Owner Arrives to Shocking Scene as Cats Team Up to Open 5-Pound Catnip Bag

A cat owner came home to a mess after several of her felines teamed up to open a bag of catnip.

The owner, Debbie, who is known on Reddit as DoomsdayDebbie, shared a photo of one of the culprits covered in catnip in a post on the subreddit channel r/cats on March 6. But it wasn’t just any bag of catnip. These determined cats ripped through a 5-pound bag.

The catnip Debbie ordered was delivered in a thin, plastic bag. She told Newsweek that she brought it inside, not thinking anything of it, and left to run errands. Only a few hours later, she returned to the catnip scattered all over the house, comparing it to a scene from Scarface.

“I should have known better,” she said. “They’ve chewed into boxes, torn through plastic, and eaten an entire 32 oz tub of treats before. You can’t trust cats.”

Joe Black is the black cat pictured in the Reddit post. This rescued cat was completely covered in the catnip with even more scattered on the floor all around him.

Luckily, Joe Black and the rest of the cats were fine, although Debbie did witness all their different reactions to the catnip.

“Some were zooming around knocking things over,” Debbie said. “A couple decided to start a war, but most of them were just in a daze like they had left the planet and wouldn’t be back until snack time.”

She called her vet immediately and he calmed her nerves. He laughed and told her there was “no need for concern as catnip is harmless.”

Can Cats Have Too Much Catnip?

Newsweek previously spoke with Dr. Carly Fox, a senior veterinarian at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York City, about the effects of having too much catnip. Fox said catnip is safe for cats to ingest and sniff.

Catnip is typically used when cats are stressed, for entertainment, or to encourage exercise, but ingesting too much can potentially lead to stomach problems. However, according to Fox, stomach issues resulting from catnip are not common.

The effects of catnip are relatively short-lived and can last up to 30 minutes. Owners should consult with their veterinarian if their cats experience vomiting and/or persistent diarrhea.

While catnip doesn’t typically pose a risk to a feline’s health, it is still recommended to give it in small quantities. Owners should limit a cat’s intake to one or two times a week. Each dose should be about one to three teaspoons at a time.

How Viewers Reacted

The March 6 Reddit post had over 57,000 likes and 2,500 comments as of Tuesday. Users are cracking up at how unphased Joe Black looked when he was caught.

“Crying because the cat sees no problem based on its facial expression,” commented one.

Another wrote: “That face: ‘And I’ll do it again!'”

Except, there’s no chance Debbie will let it happen again, especially since she’s still cleaning up the mess. Lesson learned! She said she purchased an airtight container to keep the catnip in. Plus, she doesn’t plan on buying such a large bag in the future.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.