My cats' personalities are night and day, but this curated catnip box made them both happy

• Sniffing, eating, and rolling in catnip triggers a pleasure response in around two-thirds of cats.
• Litterbox.com's Catnip Box comes with three high-quality catnip toys and four styles of catnip, including a catnip spray.
• This curated box of goodies has something for every cat, including silver vine which can attract those who do not have the catnip gene.

According to cat behaviorists, around one-third of all cats lack the catnip-loving gene. Mine do not.

Despite being polar opposites in just about everything, Osito, my loving but mischievous male, and Phoebe, my sweetly sensitive female, both go crazy for the nip. True to her nature, Phoebe's approach is refined. She licks and sniffs until she's had her fill, then hunkers down to enjoy the pleasure response it triggers. Osito, on the other hand, prefers to roll, rub, and snuggle his way through any nip that comes his way. It ain't dignified, but it sure is amusing.

When we were given the opportunity to review a curated Catnip Box from Litterbox.com (the company behind the much-lauded Litter-Robot 3), I was interested to see the differences in Phoebe and Osito's responses to the gifts inside. Would both find something to enjoy or, like many of the cat products that cross our doorstep for review, would Phoebe stand quietly aside while Osito got his fill of fun? The experiment was on.

The Catnip Box arrives

Litterbox.com's Catnip Box came packed with seven items: three toys and four types of catnip. Among the toys were an orange turtle made from hemp fabric and rope and stuffed with buckwheat hulls and a blend of organic catnip, an almost 12-inch-long plush polyester salmon with a zipper on its belly for catnip refills, and a soft cotton ladybug with crinkle wings, a sisal rope "tail," and a Velcro flap for catnip refills.

Three resealable tins contained Litterbox.com's catnip flight. Inside two of them were an organic catnip blend, one finely ground, the other slightly larger pieces of leaf and flower. The third tin was full of silver vine, a species of Asian kiwifruit that contains both nepetalactone, the main component of catnip, and actinidine, another potent cat attractor that triggers even catnip-resistant cats. Each tin is the same size, but the fine ground weighs a little more than its flower/leaf counterparts, 10 grams vs. 6 grams. We also received a 1-ounce bottle of all-natural catnip spray made with distilled water and catnip oil, and a bonus soft krinkle banana containing no nip.

The entire box costs a somewhat pricey $40, but each item is also sold separately, along with a variety of other hemp, catnip, and krinkle toys and additional styles of catnip.

I began by tossing the toys in the cat toy "corner" just to see if either cat would be organically inspired to approach, sniff, or play. Though they were already impregnated with nip when the box arrived, I added a little extra to the refillable salmon and ladybug to increase their charm. Since the hemp toy is not refillable, I spritzed it with a bit of the catnip spray before adding it to the pile.

As usual, Osito got to the toys first. He smelled the new arrivals one at a time then flipped over with the hemp turtle between his paws and rabbit-kicked and snuggled it until he'd had his fill. Typically, cats interact with catnip and catnip-filled toys for five to 15 minutes until their stimulating effect has worn off.

When Osito had cleared out, Phoebe came sniffing. She, too, spent the most time with the hemp turtle, closely assessing its scent. Over the following weeks, Osito made friends with the other toys, too. The only one neither showed much interest in was the banana, even after a generous dousing in catnip spray. All four toys have held up with no problems over the last month, and each time I refill the nip in the salmon and ladybug, Osito comes a-runnin'.

Catnip comparisons

I knew Osito had the toy review covered, so I tasked Phoebe with testing the three styles of catnip. I put a pinch of each on a piece of paper, lay them out side by side, and allowed her to investigate on her own. She stopped at each paper in turn and gave it a sniff and a lick, then posted up by the silver vine and snuffled it all down in 30 seconds flat. We'd clearly found a winner.

That's not to say that the cats didn't enjoy the other catnip styles, too. I've been sprinkling it liberally on their scratchers and play tunnel, and both seem to thoroughly enjoy it. While I can't comment on how stimulating each is, I can see that these catnips are of a higher quality than the nip I already had around the house — plus they are organic.

I also appreciate the catnip spray, which leaves no residue or flakes behind. Though it doesn't seem to provoke as intense of a response from either cat as the actual nip does, both cats are attracted to the spray and there's no mess to clean up after using it.

The bottom line

With three types of catnip toys and four styles of catnip, Litterbox.com's Catnip Box is a great option for any cat family. The variety box would also make a great gift. Any cat who enjoys nip, and even those that don't, will find something to love inside.

At $40, the curated box is on the pricey side, but the toys are all high-quality and have held up well over a month of play. We've barely put a dent in the organic nip and silver vine, and I expect it to last several months, even with frequent use. For those who aren't ready to commit to the whole box, Litterbox.com also sells these toys and nips, as well as other styles, separately on their website.

Pros: High-quality, two refillable toys, organic catnip, silver vine attracts cats who are uninterested in regular catnip, items can also be purchased separately

Cons: Pricey