Refers to the plant Nepeta cataria, known for its effect on cats. Common in pet contexts.
When you give catnip to a cat, it gets excited and plays for a while.
Katakana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare; the katakana form is strongly preferred.
A compound of 犬 and 薄荷 “mint.” In plant names, 犬 commonly marks a wild, inferior, or nonstandard counterpart of the plant named by the second element.