Ultimately, a cat smelling catnip is reacting to an artificial cat pheromone. Dogs also have these nasal organs along with over a 100 million scent receptors, however, they do not respond in the ...

So, how does catnip work? Nepetalactone, one of catnip's volatile oils, enters the cat's nasal tissue, where it is believed to bind to protein receptors that stimulate sensory neurons.