Why Do Cats Like Catnip?

Cats love catnip, and we love to watch cats react to catnip. It has no lasting effect on them, and they aren't operating heavy machinery anyway, so what's the harm? Simon Whistler from Today I Found Out takes a deeper look into what catnip does. The key ingredient is nepetalactone. That's a new one on me. It's a kind of cat pheromone, which only makes you appreciate how nature has given a gift to cats in plant form. (via Laughing Squid)