No, catnip will not hurt the cats. You will probably get visitors who will
sniff it, roll in it, or eat some of it, but they don't seem to linger around
it. They may maim the plant in the process, but they don't usually kill it -
even if they chew it to the ground, it will usually recover and regrow from the
roots.

Plant it in a plastic pot or other container set into the ground, because, like
mint, it can take over and spread. It's also a good idea to strip out the
flowers before they can spread seeds, for the same reason.

"Catmint" is not the same as catnip, although some people use the names
interchangeably. Catnip has heart-shaped, scalloped, slightly fuzzy leaves and
stalks of tiny white flowers that may have a blue or violet streak in them,
depending upon the soil. It smells only vaguely mint-like to humans (and has
only a mild mint-like taste in tea). "Catmint" has a more mint-like shiney
leaf, blue flowers, and a much more pronounced minty smell. It does not attract
cats as well as catnip, either.




-=epm=-

In matters of truth and justice,
there is no difference between large and small problems,
for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
- Albert Einstein