Cats chewing on catnip boosts the plant’s insect-repelling powers
Damage can boost the plant’s chemical defenses — and its appeal to cats
![a cat chewing a catnip plant](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/062122_ao_catnip_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Catnip is known to bug bugs. When a cat chews, licks and destroys catnip, the plant releases more insect-repelling compounds, a new study finds.
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