Planting a Cat Garden: Catnip or Catmint? Which one do cats like most?

8/14/22 Update. Bosc votes for Catnip!

Catnip and Catmint are both blooming perennials that will come back every year as long as they are not "over loved" by your cats (example below) in which case you might need to fence them in until they are established.

Video: Miles is having a catmint experience (Proven Winners Cat's Pajamas) while sirens blare in the background.

Both are members of the mint family and genus Nepeta. Catnip's full Latin name is Nepeta Cataria while Catmint is typically Nepeta Faassenii but can also be other species. The good news is that cats are attracted to both, and both are safe for cats.

The two varieties look a little different. Catmint has a mounding, stately appearance with blue flowers while Catnip's growth habit is a little looser and catnip typically has white flowers. Catmint should get taller and bushier than Catnip. Both look great in the garden though! Another plus is that both varieties are pollinator magnets.

I recently purchased two Catmint plants from my local big box. The variety is Cat's Pajamas" from Proven Winners. Our 4 cats were immediately attracted to it. Miles (above) loves nibbling and rubbing on it. Maisy prefers to pounce on it and rabbit kick it into submission. I'm trying my best to keep it alive, but the cats are making it tough. I may need to fence it in.

I also purchase 4 catnip plants which are still rather small. I know if I planted them now, they wouldn't stand a chance against 4 curious nibbling and rolling cats so I've re-potted them in larger containers and will set them out in a month or so. During the re-potting however, Miles did sneak up on one of the plants and quickly gnawed half of it off. He's a rascal.

Proven Winners Cat's Pajamas Catmint in the background with Catnip waiting to be planted in the foreground. The plant to the left is a sweet potato vine which I added for filler.

Sneaky Miles noshing on catnip while I was repotting it.

The verdict: right now, the cats definitely prefer catmint but that may change as the catnip gets planted and starts growing. Stay tuned for more

The cat garden is complete! See the finished design here!