We have cats around the neighborhood and none of them have shown any
interest in getting into my 'nip patch. Of course, 'nip on affects a
percentage of cats, not all of them. If they don't have the 'nip gene,
they could care less about the stuff.

My two kitties perfer it dried over fresh, for some reason. The best
thing to do is take about three "sprigs", heat up the oven and then
throw them in. That is how I dry it for them. The 'nip scent goes all
over the house - strong - and the cats just go bonkers. It's quite
funny to watch.

You could always plant it in a container and bring it in with you at
night (locked up in a kitty-free room), to avoid any neighborhood kitty
attacks.

chula