Research overview: nepetalactone and the mechanism of the catnip response

The classic catnip reaction is driven by nepetalactone, a volatile iridoid compound in the catnip plant that cats detect through smell. This overview surveys how nepetalactone is thought to act, binding receptors in the nasal tissue and triggering a stereotyped sequence of sniffing, licking, chin and cheek rubbing, head shaking, and rolling. The response is olfactory rather than ingestive, since the effect depends on smelling the compound. The survey relates nepetalactone to the broader family of iridoids found in catnip and silver vine and to the reward circuitry implicated in the behavior. It discusses the typically brief duration of the response and the refractory period that follows. Understanding the mechanism grounds the familiar catnip reaction in a specific molecule and sensory pathway, framing it as a chemically triggered behavioral program rather than intoxication, and setting the stage for comparisons with the more potent iridoids of silver vine.