The official Chinese name for catnip is Thornbush, a perennial herb of the genus Thornbush. When inhaled by cats, it binds to receptors in the cat’s nose, which stimulate sensory neurons connected to the brain, altering the activity of several areas of the brain and participating in the cat’s emotional regulation. This is why cats love mint. When cats smell it or eat it, they will behave differently from their usual behaviour.
