Charlie and the Teabag...

This post is for Cats on Tuesday (should be 'Cats on Drugs' in this case), and also ABC Wednesday (C for Charlie, Cat or Criminal).

Now and again I've been drinking valerian tea before I go to bed as it's supposed to help you sleep (it's not my favourite drink as it has a suspiciously aniseed-y taste.  As far as I'm concerned anything to do with either aniseed or licquorice is the work of satan).  I'd like to point out that it does nothing for your sleep if a cat then screams at you at 4a.m. or another jumps on top of you to see if you're awake at 5a.m.  We'd noticed that certain cats seemed to become drug-crazed homicidal maniacs when they sniffed it have a strange obsession with the teabags I  used so decided to carry out a scientific experiment to see what happened when they were given access to this strange beverage.

First of all, and without the aid of thick, padded gloves, we bravely held the tea bag above a cat to see if it responded.

As you can see, there is definite interest from Pepper, although

this could perhaps be explained by sheer nosiness, and the hope that

there's a cat treat about my person...

To verify the data, we tried again this time with Charlie.

There's no doubt that his eyes are fixed on the teabag.

At this point he started to become a little insane so we ran away from him, 

persuaded him to come outside to continue the experiment.

Even in a different environment, Charlie's

interest does not waver.  If we moved the teabag

would he follow it?

Yes!  Here my gullible assistant husband

David bravely waves the teabag closer to Charlie,

who appears mesmerised.  What would he do next?

He would decide to take matters into his own claws that's what...

David wanted to leave and bathe the scratches at this point but

I ordered persuaded him to stay for one more experiment.

Taking umbrage at not being given the teabag by default, 

the Charlie beast retreats to his lair under the garden bench.

Would the valerian work it's magic here and persuade him to come out?

A resounding yes!  Note the crazed look on his face...

David's was almost like this too.

As a reward Charlie was given the teabag wrapper

to drool over to his heart's content.  And also 

because neither of us dare get close enough to take it off him.

I have since found out that the root of the valerian plant contains a terpenoid chemical called valerinone which is very similar to catnip's nepetalactone (the active ingredient that cats respond to).  As long as you don't use pure valerian root oil then it's perfectly safe for teabag-addicted cats.  It may however cause loss of fingers and/or blood in any human stupid enough to get near said cat.

For more cats visit Cats on Tuesday

For more words beginning with C visit ABC Wednesday