A True, Embarrassing Story

In my All About Cats Etsy Shop I sell organic catnip toys and non-catnip items like potholders, oven mitts, zipper pouches, plastic bag holders, etc.



Well.... in early December a woman bought a non-catnip item from me to give a friend as a Christmas present. After this item arrived at her home, she opened up the package and her cat immediately began going after it. After she gave the present to her friend, her friend's cats went after it, also :-0



The woman who bought the item convoed me to ask me if it had been near catnip. I replied that I put all my items in separate ziplock bags, but that yes, they were stored in the same bin. Yikes! Somehow the catnip smell was escaping the bags they were in and and permeating through the bags that non-catnip items were in. Now that is potent catnip!

I offered to replace the item, but the woman said she and her friend thought the whole thing was hilarious and didn't want it replaced. In fact one of them bought catnip toys from me after that.

Right after this all happened I began keeping all the catnip toys in two ziplock bags and in the refrigerator. Plus I aired out all the other items. I was sure the problem was solved.

So... I was shocked when another woman convoed me this week to say that her cats were going after the items she had just bought. I had just made them! I offered to make her new items, but she also thought it was funny and didn't want me to replace them. I did, however, send her cats some organic catnip Easter egg toys.

The only thing I can think of that would still be making things smell like catnip is that the catnip smell might have permeated into the bin from when I used to keep catnip toys in the bin. I threw the bin out and now have all non-catnip items stored in something else.



My family thinks this is funny, but I find it embarrassing, and I am worried that this might happen again and that the next customer might not be amused by it.

I've given thought to writing a warning at the bottom of my listings saying something like: "Warning, if you are purchasing non-catnip items, your cats may go after them. I make so many catnip toys that the catnip fragrance may be all over my house." How embarrassing!!!