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Talk5 min

Why does catnip make cats go crazy?

Jaap de Roode · TED

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About

Of the many bewildering behaviors cats display, one of the strangest is their obsession with a specific species of plant. After just one whiff, even the most stoic cat can start pawing, drooling, biting, and wriggling in a state of pure feline euphoria. So, why do cats go crazy for catnip? Jaap de Roode shares the fascinating reason why this herb sends our feline friends into a frenzy. [Directed by Héloïse Dorsan-Rachet, narrated by Alexandra Panzer, music by André Aires].

The talk

  1. Why does catnip make cats go crazy? 5 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED-Ed
Speaker
Jaap de Roode
Year
2026
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Chemistry, Biology, Teaching and learning
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Tweens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed