Cats on Catnip

by Andrew Marttila

A humorous collection of dozens of photos of funny and adorable cats as they play with, roll in, and chow down their favorite snack of choice -- catnip.

Cats love catnip. Whether it's eating it, playing with it, or rolling around in it, catnip turns our domestic feline friends into hilarious balls of activity. Carefree and unconstrained, they are free to be silly, exceptionally playful, and downright gnarly.

Professional pet photographer and self-confessed crazy cat man Andrew Marttila (the photographer behind Shop Cats of New York) captures a range of the cats' silly and expressive personalities as they react to their catnip trip. Delightful, elegant Fluffy transforms into a hell-bent renegade. Shy, reserved Mittens becomes a free-loving acrobat. In the blink of an eye, a cat's expression transforms from bored to inquisitive to playful to curious to bizarre . . . to utterly unhinged. A fun and delightful look at our favorite companions, this gift book is perfect for every cat lover.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Cats, Humor, Animals, Art, Adult

128 pages, Hardcover

First published June 19, 2018

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is by the photographer who took all those excellent cat pictures in Shop Cats of New York.

there’s very little text, just a 7-paragraph introduction, but it is surprisingly full of interesting (to me) information.

interesting fact #1: he has a degree in neuroscience AND he takes pictures of cats.

interesting fact #2: In my experience meeting hundreds of cats and kittens through my camera lens, only about four in five adult cats react to catnip, and most are immune to its effects until they’re about four to six months old. I’ve tested catnip on dozens of kittens and only a handful have reacted.



interesting fact #3: While creating this book, I was astounded to discover how few people have witnessed their cats on catnip, or when they did, what paltry amounts they offered…If I have one lesson to impart, it is this: Don’t be stingy. Catnip is non-addictive and harmless and provides a temporary respite from your cat’s grueling workload of napping all day.

although there's a point where it seems like it might be too much, right?



and in fact, some of these could serve as before/after images in some after-school 'just say no' PSA:

before:



after:



but for the most part, this does indeed look like a healthy fun time for cats. some of them show off their inherent cat-flexibility with impressively limber yoga poses:



and even the chubboes get into the spirit and wanna dance:



while some get downright frisky:



to be honest, i don't think i've ever been as happy as any of these cats in all my life:









although some stubborn cats are determined to be grouchy and resist catnip's euphoria no matter what:



that one's mood seems more familiar to me.

but damn - they really do look like little feline stoners. you just know they're thinking all kinds of convoluted thoughts and wanting to write it all down in poetry and also maybe get a burrito:







i am guilty of being a paltry-amount-provider of catnip throughout my cat-owning time on this planet. i had no idea you were meant to treat it like tony montana treats coke and just mound it all over the place. this book is inspiring me to maybe finally make room in my grieving heart to bring a new furbaby into my home, especially this picture, which looks a bit like my much-missed maggie, only not as precious:



and, this one, which - after from my much-missed maggie, may be the second-prettiest cat ever:



anyway, cats. catnip. adorable.

come to my blog!

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew Marttila has managed to capture some very unique facial expressions in these elated cats. You see all stages of cats on catnip – from the initial excitement to the enjoyment of the experience to the bliss of the afterglow. A fun book that lifts your spirits and puts a smile on your face!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Photographs of cats on catnip bliss. Not addictive. Pile it on for your furry friends to roll and lap up.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book with LOTS of photos of cats experiencing catnip. It’s adorable and hilarious. The photos are top quality, with most cats appearing in a series of photos. The cats’ names and ages are also listed; there are cats age 2 months to 15 years featured. (I think elderly Tim is my favorite.) Most come from the author’s cat shelter, according to the introduction.

The author also advises cat owners to be generous with catnip — most of us aren’t. “Catnip is non-addictive and harmless and provides a temporary respite from your cat’s grueling workload of napping all day.”

To get in the spirit of things, I photographed my own cats on catnip:


Here is Hathor


Hathor with Penelope in the background


Penelope watching Hathor trip out


The two sisters play together.


Kryten just chilling.


Albus (he missed the main catnip session)


Albus gets aggressive on catnip. Here he is aggressively washing Hathor’s face.
Book Blog

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Livrinho divertido para quem ama gatos, embora a expressão de cada gato não mude tanto assim de um para o outro, principalmente porque a maioria fique com a linguona de fora. Acho que é mais uma satisfação pessoal para o fotógrafo, do que pra gente que vê as fotos.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love cats?

Do your cats love catnip?

If so, then you should get this book!

If not, then you should get this book!!

So many super adorable pictures. I think my favorite may be Shrampton. He/she/they look so angry. But it's like the cat just can't stop consuming the catnip. It's adorable!

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly, photographer Andrew Marttila has a gift that he has honed to perfection. The pictures of these cats in their catnip-induced heaven are beyond adorable. The expressions that he has captured in the faces of these felines is unbelievable. These are definitely happy cats! Don’t miss the short introduction to the book. In it, the author explains about the reaction cats have to catnip as well as talking a bit about rescue cats.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

LITERALLY THE BEST BOOK EVER.

It was so cute!!!!!! I could "read" this book over and over and over again!!!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pay attention to the Bowie cat, he's my favorite one!!

[MKF · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of adorable cats but lacking a bit on humor. There were a few cats who had really funny faces but the others were mainly just cats lying around and a lot with their tounges hanging out.

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew Marttila is a professional cat photographer; I previously read his collaboration with his partner, Hannah Shaw (aka the Kitten Lady), 2024's Cats of the World. Marttila's 2018 solo project, Cats on Catnip, is exactly as described - lots of photos of cats in the thrall of catnip exposure, looking goofy, high, chaotic, mellowed out, etc. The text is extremely light, just a few pages at the beginning about the effects of catnip on cats. I personally find that there is significant cat-to-cat variation in catnip response, with some of the cats I've cared for over the years having no marked (exterior) response at all, with most looking similarly to the photos Marttila captures here. A fun, quick look-through.

My statistics:
Book 274 for 2025
Book 2200 cumulatively

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow the photographer on Instagram (@iamthecatphotographer) and had been looking forwarded to this book’s release for a while now. I was not disappointed.

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My cats LOVED it!

[Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally found the book that was made for my coffee table! This is a beautiful collection of photos of some pretty cute and funny cats having a great time. This book is a must-have for any cat lover!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was made for me! I love cats and I do enjoy seeing pictures of cats derping out on catnip. The author/photographer should definitely do a sequel but with adoptable cats and kittens. Definitely a 5 out of 5 from me!

[Kristina Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable cats doped up on catnip, what more is there to say. Seriously get this book, it will be impossible not to smile while flipping through the pages.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great coffee table book for cat lovers! I follow Andrew Marttila on Instagram (@iamthecatphotographer) and always love his cat photos. I have his other book, Shop Cats of New York on my shelf and love that one too.
These photos were so funny and inspired me to give my cats catnip more often (and maybe snap a few pictures myself, although they would never be as good as Andrew's!), and a whole pile of it, as he advises in the introduction!

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cats on the 'nip. The level of blissed out / wild / goofball energy these cats exude is a healing balm in this rough world. Even the names of some of these kitkats (Gnocchi, Frank, Oliver Taco...) brought me great joy. This is literally just photos of cats on catnip, so that's kind of either something you're into or something you're not, and I'm very much in the former camp.

[Jodi Geever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever thought: "I wish the internet of cats was a book?" Well, wish no longer. This book is a delightful, full-color collection of photographic evidence of cats of all ages high AF on nip. The collection is adorable, and will likely brighten even your grumpiest days.

[Ameera JR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best photography book I’ve ever read.

[Kate McCaskill · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing read at the cat cafe today

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little picture book about adorable cats, enjoying catnip ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilariously delightful photos on cats on catnip. If you love cats, you’ll love this book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little photography book found & read in my vet’s waiting room 😂🤪 cats making crazy faces as they roll in and enjoy a little (or huge) nip of nip.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silly and fun!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all kinds of adorable. Cats of all ages feasting on catnip—and licking it, and rolling in it, and generally living it up. If you love photos of really happy animals enjoying the heck out of life, then this book is for you. An introduction with some information about catnip and its effects is a nice bonus.

[Diana Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, my HOPE was they found a bunch of cats who knew how to write a book and shared their feelings on Catnip. Alas, this was NOT the case, and I was almost disappointed. But then- I opened it up and saw SO. MANY. CATS...and I was taken back to my happy place once again. Just cats. And catnip. This book was great!!

[Penny lurkykitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. What a great idea to photograph cats all nipped out of their minds. It was a pleasant surprise to see Oskar and Klaus in this book. A very enjoyable book for cat lovers.

[Pug · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?