It would be hard to guess how long cats have known about Catnip (nepeta cataria) but people have appreciated it for at least 2000 years. The plant was familiar to early Roman cooks and physicians and has long been a part of people's gardens and health repertoires. The plant was introduced to North America from Europe, where it quickly escaped from gardens and spread across the continent, to be used by native Indians and included in their inventory of useful plants. There is a good reason for its common name. The bruised foliage, whose odor has a strong mint-like aroma, stimulates cats and makes them full of life . It is often enjoyed as a tea for its soothing relaxing benefits.