[Susananthony]

My cat died suddenly and the vet said it was a heart attack. He was at 8 years old. What would cause this? Could catnip cause this?

[tickle]

Catnip is a stimulant and could be your cat's heart was already in a weakened state because of his age.

[Susananthony]

Tickle, are you a vet doctor or are you just speculating? Everyone always said catnip was not harmful ever for cats and good for them. Need some real science here. Thanks!

[mogrann]

You asked a question on a board and was answered. If you don't like the answer then please use Google. Catnip in itself is not harmful BUT how much and how often did you give it to your pet. Was your pet all ready ill with a bad heart. Did your pet go to the vet regualry.

Think of it like this. Coffee is not bad in moderation. IF someone has a heart condition (like my hubby) he is only allowed decaf. That does not mean that coffee is bad but it is a stimulant and not good for his heart.

Susan

[Sariss]

Catnip probably didn't cause it. Even if the use of it caused such an accelerated heartrate to cause your cat to have a heart attack, you would have seen warning signs far sooner (coughing, weakness, etc). 8 years old is not very old at all for a cat.

How did the vet determine how your cat died? The only way to tell for sure is to have a necropsy (autopsy) done, and even then it may not answer questions.
What was your cat doing before he died?

I'm sorry for your loss. :(

[JudyKayTee]

Tickle, are you a vet doctor or are you just speculating? Everyone always said catnip was not harmful ever for cats and good for them. Need some real science here. Thanks!

If you want opinions only from Veterinarians, you should probably call one. Have you seen this: Catnip - Everything You Need to Know About Catnip! - Cat-World

I see no reason for your rudeness. We are all volunteers, doing our best.