Silvervine vs. Catnip: What's the Difference, and Which Should You Try?

Silvervine vs catnip: what is the real difference? They are two different plants. Your cat smells different compounds in each one.

A 2017 study in BMC Veterinary Research tested both. A few more cats reacted to silvervine, but the gap was small. The bigger gap was in strength. The silvervine response was more intense. And many cats that ignored catnip reacted to silvervine.

Neither plant wins for every cat. Some cats love both. Some pick a favorite. A few ignore it all.

Below, we put the two plants side by side. You'll see what they are, what your cat smells, what the studies found, and how long each reaction lasts. Then comes the useful part: how to offer each one, how much, how often, and which to try first.

Did your cat sniff her catnip once and walk off? Read the common reasons a cat ignores catnip first. Then come back here.

The Two Plants

Catnip and silvervine are not related, and cats react to different parts of each.

Catnip's plant name is Nepeta cataria. It is a common herb in the mint family, with light-green leaves and lavender flowers. PetMD says it grows easily in North America. Cats react to its leaves and flowers, fresh or dried.

Silvervine's plant name is Actinidia polygama. It is a climbing vine in the kiwi family. PetMD says it comes from the mountains of China, Japan and Russia. It is also called matatabi.

With silvervine, the part of the plant matters. In the 2017 study, cats mostly reacted to dried fruit galls. A gall is a fruit that grows lumpy after a tiny fly lays its eggs inside. The fly is called a gall midge.

The researchers also offered 8 cats plain dried fruit, leaves and wood. None cared about the plain fruit powder or the leaves. Only 1 cat reacted to the wood. The silvervine powder in the study was ground from the galls.

Here is how the two plants compare.

Use the table as a starting point, not a verdict. Each row is about plants and cats in general, not your cat.

The Active Compounds

Silvervine is not just a stronger catnip. Your cat smells different molecules in it.

So is silvervine stronger than catnip? Not in the way most people mean. Catnip's main active compound is nepetalactone. PetMD says it is an oil in the leaves. Cats pick it up when they sniff the plant.

Silvervine works on a different set. A 2021 study in Science Advances looked at silver vine leaves. It found that nepetalactol is the main compound that sets off the classic rubbing and rolling.

The 2017 study measured a few compounds in each plant. Catnip had the most nepetalactone. Silver vine had the highest levels of every other compound they tested. Those include actinidine, iridomyrmecin and isodihydronepetalactone. Nepetalactone showed up only in tiny amounts outside catnip.

That may explain the cat who ignores one plant and loves the other. The 2017 researchers think cats that react only to silvervine may pick up compounds catnip barely has. It is a likely reason, not a proven one.

A stronger smell does not always mean a bigger reaction, either. In a 2026 study, the catnip extract held about 170 times more of the measured compounds than the silver vine extract. The cats still chose silver vine. The researchers suggest a clue about fresh catnip. When its smell is intense and constant, cats may notice it but be less likely to rub and roll.

One more finding is fun to know. The 2021 study showed that rubbing spreads nepetalactol onto a cat's face and head. There, it helped repel mosquitoes in the tests. The AVMA's news summary calls this "the likely biological significance" of the behavior. That is a finding about cats and plants. It is not a reason to use any spray as bug protection.

Response Rates in Studies

In studies, a few more cats reacted to silvervine, and they reacted harder. Plenty reacted to both.

The 2017 study tested 100 cats, all six months or older. They lived in a cat sanctuary and a shelter. Each cat got catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle, valerian root and an empty control. Each plant was offered more than once, on different days.

Here is the share of cats that reacted to each plant:

• Silver vine: 79%
• Catnip: 68%
• Tatarian honeysuckle: 53%
• Valerian root: 47%

The gap between silver vine and catnip was not statistically significant. The real difference was strength. The response to silver vine was more intense than the response to catnip.

What did intense mean? Sniffing and licking, plus chin or cheek rubbing or rolling over. It had to last more than 10 seconds.

Two more findings matter if your cat ignores catnip:

• Catnip skippers: 31 cats did not react to catnip. Of those, 22 reacted to silver vine.
• One plant only: 20 of the 95 cats offered all four plants reacted to just one. Of those 20, 13 reacted only to silver vine.

In all, 94 of the 100 cats reacted to at least one plant. Six reacted to none.

A 2026 study ran a different test. Researchers at Iwate University and Nagoya University in Japan did it. They offered 22 cats both extracts at the same time. Each cat could choose. The study appeared in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. According to the team's news release, 15 cats reacted only to silver vine. Three reacted only to catnip, and 1 reacted to both. The last 3 sniffed but did not rub or roll.

When 22 cats could choose (2026 study)

What each cat did when both plant extracts were offered at once. Extracts in a study, not any product.

Silver vine only15 cats

Catnip only3 cats

Both1 cat

Neither3 cats

Neither = sniffed the scented papers but never rubbed or rolled.

These numbers describe cats and plants in studies. They can't predict what your cat will do. They don't describe any product.

The Reaction and Its Length

The two reactions look much alike, but a silvervine session can run longer.

International Cat Care says silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root have all been found to have effects like catnip's.

The 2017 study describes the classic catnip response. It scored the other plants the same way. Cats sniff, lick and bite the plant. They shake their heads. They rub their head, chin or cheeks on it, and roll over. Some drool or kick it with their back feet. For silvervine, PetMD lists a sleepy or a hyper reaction, plus rolling and licking.

Some cats get busy and silly. Others go still and quiet. Both count as a response.

Stay close the first time she meets a new plant. Let her walk away when she is done. There is no need to push it back to her.

Here is how long each one usually lasts:

• Catnip: around 10 minutes, then it fades, says PetMD. It can take 30 minutes without catnip before your cat reacts again. Cat behavior consultant Pam Johnson-Bennett puts it at about 5 to 15 minutes.
• Silvervine: starts right away and lasts up to 30 minutes, says PetMD.

So a cat who wanders off after ten minutes is not done with the plant for good. She is done for now.

Ways to Offer Each

Each plant comes in a few forms, and each form suits a slightly different cat.

Catnip: Dried, Fresh or in a Toy

• Dried leaves: rub a pinch between your hands first. Pam Johnson-Bennett says this releases the oil.
• A fresh plant: International Cat Care suggests growing catnip in flower beds or pots.
• A stuffed toy: works best while the filling still smells fresh.

Offer one form at a time. That way you can tell which one she likes.

Silvervine: Powder, Sticks or Galls

A thin sock is a handy trick for any loose plant. It holds the powder, lets the smell through and keeps the mess off your rug.

Tatarian honeysuckle wood and valerian root are two more catnip alternatives for cats. Try them one at a time.

Sprays for Toys and Scratchers

A spray puts the scent right where you want play to happen. That could be a toy, a scratcher or a bed.

LitterBond's catnip and silvervine spray has catnip and silvervine botanical extracts. It comes in a pocket-size 20 ml glass mist bottle. Results vary from cat to cat. Some cats react at once. Others warm up over a few sessions. If your cat ignores both plants in every form, a spray made from them probably won't change that.

1. 1

   Mist a toy or scratcher lightly

   Never spray your cat. Keep it away from her eyes.

2. 2

   Step back

   Put the toy down and let her come to it.

3. 3

   Try a few sessions

   Use a different toy on a different day.

Put the toy away after play. Bring it out again on another day, so the scent stays new.

Skip strong catnip oils and heavily scented sprays. Cats are sensitive to essential oils and strong scents.

Amounts, Timing and Age

A small amount, offered now and then, keeps either plant interesting.

For catnip, PetMD suggests just 1 tablespoon at a time. Too much can cause vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness or trouble walking.

For silvervine powder, the 2017 researchers kept to one or two packets. More would have gone past the makers' advice. Follow the label on whatever you buy.

Timing matters just as much. Pam Johnson-Bennett recommends catnip no more than once a week. She also says to keep catnip toys in tightly sealed containers between sessions. This is called habituation. A cat stops noticing something that is always there. Taking turns helps: catnip one week, silvervine the next.

The same idea works for a scratching post. The Cornell Feline Health Center suggests catnip or a favorite snack placed on or around the post. A light mist of the spray on a new post is another way to do it.

Age changes the picture, too:

• Catnip: International Cat Care says it has no effect until a kitten is over three months old. Pam Johnson-Bennett writes that with many kittens, it doesn't show up until almost six months.
• Silvervine: PetMD says cats under eight months will probably not react, or will react less.

The 2017 study only tested cats six months or older.

Keep one vet line in mind. A cat who loses interest in play and food at the same time needs a vet check.

Which One to Try First

Start with the plant your cat has not tried yet, and let her decide.

Pick the line that fits your cat and start there this week. Watch her for a few minutes each time. A long sniff and a lick counts, too.

National Cat Day is October 29. A fresh toy with a new scent is an easy way to mark it.

Silvervine vs catnip is not a contest with one winner. For most cat parents, it is two chances instead of one. Offer one plant, in one short session, and watch what she does. Her reaction is the only result that counts.

Questions this guide did not cover

Can cats get addicted to silvervine?

There is no evidence of it. The 2017 study's authors found no scientific data supporting any addiction potential. They also knew of no other negative reports, even though silver vine is widely used in Japan.

Do big cats react to silvervine?

Some do and some don't. In the 2017 study, none of 9 tigers showed the classic response: 4 ignored silver vine powder, and 5 sniffed it, backed off and walked away. A 2021 study, as the AVMA reported, saw the rubbing-and-rolling response to nepetalactol in domestic cats, Amur leopards, jaguars and Eurasian lynxes.

Can you grow silvervine at home for your cat?

You can grow the vine, but it may not give her what she wants. The galls are the part that drew cats in, and the tested cats showed no interest in leaves. The 2017 researchers wrote that making fruit galls outside the plant's natural range is practically impossible, because the gall midge has to be there.

Do male and female cats react differently?

Not in the 2017 study. On average, males responded to 2.6 of the 4 plants and females to 2.4, with no difference in how intense it was. Every cat in it was neutered. Shy, middle-of-the-road and friendly cats also responded to about the same number of plants, per the published paper.

Related reading

• Why Doesn't My Cat React to Catnip? 7 Reasons and What to Try Next
• Do Cat Pheromone Diffusers Work? The Evidence and a Fair Trial