laura Duvall, a mosquito researcher at Columbia University in New York who was not involved. in the study.
Botanically speaking, catnip and silver vine are distant cousins. But both contain iridoids, a suite of chemicals that seem to strongly tickle the pleasure circuits in cats.
To identify the evolutionary roots of this plant-feline connection, a team of researchers led by Masao Miyazaki, a biochemist and veterinarian at Iwate University in Japan, assembled a menagerie of cats – some domestic, some feral – and monitored their responses to an iridoid extracted from the silver vine, which thrives in many mountainous regions of Asia.
Presented with scraps of paper dosed with iridoid, most cats initiated ritualized rolling and rubbing. Some cats were so eager to engage with the compounds that they climbed the sides of their cages – some of which were almost four feet tall – to anoint themselves with chemically-soaked paper attached to the ceiling.
The chemical appeared to have a similar influence on large cats in zoos, including a leopard, two jaguars, and two lynxes.
After watching the whims of cats, Dr. Miyazaki and his colleagues felt that the chemicals brought certain benefits. Drawing on previous studies on the insect-repellent qualities of catnip, the researchers then rubbed silver vine iridoids on the heads of several domestic cats, or allowed felines to apply the substance themselves. themselves, and placed the animals within reach of dozens of thirsty mosquitoes. . The bugs nibbled at the faces of the uninointed cats, but largely snubbed the felines that had become gaga for the vines.
The origins of the so-called catnip response have plagued animal behaviorists for years. Experts had previously suspected a link to play or mating behaviors, which also cause episodes of frantic feline rolling. But the new findings suggest that cats, which can contract heartworms from mosquito bites, might also glean some medicinal benefits from their botanical brawls, said Mikel Delgado, a cat behavior expert at the University of California, Davis who was not involved in the study. It wouldn’t be the first example of an animal smearing itself with plant compounds to boost its health.
Still, the case is not yet closed, said Sarah O’Connor, a biochemist at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany who studies catnip, but was not involved in the news. study. There can be still other reasons why cats go crazy about iridoids. And researchers still don’t know why the chemicals send cats, but not other animals like dogs or mice, to such a state.
An obvious next step would be to see if cats attracted to plants fare better in the wild than their irido-indifferent counterparts, said Dr O’Connor. The natural mosquito repellant “is a compelling explanation,” she said. “I think he needs more evidence to prove it.”
Until the insect-repellent qualities of catnip and silver vine are clearer, Dr Delgado said she won’t recommend plants as natural repellents for cats or humans.
Dr Miyazaki was more optimistic. In a one-time experiment, he coated his arm with iridoids and put it in a mosquito cage. The bugs moved away – but feasted on an untreated limb. “We hope to use it for humans in the future,” he said.
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