“
I'm so sorry," I whisper. I lean forward and kiss him.
His eyelashes flutter and he looks at me through a haze of opiates. "Hey, Catnip."
"Hey, Gale," I say.
"Thought you'd be gone by now," He says.
My choices are simple. I can die like a quarry in the woods or I can die here beside Gale. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and cause all kinds of trouble."
"Me, too," Gale says. He just manages a smile before the drugs pull him back under.
”
”
Suzanne Collins (Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2))
“
Monty Python is like catnip for nerds. Once you get them started quoting it, they are constitutionally incapable of feeling depressed.
”
”
Kevin Hearne (Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #1))
“
David was catnip and kryptonite to me.
”
”
Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)
“
You would wind up as a cat, I told her. They don't need anyone else.
I need you, she replied.
Well, I said. Maybe I'll come back as catnip.
”
”
Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper)
“
A novel is a commodity that fulfills a certain need; people need to buy daydreams like they need to buy ice cream or aspirin or gin. They even need to buy a pinch of intellectual catnip now and then to liven up their thoughts...
”
”
John Dos Passos (Novels 1920-1925: One Man's Initiation: 1917 / Three Soldiers / Manhattan Transfer)
“
Smart women were his catnip.
”
”
Nalini Singh (Rock Hard (Rock Kiss #2))
“
You can never know where I am or what I am,
But I am good company to you nonetheless,
And really do regret I broke your inkwell."
(From Meow of Myself, from LEAVES OF CATNIP)
”
”
Henry N. Beard (Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse)
“
I situate myself, and seat myself,
And where you recline I shall recline,
For every armchair belonging to you as good as belongs to me.
I loaf and curl up my tail
I yawn and loaf at my ease after rolling in the catnip patch."
(From Meow of Myself, from LEAVES OF CATNIP)
”
”
Henry N. Beard (Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse)
“
Cormac smiled at her, but it was Finn who spoke. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
He leaned forward conspiratorially. "So, if I gave you some catnip would you act all weird and stoned?"
"I don't know. If I throw a stick, will you fetch?" She smiled sweetly at Cormac's cousin.
Burke made a choking noise, covering a laugh with his hand. Finn screwed up his face, as if in disgust. "Dude. I am NOT a dog."
"And I’m not a pampered house cat.
”
”
Jeanette Battista (Leopard Moon (Moon, #1))
“
Behold the day-break!
I awaken you by sitting on your chest and purring in your face,
I stir you with muscular paw-prods, I rouse you with toe-bites,
Walt, you have slept enough, why don't you get up?"
(From Meow of Myself, from LEAVES OF CATNIP)
”
”
Henry N. Beard (Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse)
“
On the edge of a laughing teacup
Did Kubla Kat decree
The the corn fritter festooned with medals
Shall make the brownies free
And so the walls turned to water
To let our sorrows drown
As the chairs burned themselves for warmth
So they need not face the clown
Then the spoons burst into song
And all the forks they understood
As I stared at my talking claws
Becasue this catnip is just that good
”
”
Francesco Marciuliano (I Could Pee on This: and Other Poems by Cats)
“
The noisy jay swoops by and reviles me, he complains of my meow and my malingering.
I too am not a bit subdued, I too am uncontrollable,
I sound my splenetic yowl over the roof of the house."
(From Meow of Myself, from LEAVES OF CATNIP)
”
”
Henry N. Beard (Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse)
“
Help is what they offer but gratitude is what they want, they roll around in it like cats in the catnip.
”
”
Margaret Atwood (Alias Grace)
“
As a writer, I roll around in words the way cats roll around in catnip.
”
”
Gina Barreca
“
I’m completely library educated. I’ve never been to college. I went down to the library when I was in grade school in Waukegan, and in high school in Los Angeles, and spent long days every summer in the library. I used to steal magazines from a store on Genesee Street, in Waukegan, and read them and then steal them back on the racks again. That way I took the print off with my eyeballs and stayed honest. I didn’t want to be a permanent thief, and I was very careful to wash my hands before I read them. But with the library, it’s like catnip, I suppose: you begin to run in circles because there’s so much to look at and read. And it’s far more fun than going to school, simply because you make up your own list and you don’t have to listen to anyone. When I would see some of the books my kids were forced to bring home and read by some of their teachers, and were graded on—well, what if you don’t like those books?
”
”
Ray Bradbury
“
There's no thrilling anticipation of the day's first cup of coffee...nor the eye-closing delight of that first swallow of sauvignon blanc in the evening. We cats have no access to everyday mood-enhancing substances. Apart from humble catnip, there is no pharmaceutical refuge if we're suffering from boredom, depression, existential crisis, or even an everyday headache.
”
”
David Michie (The Dalai Lama's Cat (The Dalai Lama's Cat, #1))
“
Any punishment was his catnip.
The evil fucker was a sadistic freak who preyed on the weak foraging out their flaws like a pig with truffles and flicking at them until they broke apart.
”
”
V. Theia (Dirty Salvation (Renegade Souls MC Romance Saga #1))
“
To help my ducks improve their swimming ability, I remixed Mozart with whale sounds, and I pulse the music through their SplashTub. Snatch your tickets now, because they’re laced with catnip and going fast.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (BearPaw Duck And Meme Farm presents: Two Ducks Brawling Is A Pre-Pillow Fight)
“
I gave Clive a sock full of catnip and a bowlful of tuna. My hope was to get him wasted and passed out before the action started. The treats had the opposite effect. My boy was ready to party down when the first strains of Purina came shrieking through the walls about one fifteen in the morning. If Clive could have put on a mini smoking jacket, he would have. He stalked the room, pacing back and forth in front of the wall, playing it cool. When Purina began her meows, though, he couldn’t contain himself. He once again launched toward the wall. He jumped from nightstand to dresser to shelf, scaling pillows and even a lamp to get closer to his beloved. When he realized he would never be able to burrow under the plaster, he serenaded her with some weird kind of kitty Barry White, his yowls matching hers in intensity.
”
”
Alice Clayton (Wallbanger (Cocktail, #1))
“
Girls do go for the finely-chiselled. And apart from his looks, he's and artist, and there's something about artists that seems to act on the other sex like catnip on cats.
”
”
P.G. Wodehouse
“
Everything I tell her reminds her of some cute anecdote about one of her previous jobs, or previous boyfriends, or previous lives, or her cat, Sparkles, who is mitten-toed and sleeps on her head and can't be trusted on catnip.
”
”
Kirt J. Boyd (The Last Stop (The Last Stop Retirement Community Series))
“
Plus, he was funny, with that almost imperceptible edge of sadness that's like catnip to anyone with a double-X chromosome. Throughout our years of friendship, Adam always had some not-quite-thing going on with some not-quite-right girl. He had a knack for making everyone feel close to him, when no one really was.
”
”
Una LaMarche (Five Summers)
“
Chocolates, miss! They are only slightly melted. Well, not melted now, per se, but melted at one time and reformed into… rather lovely… artistic shapes. You won’t even taste the difference. A little whitened, but that’s okay. It’s still chocolate. I know how chocolate calms you. It’s like catnip for Jane women, right?
”
”
K.F. Breene (Magical Midlife Meeting (Leveling Up, #5))
“
INTERVIEWER
You’re self-educated, aren’t you?
BRADBURY
Yes, I am. I’m completely library educated. I’ve never been to college. I went down to the library when I was in grade school in Waukegan, and in high school in Los Angeles, and spent long days every summer in the library. I used to steal magazines from a store on Genesee Street, in Waukegan, and read them and then steal them back on the racks again. That way I took the print off with my eyeballs and stayed honest. I didn’t want to be a permanent thief, and I was very careful to wash my hands before I read them. But with the library, it’s like catnip, I suppose: you begin to run in circles because there’s so much to look at and read. And it’s far more fun than going to school, simply because you make up your own list and you don’t have to listen to anyone. When I would see some of the books my kids were forced to bring home and read by some of their teachers, and were graded on—well, what if you don’t like those books?
I am a librarian. I discovered me in the library. I went to find me in the library. Before I fell in love with libraries, I was just a six-year-old boy. The library fueled all of my curiosities, from dinosaurs to ancient Egypt. When I graduated from high school in 1938, I began going to the library three nights a week. I did this every week for almost ten years and finally, in 1947, around the time I got married, I figured I was done. So I graduated from the library when I was twenty-seven. I discovered that the library is the real school.
”
”
Ray Bradbury
“
I have a feeling she loves symmetry like cats love catnip.
”
”
Helen Hoang (The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient, #3))
“
All women like chocolate, it's like female catnip.
”
”
Richard Paul Evans (The Mistletoe Promise (Mistletoe #1))
“
Cat’s out of the bag, so all you can do is limit the catnip.
”
”
Rin Chupeco (The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch, #2))
“
Belle was not only a perfect secretary and office manager, she also had personal specs which would have delighted Praxiteles and a fragrance which affected me the way catnip does Pete.
”
”
Robert A. Heinlein (The Door into Summer)
“
Keep your whiskers crisp and clean.
Do not let the mice grow lean.
Do not let yourself grow fat
Like a common kitchen cat.
Have you set the kittens free?
Do they sometimes ask for me?
Is our catnip growing tall?
Did you patch the garden wall?
Clouds are gentle walls that hide
Gardens on the other side.
Tell the tabby cats I take
All my meals with William Blake,
Lunch at noon tea at four,
Served in splendor on the shore
At the tinkling of a bell.
Tell them I am sleeping well.
Tell them I have come so far,
Brought by Blake's celestial cat,
Buffeted by wind and rain,
I may not get home again.
Take this message to my friends.
Say the King of Catnip sends
To the cat who winds his clocks
A thousand sunsets in a box,
To the cat who brings the ice
The shadows of a dozen mice
(serve them with assorted dips
and eat them like potato chips),
And to the cat who guards his door
A net for catching stars, and more
(if patience he abide):
Catnip from the other side.
”
”
Nancy Willard
“
He chuckles and the rumble feels decadent as he takes one breast into his mouth, teasing the nipple with his tongue. My hips start to swivel, my need for sensation growing. I run my fingers through his hair, throwing my head back to press my breasts into his kiss. Trailing kisses across my chest, he mumbles, “You are most definitely my catnip.
”
”
Katya Armock (To Hiss or to Kiss (Hidden Lines, #1))
“
I took a step forward. Henry caught my elbow. "No bloodshed," he said. "No blackmail. No obstruction of justice."
"You drive a hard bargain," I told him. "What are your thoughts on extortion?" Without waiting for an answer, I headed for Bancroft's car.
Henry and Asher followed on my heels.
"The cat is dancing in the catnip," Asher reported back to Vivvie. "Grumpy lion is grumpy."
"Did you just refer to me as a grumpy lion?" Henry asked Asher.
"Absolutely not," Asher promised. Then he took the phone off speaker and lowered his voice. "Suspicious lion is suspicious," he stage whispered to Vivvie.
”
”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Long Game (The Fixer, #2))
“
I’m completely library educated. I’ve never been to college. I went down to the library when I was in grade school in Waukegan, and in high school in Los Angeles, and spent long days every summer in the library. I used to steal magazines from a store on Genesee Street, in Waukegan, and read them and then steal them back on the racks again. That way I took the print off with my eyeballs and stayed honest. I didn’t want to be a permanent thief, and I was very careful to wash my hands before I read them. But with the library, it’s like catnip, I suppose: you begin to run in circles because there’s so much to look at and read. And it’s far more fun than going to school, simply because you make up your own list and you don’t have to listen to anyone. When I would see some of the books my kids were forced to bring home and read by some of their teachers, and were graded on—well, what if you don’t like those books?
I am a librarian. I discovered me in the library. I went to find me in the library. Before I fell in love with libraries, I was just a six-year-old boy. The library fueled all of my curiosities, from dinosaurs to ancient Egypt. When I graduated from high school in 1938, I began going to the library three nights a week. I did this every week for almost ten years and finally, in 1947, around the time I got married, I figured I was done. So I graduated from the library when I was twenty-seven. I discovered that the library is the real school.
”
”
Ray Bradbury
“
That’s the life, she said to me, as we watched a puppy chase its own tail. That’s what I want to be next. I had laughed. You would wind up as a cat, I told her. They don’t need anyone else. I need you, she replied. Well, I said. Maybe I’ll come back as catnip.
”
”
Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper)
“
Hey, Catnip,” says Gale. My real name is Katniss, but when I first told him, I had barely whispered it. So he thought I’d said Catnip. Then when this crazy lynx started following me around the woods looking for handouts, it became his official nickname for me. I finally had to kill the lynx because he scared off game. I almost regretted it because he wasn’t bad company. But I got a decent price for his pelt.
”
”
Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1))
“
My first lessons were to respect all life, protect Mother Earth, and nurture the plants and herbs. I look whenever I go home to the Reservation to see if comfrey, fennel, catnip, rosemary, and many of the plants that we care for are still growing in the backyard. Sure enough, they are always there, reminding me that life does go on.
”
”
J.T. Garrett (Medicine of the Cherokee: The Way of Right Relationship (Folk wisdom series))
“
He’d been lurking in the shadows, a catnip mouse nearby, fresh teeth marks dimpling its damp surface. Even cats cut loose on Saturday night.
”
”
Abbi Waxman (Adult Assembly Required)
“
Wasn't growing catnip in one's yard the kitty equivalent of giving candy to children?
”
”
Caroline Paul (Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology)
“
If you don’t talk to your cat about catnip, who will? —SIGN AT DEL SOL VETERINARY CLINIC
”
”
Darynda Jones (A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, #2))
“
Hey, Catnip,” says Gale.
”
”
Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1))
Cindy Vincent (The Case of the Jewel Covered Cat Statues (The Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers #3))
“
Mix the blood with the catnip and the frosting and put it on the cake. Then you will eat it.
”
”
Rita J. Webb (Breaking Angelina (Paranormal Investigation, #2))
“
fascination that made Vatican Council II appeal to Conor as catnip
”
”
Malachi Martin (Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans)
“
Hopefully Alice had some catnip at her place. Otherwise, I might’ve just throttled the shifter before I killed him.
”
”
Maya Daniels (Black Hand (Infernal Regions for the Unprepared, #1))
“
No,” Aly said. “There is absolutely no way. What did you do? Cover yourself in catnip? He hates men.” Now, why did that little piece of information suddenly make me feel so special?
”
”
Navessa Allen (Lights Out)
“
There was something about Lea, this power or strength that lurked below the surface of her small, fragile frame. He wanted to grab that strength, roll around in it like a cat in catnip.
”
”
Megan Erickson (Make it Right (Bowler University, #2))
“
FM poked at her own fish, then took a bite. “This is delicious.” “Eh,” Nedd said, settling down cross-legged on the sand by Kimmalyn. “It’s a little fishy.” FM blinked at him. “It is literally fish.” “Right,” Nedd said. “But…fishy fish.” “Totally,” Catnip said. “I hate it when my food adjectives its own noun.” “Exactly,” Nedd said. “It’s like the Saint says,” Kimmalyn added. “You are what you eat.
”
”
Brandon Sanderson (Evershore (Skyward, #3.1))
“
Harold,' she would say, 'do you think I'm a fool? If I place the Crimson Diamond in any safe-deposit vault in New York, somebody will steal it, sooner or later.' Then she would nibble a sprig of catnip and peer cunningly at me.
”
”
Robert W. Chambers
“
Sometimes when you feel like a piece of garbage, or an alien from another planet, or more like a weapon than a real person, you have to be nice to yourself to remember how to feel human again. It's like taking care of a pet. You like cats, right? If you had a cat I know you would be buying it catnip and cat toys and fancy all-meat cat food and some kind of crazy deluxe cat bed. You'd be petting it all the time, and brushing its fur out every day so it was all fluffy and everything, right? Even if you were feeling like shit you'd take care of the cat, because that's just what you have to do when you have responsibility for an innocent animal that can't take care of itself.”
“I'm the c-cat?”
“Yeah, you're the cat.
”
”
Spitandvinegar (Ain't No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) (Ain't No Grave, #2))
“
That's the life, she said to me, as we watched a puppy chase its own tail. That's what I want to be next.
I had laughed. you would wind up as a cat, I told her. They don't need anyone else.
I need you, she replied.
Well, I said. Maybe I'll come back as catnip.
”
”
Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper)
“
Help is what they offer but gratitude is what they want, they roll around in it like cats in the catnip. He wishes to go home and say to himself, I stuck in my thumb and pulled out the plum, what a good boy am I. But I will not be anybody’s plum. I say nothing.
”
”
Margaret Atwood (Alias Grace)
“
That is how they get in through the door. Help is what they offer but gratitude is what they want, they roll around in it like cats in the catnip. He wishes to go home and say to himself, I stuck in my thumb and pulled out the plum, what a good boy am I. But I will not be anybody's plum. I say nothing.
”
”
Margaret Atwood (Alias Grace)
“
When faced with high-risk situations, Hitler’s instinct was almost always to take the leap. Action was his aphrodisiac, his catnip, his default. His impetuosity often overwhelmed all other considerations, as the world would later learn, to its horror and sorrow. Hitler had whipped his audiences, as well as himself, into a frenzy of expectation. His increasingly grandiose self-image demanded that he go for the bold stroke.
”
”
Peter Ross Range (1924: The Year That Made Hitler)
“
Scared?”
Terrified. “Of you? Nah. If you grow claws, I might get my sword, but I’ve fought you in your human shape.” It took all my will to shrug. “You aren’t that impressive.”
He cleared the distance between us in a single leap. I barely had time to jump to my feet. Steel fingers grasped my left wrist. His left arm clasped my waist. I fought, but he outmuscled me with ridiculous ease, pulling me close as if to tango.
“Curran! Let . . . “
I recognized the angle of his hip but I could do nothing about it. He pulled me forward and flipped me in a classic hip-toss throw. Textbook perfect. I flew through the air, guided by his hands, and landed on my back. The air burst from my lungs in a startled gasp. Ow.
“Impressed yet?” he asked with a big smile.
Playing. He was playing. Not a real fight. He could’ve slammed me down hard enough to break my neck. Instead he had held me to the end, to make sure I landed right.
He leaned forward a little. “Big bad merc, down with a basic hip toss. In your place I’d be blushing.”
I gasped, trying to draw air into my lungs.
“I could kill you right now. It wouldn’t take much. I think I’m actually embarrassed on your behalf. At least do some magic or something.”
As you wish. I gasped and spat my new power word. “Osanda.” Kneel, Your Majesty.
He grunted like a man trying to lift a crushing weight that fell on his shoulders. His face shook with strain. Ha-ha. He wasn’t the only one who got a boost from a flare.
I got up to my feet with some leisure. Curran stood locked, the muscles of his legs bulging his sweatpants. He didn’t kneel. He wouldn’t kneel. I hit him with a power word in the middle of a bloody flare and it didn’t work. When he snapped out of it, he would probably kill me.
All sorts of alarms blared in my head. My good sense screamed, Get out of the room, stupid! Instead I stepped close to him and whispered in his ear, “Still not impressed.”
His eyebrows came together, as a grimace claimed his face. He strained, the muscles on his hard frame trembling with effort. With a guttural sigh, he straightened.
I beat a hasty retreat to the rear of the room, passing Slayer on the way. I wanted to swipe it so bad, my palm itched. But the rules of the game were clear: no claws, no saber. The second I picked up the sword, I’d have signed my own death warrant.
He squared his shoulders. “Shall we continue?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
He started toward me. I waited, light on my feet, ready to leap aside. He was stronger than a pair of oxen, and he’d try to grapple. If he got ahold of me, it would be over. If all else failed, I could always try the window. A forty-foot drop was a small price to pay to get away from him.
Curran grabbed at me. I twisted past him and kicked his knee from the side. It was a good solid kick; I’d turned into it. It would’ve broken the leg of any normal human.
“Cute,” Curran said, grabbed my arm, and casually threw me across the room. I went airborne for a second, fell, rolled, and came to my feet to be greeted by Curran’s smug face. “You’re fun to play with. You make a good mouse.”
Mouse?
“I was always kind of partial to toy mice.” He smiled. “Sometimes they’re filled with catnip. It’s a nice bonus.”
“I’m not filled with catnip.”
“Let’s find out.”
He squared his shoulders and headed in my direction. Houston, we have a problem. Judging by the look in his eyes, a kick to the face simply wouldn’t faze him.
“I can stop you with one word,” I said.
He swiped me into a bear hug and I got an intimate insight into how a nut feels just before the nutcracker crushes it to pieces. “Do,” he said.
“Wedding.”
All humor fled his eyes. He let go and just like that, the game was over.
”
”
Ilona Andrews (Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2))
“
before he went back to helping the boy. Missing from the Warrior tent were Kalona and Aurox. For obvious reasons, Thanatos had decided the Tulsa community wasn’t ready to meet either of them. I agreed with her. I wasn’t ready for … I mentally shook myself. No, I wasn’t going to think about the Aurox/Heath situation now. Instead I turned my attention to the second of the big tents. Lenobia was there, keeping a sharp eye on the people who clustered like buzzing bees around Mujaji and the big Percheron mare, Bonnie. Travis was with her. Travis was always with her, which made my heart feel good. It was awesome to see Lenobia in love. The Horse Mistress was like a bright, shining beacon of joy, and with all the Darkness I’d seen lately, that was rain in my desert. “Oh, for shit’s sake, where did I put my wine? Has anyone seen my Queenies cup? As the bumpkin reminded me, my parents are here somewhere, and I’m going to need fortification by the time they circle around and find me.” Aphrodite was muttering and pawing through the boxes of unsold cookies, searching for the big purple plastic cup I’d seen her drinking from earlier. “You have wine in that Queenies to go cup?” Stevie Rae was shaking her head at Aphrodite. “And you’ve been drinkin’ it through a straw?” Shaunee joined Stevie Rae in a head shake. “Isn’t that nasty?” “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Aphrodite quipped. “There are too many nuns lurking around to drink openly without hearing a boring lecture.” Aphrodite cut her eyes to the right of us where Street Cats had set up a half-moon display of cages filled with adoptable cats and bins of catnip-filled toys for sale. The Street Cats had their own miniature version of the silver and white tents, and I could see Damien sitting inside busily handling the cash register, but except for him, running every aspect of the feline area were the habit-wearing Benedictine nuns who had made Street Cats their own. One of the nuns looked my way and I waved and grinned at the Abbess. Sister Mary Angela waved back before returning to the conversation she was having with a family who were obviously falling in love with a cute white cat that looked like a giant cottonball. “Aphrodite, the nuns are cool,” I reminded her. “And they look too busy to pay any attention to you,” Stevie Rae said. “Imagine that—you may not be the center of everyone’s attention,” Shaylin said with mock surprise. Stevie Rae covered her giggle with a cough. Before Aphrodite could say something hateful, Grandma limped up to us. Other than the limp and being pale, Grandma looked healthy and happy. It had only been a little over a week since Neferet had kidnapped and tried to kill her, but she’d recovered with amazing quickness. Thanatos had told us that was because she was in unusually good shape for a woman of her age. I knew it was because of something else—something we both shared—a special bond with a goddess who believed in giving her children free choice, along with gifting them with special abilities. Grandma was beloved of the Great Mother,
”
”
P.C. Cast (Revealed (House of Night #11))
“
I wonder if he still hates me,” Silas says as the cat edges out from the couch, pale green eyes like little limes in the dark. As if to answer Silas’s question, Screwtape takes a flying leap onto his lap and begins to purr wildly.
“I’m not falling for this anymore,” Silas says firmly. He moves to push Screwtape away, but as soon as his palms are within a few inches of Screwtape’s wild fur, the cat extends his claws into Silas’s thighs. Silas winces and muffles a yelp.
“Need some help?” I say, trying to hide my laughter.
“That’d be great,” he answered tensely. I hurry over and scoop Screwtape into my arms. The cat instantly melts against me and rubs his face against mine, the scent of catnip on his breath. I crinkle my nose.
“Thanks.” Silas sighs in relief. “I can hunt wolves, but it’s a cat I can’t handle. Not terrible manly of me, is it?”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I answer with a soft smile that he returns.
”
”
Jackson Pearce (Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings, #1))
“
From the early stages of his campaign and right into the Oval Office, Donald Trump has spoken harshly about the institutions and principles that make up the foundation of open government. In the process, he has systematically degraded political discourse in the United States, shown an astonishing disregard for facts, libeled his predecessors, threatened to “lock up” political rivals, referred to mainstream journalists as “the enemy of the American people,” spread falsehoods about the integrity of the U.S. electoral process, touted mindlessly nationalistic economic and trade policies, vilified immigrants and the countries from which they come, and nurtured a paranoid bigotry toward the followers of one of the world’s foremost religions.
To officials overseas who have autocratic tendencies, these outbursts are catnip. Instead of challenging anti-democratic forces, Trump is a comfort to them--a provider of excuses.
”
”
Madeleine K. Albright (Fascism: A Warning)
“
Another howl ruptured the quiet, still too far away to be a threat. The Beast Lord, the leader, the alpha male, had to enforce his position as much by will as by physical force. He would have to answer any challenges to his rule, so it was unlikely that he turned into a wolf. A wolf would have little chance against a cat. Wolves hunted in a pack, bleeding their victim and running them into exhaustion, while cats were solitary killing machines, designed to murder swiftly and with deadly precision. No, the Beast Lord would have to be a cat, a jaguar or a leopard. Perhaps a tiger, although all known cases of weretigers occurred in Asia and could be counted without involving toes.
I had heard a rumor of the Kodiak of Atlanta, a legend of an enormous, battle-scarred bear roaming the streets in search of Pack criminals. The Pack, like any social organization, had its lawbreakers. The Kodiak was their Executioner. Perhaps his Majesty turned into a bear. Damn. I should have brought some honey.
My left leg was tiring. I shifted from foot to foot . . .
A low, warning growl froze me in midmove. It came from the dark gaping hole in the building across the street and rolled through the ruins, awakening ancient memories of a time when humans were pathetic, hairless creatures cowering by the weak flame of the first fire and scanning the night with frightened eyes, for it held monstrous hungry killers. My subconscious screamed in panic. I held it in check and cracked my neck, slowly, one side then another.
A lean shadow flickered in the corner of my eye. On the left and above me a graceful jaguar stretched on the jutting block of concrete, an elegant statue encased in the liquid metal of moonlight.
Homo Panthera onca. The killer who takes its prey in a single bound.
Hello, Jim.
The jaguar looked at me with amber eyes. Feline lips stretched in a startlingly human smirk.
He could laugh if he wanted. He didn’t know what was at stake.
Jim turned his head and began washing his paw.
My saber firmly in hand, I marched across the street and stepped through the opening. The darkness swallowed me whole.
The lingering musky scent of a cat hit me. So, not a bear after all.
Where was he? I scanned the building, peering into the gloom. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the walls, creating a mirage of twilight and complete darkness. I knew he was watching me. Enjoying himself.
Diplomacy was never my strong suit and my patience had run dry. I crouched and called out, “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.”
Two golden eyes ignited at the opposite wall. A shape stirred within the darkness and rose, carrying the eyes up and up and up until they towered above me. A single enormous paw moved into the moonlight, disturbing the dust on the filthy floor. Wicked claws shot forth and withdrew. A massive shoulder followed, its gray fur marked by faint smoky stripes. The huge body shifted forward, coming at me, and I lost my balance and fell on my ass into the dirt. Dear God, this wasn’t just a lion. This thing had to be at least five feet at the shoulder. And why was it striped?
The colossal cat circled me, half in the light, half in the shadow, the dark mane trembling as he moved. I scrambled to my feet and almost bumped into the gray muzzle. We looked at each other, the lion and I, our gazes level. Then I twisted around and began dusting off my jeans in a most undignified manner.
The lion vanished into a dark corner. A whisper of power pulsed through the room, tugging at my senses. If I did not know better, I would say that he had just changed.
“Kitty, kitty?” asked a level male voice.
I jumped. No shapechanger went from a beast into a human without a nap. Into a midform, yes, but beast-men had trouble talking.
“Yeah,” I said. “You’ve caught me unprepared. Next time I’ll bring cream and catnip toys.”
“If there is a next time.
”
”
Ilona Andrews (Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1))
“
Sage. The sage in the pot had the same name as the wild plant that grew prolifically in New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation and throughout the Southwest. She knew the culinary sage in the kitchen was cousin to peppermint, catnip, and oregano—all characterized by square stems and aromatic leaves. The sagebrush outside had daisies, asters, and ragweed in its close family ties. Same name, but different genetics. Then she thought of the new FBI person, Sage Johnson. Were her parents thinking of sagebrush or cooking when they named her? Or did they expect that she’d be a wise woman, a different sort of sage. The name made her curious.
”
”
Anne Hillerman (Cave of Bones (Leaphorn & Chee, #22))
“
Catnip: Love bite from an exuberant feline
”
”
Globe Digests (Cat Talk A Lighthearted Look at Living with Cats)
“
Herbs for Cats Dill and catnip are excellent herbs to offer fresh to your cat.
”
”
Editors of Storey Publishing's Country Wisdom Bulletins (Country Wisdom Almanac: 373 Tips, Crafts, Home Improvements, Recipes, and Homemade Remedies (Wisdom & Know-How))
“
Consider contemporary Christian radio for a moment. No doubt you’ve preset a few of your dials to your local contemporary Christian stations. A sad and tattered promotion for churches shows up on the radio in every city in America. We’ve all heard it. It goes something like this. Are you tired of traditional church? Do you feel out of place when you attend? Do the messages make you feel guilty? Are you looking for something positive? Are you looking for messages that are relevant? Are you looking for a place where you can belong? You’re not alone in your frustration. Church does not have to be boring. Church does not have to be complicated. Come and join us at the Suburban Church, where you can come as you are. It’s a church designed with you in mind. We have six service times, including two on Saturday night. Or you can stay home and watch in your pajamas. This stuff is like catnip for suburban evangelical Christians. It drives me crazy. It makes me shout at my steering wheel. Seriously, it’s absurd. Unrelenting offers like this make up the bizarre Christian subculture I’m describing. This ad is opposed to a biblical view of the church in every possible way. You should not find it appealing. You should find it offensive. Just think through it. Consider the logic of removing a sense of conviction from church. It’s convoluted. The only way a church can avoid causing feelings of conviction is to avoid the gospel all together.
”
”
Byron Forrest Yawn (Suburbianity: What Have We Done to the Gospel? Can We Find Our Way Back to Biblical Christianity?)
“
Joanie was everything I wasn’t. She knew who she was and what she wanted, and for someone like me, who didn’t know either, that was like catnip. That energy ran in Joanie’s family.
”
”
Michael K. Williams (Scenes from My Life: A Memoir)
“
Mediocrity. I tell all my kittens as I pummel their tiny heads with my sandpaper tongue that smells like an eclectic medley of fish. They hear of scratching posts and leather furniture and catnip and Science Diet and the extraordinary pleasure of yarfing on a Persian rug and the magical kkkkkkrrrkkk of a can opening. Because we tell our blue-eyed kittens what to fear and what to love, what is a warm sun spot and what is sinister and menacing, like cucumbers. We must remember the Mediocre Servants when they were less rotten. Dee stroked my head and allowed me to chew on her arm. I claimed her by rubbing my face on her finger. This is a binding contract of ownership, throughout the universe, in perpetuity. I feel change coming in the way the wind whips against my whiskers. I see playful patterns in the rainbow light. I will Dee to live on, the last, the one with eyes that see everything like Genghis. And frankly, one day Dee will be all grown up and able to make cheese. Really, it’s all about the fucking cheese. Mediocre Servants have never been perfect, but they were once a damn sight better and I’m god enough to admit it—I miss them. So now I’m here and I’m not afraid of what’s next. Oh, and I brought some fucking backup with me.
”
”
Kira Jane Buxton (Feral Creatures (Hollow Kingdom #2))
“
your cat to explore. It should be convenient for you to access, too, and away from lots of traffic so the cat has a private place to retreat. Leave the top portion of the carrier open or take it off completely, and let him sniff it inside and out. Consider some “second story” locations, so that your kitten has the added allure of an elevated lookout. Take a cue from your cat’s current favorite hangouts, and offer a location he already loves. Many cats love warm sunny spots, so a window view could be a great location. Don’t make a big deal of it. Make It A Happy Place. Place a snuggly kitty blanket inside, or even a fuzzy shirt that YOU have worn. That associates the carrier with your familiar and trusted scent. Adding a spritz of a feline facial pheromone product like Feliway also may help. Add A Toy or Game. Toss a toy inside to create positive experiences with the crate. Ping Pong balls are great fun inside the hard crates. Offer a catnip toy to make points with reluctant cats. Lure your kitten inside with a chase-the-red-dot laser game, or flick a feather toy in and out and let him catch it, once he’s inside. Reserve his favorite toy to use only near or inside
”
”
Amy Shojai (Complete Kitten Care)
“
He was an engaged father. All his children were now adults — he was a grandfather, after all — but he once told me that making his children behave was like herding cats after a big bout of catnip play. The visual stuck and always made me chuckle. Braden shot his father a dirty look.
”
”
Amanda M. Lee (Only the Lost (Death Gate Grim Reapers, #3))
“
Valerian, hops, cramp bark, catnip, and lobelia are all acrid; boneset, blessed thistle, wild lettuce, and blue vervain are nauseant bitters.
”
”
Matthew Wood (The Earthwise Herbal, Volume II: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants)
“
Anna is feline, and my pheromones are catnip.
”
”
Sophie Lark (The Heir (Kingmakers, #1))
“
but the mind can only handle so much awe before it yawns and reaches for a different sort of catnip. Even the Grand Canyon is only grand for a little while. After that it’s just another detour on your way to a cold drink.
”
”
Daniel Schwabauer (Maxine Justice: Galactic Attorney)
“
At Doodlets, a funny little shop crammed full of gifts with cat motifs, I get Bitsy a pot holder with a cat face on it and a set of catnip toys for Minka. I buy two rolls of cat wrapping paper, and while Jane is off searching for gifts for her family, I bought her a cat mobile, to hang in her room.
”
”
Judy Blume (Tiger Eyes)
“
After Lauren disappeared, the police and the media saw what they wanted to see: a young, beautiful wife and mother who had married her high school sweetheart and settled in their hometown.
She should have been cable news catnip, the pretty white girl from a good family whom viewers could ogle and pity at the same time.
But this is what I've learned: the dead or missing girl is never the subject of the story. Sometimes she's not even the object. She is the circumstance, the accident, the nexus through which vectors cross. No one really knows her, not even the people who were closest to her in life. She becomes a stranger when you realize that her last moments were incomprehensible, an abyss you can't fathom.
”
”
Polly Stewart (The Good Ones)
“
Honestly, she was a little bit embarrassed by her love for the books. The moving stories, all filled with happily ever afters made her so happy. They were her secret addiction, her catnip, the way she was able to sleep at night. They were how she’d gotten through the last three years.
”
”
Shelley Shepard Gray (A Perfect Amish Romance (Berlin Bookmobile Series, The Book 1))
“
Again, it is common knowledge that the movement against the fluoridation of municipal water supplies has been catnip for cranks of all kinds, especially for those who have obsessive fear of poisoning.
”
”
Richard Hofstadter (The Paranoid Style in American Politics: An Essay: from The Paranoid Style in American Politics (Kindle Single) (A Vintage Short))
“
But all the runners were cats. It’s just a lot of running in different directions, some occasionally hissing at each other. Someone threw catnip all over the place. It’s frantic. It’s chaos.
”
”
Danielle Stewart (Unearthing Truth (Piper Anderson #7))
“
Dirty, traitorous lust tries to crawl out of my skin, and I have no idea how to stop it.
Jude is catnip for me.
Every reckless and dangerous inch of him is the brand of trouble I love.
It’s the kind that makes me numb. Gives me the kind of adrenaline that blacks out all of the pain, all the memories.
It allows me to just exist.
”
”
Monty Jay (Wrath of an Exile (River Styx Heathens, #1))
“
Herbs and Seasonings Considered Safe For Dogs: Alfalfa Aloe Vera Anise Burdock Basil Calendula Catnip Caraway Seed Chamomile Cinnamon Cilantro Coriander
”
”
Elizabeth A. Patterson (Dog Food Love: Allergy-Free Recipes, Dehydrated Edition: Homemade Dog Food Guide Included)
“
The air was heavy and still, smelling sweet, like clover, and pungent, like the catnip that made Hemingway go nuts.
”
”
Theresa Weir (Cool Shade)
“
By the time I reached a side road to turn the car around, I'd calmed down enough to sing along with the radio. It was the song I'd been singing to Jeffrey a few days ago, only my lyrics were, “I'm all about that mouse, about that mouse, no catnip.
”
”
Murder Most Cozy Publishing (Murder Most Cozy Volume 1)
“
Indifference is like catnip to men.
”
”
Gemma Burgess (Beginner's Luck: A Union Street Novel (Brooklyn Girls (1)))
“
He stood with his arms folded across his chest, a pose that accentuated the hard, supple muscles of both. The angel was like catnip for any woman with a pulse. I made a concentrated effort not to ogle. As
”
”
Ella Summers (Dragon's Storm (Legion of Angels, #4))
“
Limit catnip to once or twice a week.
”
”
Pam Johnson-Bennett (Think Like a Cat)
“
He looked up from the paper he was scribbling on and offered
her a lopsided grin. “Hey, sweet pea. You bring me anything
special?”
The lopsided bit wasn’t odd, but there was something forced
about it. “Got a fresh bag of cat food outside.” Cat food that she’d
bought with the twenty he’d left to pay for his ice cream.
He pushed his makeshift drum set aside and rose with a
stretch. “Words every man dreams of hearing. Make my night if
you say you got catnip too.”
She tried not to giggle. She tried hard.
But she couldn’t help herself. “Extra strength,” she said.
This time, his grin came out bigger, less forced. “Woman of
my dreams.”
“In your dreams,” she said.
”
”
Jamie Farrell (Smittened (Misfit Brides, #3))
“
I think my cats are trying to kill me by putting catnip in my food. I sense disappointment in them when I wake up in the morning.
”
”
David Hammons (The Bean Straw: The Chicken Factor)
“
Akil was one of the Seven Princes of Hell— demon catnip to the likes of me.
”
”
Pippa DaCosta (Beyond the Veil (The Veil, #1))
“
My cute, cheery little flowers are the alien equivalent of catnip for a race called praxiians, and it’s apparently some sort of sex drug.
”
”
Ruby Dixon (When She Purrs (Risdaverse, #3))
“
She's like catnip to a pack of wild cats. It won't end well.
”
”
Emma Cole (The Redemption of Shelby Ann (Twisted Love #2))
“
Joy clearly doesn’t have the same weird, unsettled apprehension I have, because she makes a beeline for him like he’s catnip.
”
”
Hannah Grace (Daydream (Maple Hills, #3))
“
These dragons are lovely, but in the way a kitten high on catnip is lovely.
”
”
Louisa Masters (The Dragon Experiment (Here Be Dragons #3))
“
First of all, you should know that your competition is not the smartest girl in the room, not the prettiest in the room, and certainly not the tallest, richest, or strongest. Your competition is the one who is the most confident. Confident people get what they want, and men are drawn to confident women like cats to catnip
”
”
Karen McQuestion (The Moonlight Child)
“
Offer A Treat. For confident kittens that like exploring in the car, make meal time car time. After he's calm in the car, feed some of his meals in the car for a week, or offer very high-value treats that kitty gets at no other time. If your cat is more motivated by play or catnip, indulge him with favorites during the car times. He should learn that only these good things in life happen when you're near or inside the car. Add the Crate. You should be combining the crate training with car visits. Once kitty accepts the car as his territory, place him in his carrier, set it on the back seat (away from air bag danger), and start the car. Then turn off the motor and take him out without going anywhere. Do this three or four times during the day until the cat takes it as a matter of course. Each time, you'll give him lots of play or other rewards once he's released from the crate. Start The Car. Finally, after you start the car, open the garage door (if that’s where your car is), and back the car to the end of the driveway and stop. Do this two or three times in a day, always letting the pet out after you return. If the pet cries or shows stress, you may be moving too fast for him. The garage door is noisy, after all, and the movement of the car feels odd. The process takes forever, but it works. Increase The Time. Continue increasing the car-time by increments: a trip around the block and then home, then a trip down the street and back, and so on. Cat calming music CDs may also help during the trip. Make every car trip upbeat and positive so the experience makes the cat look forward to the next trip. Visit The Vet. As mentioned earlier, it’s ideal for your kitten to have visits to the vet that are FUN and result in playing, petting and treats, with no scary or unpleasant experiences. That prepares kitty for the times when a veterinary exam is necessary.
”
”
Amy Shojai (Complete Kitten Care)
“
I don’t begrudge technology; far from it. It’s the catnip of the damned.
”
”
Rachael Eyre (Hello Satan)
“
Rishi found a bag of catnip. He placed it on Marcus’ shoe and basically screamed. “No way. You have an addiction,” Marcus snapped. Rishi hissed and swiped at Marcus’ shoe. He sighed and subconjured the catnip.
”
”
Megan Linski (The Villain Institute (Hidden Legends: Prison for Supernatural Offenders #1))
“
He’d found catnip-filled toys which would likely make the already hyper cat even more batty.
”
”
Dahlia Donovan (All Lathered Up)
“
Catnip? How peculiar. Perhaps you should speak to your head of housekeeping.” “I have to kill you,” Curran said, his voice oddly calm. “That’s the only reasonable solution.
”
”
Ilona Andrews (Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4))
“
Hmphf. I thought my vision was cloudy from all the catnip. I guess it’s a little late to point out that there’s smoke coming from somewhere back in the storage room, huh?
”
”
Kennedy Layne (Charming Blend (Paramour Bay #5))
“
Older men are my catnip and I have such a thing for dominant men who turn into subs in the bedroom.
”
”
K. Sterling (The Last Nanny in Manhattan (Nannies of New York #1))
“
It’s weird. Usually, I wouldn’t bother with a man who doesn’t show me any interest, but with Nikolai, it’s like catnip to me. The more I piss him off, the more my desire for him grows. I swear I’m horny twenty-four-seven because of the man. Maybe it’s because I can’t have him. The heart always wants what it can’t get. Right?
”
”
Michelle Heard (Control Me (Corrupted Royals, #2))
“
God, this scent is my catnip. My pussynip, comes the stupid thought. And now I’m snorting around his perfect cock, choking myself as I laugh at my own joke.
”
”
Emily Rath (That One Night (Jacksonville Rays, #0.5))
“
fresh organic catnip, which looks like grass.
”
”
Addison Moore (Raining Cats and Killers (Country Cottage Mysteries, #17))
“
She's as jumpy as a kitten on a catnip bender.
”
”
J.A. Smith (Saving Emilee)
“
She's as jumpy as a kitten on a catnip bender.
”
”
J.A. Smith (Saving Emilee)