Click to Skip Ahead What Is Silver Vine? Silver Vine Products Side Effects FAQs Silver vine (Actinidia polygama) and catnip (Nepeta cataria) have similar effects on cats‚ but silver vine is thought to work for more cats than catnip. It gives cats a boost of energy when they sniff silver vine‚ but when they eat it‚ it often causes them to relax and rest. The biggest difference between silver vine and catnip isn’t how cats respond but rather how likely cats are to respond to each plant. About 80% of cats respond to and enjoy silver vine‚ but research suggests that catnip only works for about 68%. Close to 75% of cats who don’t respond to catnip will respond to silver vine. Some studies argue that catnip works for just as many cats as silver vine does‚ but that some cats show a positive response in a more passive way e.g. less vocalization and more time in a sphynx-like posture‚ rather than the active response that many studies have measured.1  Silver vine is available in several forms‚ including powders‚ sprays‚ and sticks. Speak with your veterinarian before adding silver vine to your buddy’s entertainment rotation to ensure it’s a safe and appropriate choice for your cat. What Is Silver Vine? Silver vine is a plant that grows naturally in parts of China‚ Russia‚ and Japan.  It’s part of the same family as kiwis. When licked or sniffed‚ it sends most cats into a state of absolute bliss. It has a very similar effect to catnip. When in bloom‚ the plant produces white flowers and orange fruit packed with vitamin C. Catnip‚ or Nepeta cataria‚ is related to mint and can encourage cats to relax‚ become more playful‚ affectionate and happy.  It is thought to mimic the feline sex hormones so cats that smell catnip can behave like a female cat in heat (although most male cats also respond).  The plant has wispy green leaves and produces light purple flowers. It’s sometimes used to help with pain and lower anxiety in cats. Image Credit: mizy‚ Shutterstock Which Silver Vine Products Are Available? Silver vine is available in a powdered form‚ much like dried catnip. It can be put into plush toys and sprinkled in places cats like to hang out. Powdered products made from silver vine’s gall fruit tend to be more potent than other options. It can also be found in spray form‚ which makes it convenient to apply to blankets and scratching posts. There are also Matatabi sticks that are the wood from the silver vine plant which may have dental health benefits for cats. Is It Addictive‚ and Are There Potential Side Effects? No. Silver vine isn’t addictive‚ so you don’t have to worry about your buddy getting hooked and going into withdrawal from too many sniffs of silver vine‚ or catnip‚ for that matter. It’s best to watch cats as they enjoy silver vine sticks to ensure nothing breaks off‚ which they can accidentally end up choking on. Particularly large pieces also have the potential to cause gastrointestinal obstructions. Silver vine contains nepetalactol‚ which stimulates the reward center of cats’ brains in ways that mirrors the interaction between the human brain and opioid drugs‚ such as morphine. Catnip contains nepetalactone which causes similar effects. Cats can’t overdose on catnip‚ but they can become dizzy and nauseous if they have too much too often.  If cats ingest a lot of catnip‚ it can sometimes cause digestive upset. However‚ they generally recover quickly on their own. Image Credit: Kassel95‚ Pixabay Silver vine risks: Sticks can be a choking hazard Catnip risks: May cause vomiting‚ diarrhea‚ and dizziness if too much is consumed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Are There Other Benefits to Catnip and Silver vine? Silver vine and catnip may provide pets with protection against biting insects. Rubbing against silver vine appears to keep some bugs away. Catnip’s active ingredient‚ nepetalactone‚ also appears to have mosquito-fighting power! Several wild cats‚ including lions‚ jaguars‚ and leopards‚ like to roll in catnip‚ likely at least partly for the plant’s bug-repelling benefits. Image Credit: Anna Hoychuk‚ Shutterstock How Long Do Silver Vine and Catnip Highs Last? Silver vine’s effects usually last for about 30 minutes. Catnip highs usually subside within 10 to 15 minutes‚ and it often takes cats a few hours before they can enjoy another round. Most cats need a recovery period to enjoy repeat doses of silver vine or catnip. Do kittens respond to silver vine and catnip? Kittens aren’t likely to respond to silver vine until they’re about 8 months old or they may show a more passive response than many adult cats.  Cats generally develop the ability to experience a positive response to catnip after they’re around 6 months old. Conclusion Silver vine is a safe alternative to catnip and it provides many of the same benefits. It can cause cats to become quiet and mellow or prompt them to become active. The plant delivers feline-friendly fun to about 80% of cats‚ while catnip only works for a smaller percentage‚ about 68%‚ and many cats who can’t enjoy the benefits of catnip respond to silver vine. Research is still ongoing as to whether catnip does have a positive response in a higher percentage of cats than originally thought‚ but that some cats show less obvious signs than others. Silver vine and catnip are non-addictive‚ and felines can enjoy both without becoming hooked or going into withdrawal. Sources https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635717301766 https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/does-catnip-make-cats-high https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)00217-7 https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/silver-vine-plant-alternative-catnip https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/what-is-catnip https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6 https://www.chewy.com/raw-paws-silvervine-chew-stick-cat/dp/787166   Featured Image Credit: neconion‚ Shutterstock The post Silver Vine For Cats: Is It Better Than Catnip? (Vet-Reviewed) appeared first on Pet Keen.

Click to Skip Ahead Why Salami Isn’t Ideal What To Do Types of Salami FAQ When it comes to food‚ canines are not typically picky. They don’t even mind sorting through the garbage! So‚ it should be no surprise if your pup shows interest in eating any food that you prepare for yourself in the kitchen. For instance‚ they might want to snag a slice of your salami. So‚ is it okay to feed salami to a dog? While eating a piece of salami shouldn’t be hazardous‚ there are good reasons to avoid giving this food to your dog and to opt for other snacks instead. Why Salami Isn’t Ideal for Dogs Salami is a type of cured meat that contains a variety of seasonings‚ plenty of salt‚ and is typically high in fat. While it may provide some protein for your dog‚ that healthy benefit is far outweighed by the risks. High fat diets provide excess calories that can contribute to weight gain and obesity‚ which in turn may lead to diabetes and joint issues. High amounts of salt can lead to dehydration and even salt toxicity in high enough levels. Salami may also contain seasonings and spices that are actually toxic to dogs. Onions and garlic‚ if consumed in high enough amounts‚ are toxic and lead to issues such as: Diarrhea Vomiting Abdominal discomfort Anemia Image Credit: JumpStory What if Your Dog Eats Salami? If your dog snags a small piece of salami‚ there is usually no need to panic. One slice occasionally is not likely to cause any serious issues. It’s when a dog eats salami slices regularly or devours a whole package at once that you might have reason for concern. Contact your veterinarian if your dog happens to eat more than a few slices of salami‚ especially if they are showing signs of vomiting‚ diarrhea‚ not eating‚ or stomach pain. If you’ve already been giving your dog salami on a regular basis‚ consider other healthier snack options such as lean‚ cooked meats‚ commercial dog treats‚ or safe vegetables. The Type of Salami Doesn’t Matter Salami comes in various forms and types‚ but they all have about the same nutritional values. Some have less sodium and fat than others‚ depending on how they are made‚ but they all have more than enough of each to make this food less than ideal for dogs. Whether it’s a salami stick‚ turkey salami‚ cotto salami‚ dry salami‚ or hard salami‚ it should be treated the same way when it comes to feeding it to your dog. Image Credit: JumpStory FAQ Is Any Amount of Salami Okay for Dogs to Eat? Most dogs will be fine if they happen to grab a small slice of salami. Others may experience mild digestive upset after eating it‚ and still others may develop serious issues if they happen to get too much. To be on the safe side‚ don’t give your dog salami as a treat. Choose a healthier option instead. What If a Dog Eats a Whole Pack of Salami? It is a good idea to contact your veterinarian and let them know about the situation. They may make recommendations to help ease signs like gastrointestinal distress. If health problems develop‚ a visit to the vet might be necessary. Image Credit: LightField Studios‚ Shutterstock What Are Alternatives to Salami? There are no perfect replacements for salami‚ as this food is rich‚ salty‚ and fatty‚ and dogs shouldn’t have foods that are high in salt and fat. The best thing to do is choose a healthier snack all together. Lean‚ cooked beef or chicken are decent snack options to consider instead. A Quick Recap Foods like salami can be very enticing for dogs‚ however‚ salami is not a good choice to feed them. If they happen to eat a slice here and there‚ they will likely be fine‚ just don’t make it part of their regular meal or treat selection. Sources VCA Animal Hospitals: Onion‚ Garlic‚ Chive‚ and Leek Toxicity in Dogs Masterclass: Can Dogs Eat Salami Featured Image Credit: JumpStory The post Can Dogs Eat Salami? Vet-Reviewed Facts &; FAQ appeared first on Pet Keen.

How do you solve the Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx riddles? You can expect to encounter plenty of strange and wonderful beasts in the classic RPG’s long-awaited sequel‚ but few are as captivating as the enigmatic Sphinx. This optional boss can be found in a hidden temple tucked away in a corner of the map‚ and there’s more to this encounter than a straightforward boss battle. Like its name suggests‚ the Dragon's Dogma 2 Sphinx challenges the Arisen to solve a series of riddles‚ which must be solved to avoid a deadly fight in the RPG game. Game director Hideaki Itsuno and lead game designer Kento Kinoshita lifted the lid on the Sphinx in an IGN First interview. Here’s what you can expect from your encounter with this mythical creature in Dragon's Dogma 2‚ as well as a few early hints on how to beat it. Continue reading Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx riddles and boss fight MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Dragon's Dogma 2 release date‚ Dragon's Dogma 2 vocations‚ Dragon's Dogma 2 system requirements

It's been a long time coming‚ but GeForce Now Day Passes have finally launched‚ with two types available mimicking the Priority and Ultimate subscriptions for 24 hours. In addition to the passes‚ Cloud G-Sync has also launched‚ and is compatible with Windows PCs as well as Apple Silicon‚ bringing a much more feasible gaming experience to Mac products. Nvidia GeForce now eliminates the need to pack the best graphics card in your gaming PC by allowing you to stream your games through powerful cloud gaming servers. The service requires a subscription to access the best features but can be used for free with certain restrictions in place. Continue reading Try Nvidia GeForce Now with a day pass‚ even on Apple Macs MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GeForce RTX 4070 Super review‚ DLSS explained‚ Best graphics cards

As reported by a large number of players on Steam‚ and tested by PCGamesN‚ a new WWE 2K24 issue can result in your entire savegame being deleted when you attempt to reinstall pre-order DLC. Based on a variety of posts‚ complaints‚ and user reviews‚ in some instances‚ if you pre-purchased WWE 2K24 and received the Deluxe Edition Pack and Nightmare Family Pack‚ when you start the game‚ you will be greeted with an error message explaining that this DLC is not accessible‚ and asking if you would like to re-download the DLC. The message says that if you do not re-install the DLC‚ “the data will need to be rewritten in order to continue.” The message also says however that if you select “yes” then all your save data will be deleted. Continue reading WWE 2K24 issue deletes people’s saves when they try to re-install DLC MORE FROM PCGAMESN: WWE 2K24 review‚ WWE 2K24 locker codes‚ WWE 2K24 unlockables

Helldivers 2 is a whirlwind of beautiful chaos‚ and that’s part of what makes it so special‚ and one of the very best PC games in this already busy year. The co-op third-person shooter continues to win over hearts and minds in its explosive fight to spread liberty‚ and as a longtime advocate of the original game I was impressed how well the sequel captures the fun of failing. Yet sometimes‚ when it all kicks off‚ it can feel a little too busy‚ especially when a lot of heavy‚ armored enemies roll in together‚ and developer Arrowhead Game Studios admits that these swarms can feel a bit too much of a pain to handle. Continue reading Helldivers 2 dev plans enemy spawn changes to avoid “endless kiting” MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Helldivers 2 weapons‚ Helldivers 2 servers‚ Helldivers 2 system requirements

Ray tracing may well be more commonplace in games these days but it's still seen as a hugely difficult graphics feature to process‚ requiring powerful graphics cards with dedicated ray tracing processors. However‚ one developer has shown that maybe there's another way by enabling ray tracing on a CPU. The developer‚ named Konstantin Seurer‚ has been steadily working on adding features to a purely CPU-run Vulkan-based version of the open source Mesa graphics library. By enabling the function Implement VK_KHR_ray_query‚ the modder has opened up the possibility of running ray tracing functions on CPUs‚ demonstrating the ability using a certified classic‚ Quake 2. Continue reading Step aside graphics cards‚ you can now run ray tracing on a CPU MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games‚ Best old games‚ Best multiplayer games

Mohammed V defied the collaborationist Vichy regime‚ saving Morocco's 250‚000 Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps

Policy-makers should start recognizing the world economy’s fault lines instead of trumpeting its resilience.

Many so-called advocates for women were sickeningly silent after the horrific attacks on women and children in Israel this past October 7.