Diary of a Cat Mom
Diary of a Cat Mom is a reflective cat podcast created and hosted by Dagmar Gatell about understanding cats more deeply — and creating a calmer, more connected life for both you and your cats.
Based on real experiences caring for over 50 cats throughout her life, each episode shares quiet observations, emotional moments, caregiving reflections, and gentle insights from everyday life with cats. From routines, behavior, and emotional wellbeing to grief, gratitude, overstimulation, trust, and the small meaningful moments many people overlook — this is not a traditional “how-to” podcast, but a space for understanding, awareness, and lived experience.
Beyond cat care itself, Diary of a Cat Mom also explores our connection to nature, emotional presence, personal growth, and the way our inner state can influence the animals who share our lives. Because living with cats is never only about feeding and routines — it’s also about energy, safety, trust, patience, and how we show up emotionally in the spaces we create together.
Created for cat lovers who see their cats as family, this podcast offers companionship, reassurance, perspective, and emotional support during seasons of caregiving, uncertainty, healing, change, and letting go.
Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal storytelling podcast and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and medical or behavioral concerns should always be discussed with a trusted veterinarian or qualified professional.
You’re not alone on this journey.
We’re learning, loving, and growing together — one paw print at a time.
Diary of a Cat Mom
How to Use Catnip With Cats | How My Cats Discovered Its Magic | Ep. 112
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Have you ever wondered how to use catnip with your cat?
When I first became a cat mom, I bought a bag of catnip from the grocery store because I had heard cats loved it. My cats completely ignored it.
Years later, I discovered that not all catnip is the same.
In this Diary of a Cat Mom podcast episode, I share how finding a higher-quality catnip completely changed the experience for my cats—from encouraging scratching and play to creating peaceful moments of relaxation. I also share how I used catnip while helping community cats and why it became one of my favorite forms of enrichment.
Every cat is different. I'm simply sharing what worked for my cats and me.
What You'll Learn In This Cat Podcast Episode
- Why some cats ignore catnip
- The difference quality can make
- Different ways cats respond to catnip
- How I use catnip for enrichment
- Why catnip became part of our daily life
Timestamps & Chapters
- 00:00 – My first experience with catnip
- 00:45 – Discovering that catnip quality matters
- 01:35 – How each of my rescue cats reacted differently
- 02:30 – Using catnip to help community cats feel comfortable
- 03:10 – Why catnip became one of my favorite enrichment tools
🌿 Products I Mention in This Episode
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Diary of a Cat Mom. 💛🐾
From The Field Fine Ground Stalkless Catnip (10 oz)
After trying several brands, this is the freshest and most affordable catnip I've found. My rescue cats respond to it much more than the grocery store brands I tried when I first became a cat mom.
I like to sprinkle it on scratching pads, scratching beds, blankets, or toys when:
- 🐾 we're home from a vet visit and they need help relaxing
- 🐾 one cat seems tense and I want to redirect their attention
- 🐾 I want to encourage scratching or play
- 🐾 I simply want to give them a little extra enrichment
Every cat is different, but this has become one of my favorite ways to create happy moments for my cats. 💛🐾
This is where I’ve gathered everything that supports me and my cats:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/
About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast
Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom and is not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, it’s always best to consult your trusted veterinarian.
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Diary of a cat mom. How to use catnip? Welcome to Diary of a Cat Mom. My journey with catnip started as I just was the beginning of being a catmom. I saw bag of catnip at the local supermarket and thought I heard about it. I heard that cats really love it. Brought it home and sprinkled it on their scratch pads and their scratch pads. Nothing happens. They didn't like it, they didn't use it, it didn't attract anybody and they didn't show any reaction. So I let it go. Didn't use catnip again. And then a long while later, I found catnip at a local feedblaze store. And I brought it home. And the cats, they got a little bit excited about it. And I'm, huh? There's a way how I can create a richer environment for the cats. So perhaps I just need to look into it and research it further. Because I could see that it's like a new toy, something they wanted to explore, something that stimulated their little brain. And by researching it further, I realized there is a huge difference in catnip quality. Not every catnip is the same. I found one catnip online and I bought it. It's a fine ground, storkless, non-toxic, echo-friendly catnip. They got it in the mail and already as the package drive, the cat got crazy about it. They came to the package and they sniffed on it, and I'm that's a great beginning. And it really worked out and it showed that catnip magic. When I used the catnip to sprinkle it on their little scratch pads and scratch pads, they jumped on it, they started scratching. Other ones they liked when I put it on their toy and then they started playing on their toy, they got very outgoing and very excited. And then I had others, it was for them like a tranquilizer to calm them, to give them the feeling they're in their own little world. They didn't care about the other kitties anymore. They didn't care about anything. They just were laying on their little planky and rolling in it and having the best time ever. I also used the catnip when I helped out with community cats to springle it on a piece of wood, and then they started scratching on the piece of wood and rolling in it. And you could see it created a type of trust and comfort and like family for them. There was something they were not exposed before, and something what just made them happy and they were able to be in the moment, so it was much easier to help them, to support them, and to win their trust. So all overall, I realized this catnip was really something that made a huge difference in the life quality of my cats and for myself, because not only did it create calmness or excitement depending on the cat's mood, but for all of them it gave them a great enrichment in their lives, and you could see it brought them happiness. But the best thing was I can create it anytime if I need it. Do you use catnip? How do you use catnip? And when do you use catnip? I would love to hear how you use it because the goal is to create better life quality for the kitties and for us cat moms and dads. Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of Diary of a Cat Mum. There's always another lesson, another story, another insight ready to be shared right around the corner. I will see you on the next entry. Bye. Diary of a catmom.