The daily olive

My kitten Bert loves green olives. The juice is like catnip to him. So we have this routine and if I have not initiated the launch sequence by 7pm, he meows at my ankles till I do.

1. Tear paper towel in half.
2. Cut one green olive in quarters, remove pimento.
3. Place 1/4 olive on center of paper towel, with four drips of olive juice.
4. Place olive laden paper towel on floor and watch Bert go.

My kitten loves green olives

I made a sandwich and plopped a couple of green olives on the side for garnish. I chowed down, and after, I pet my cat. She sniffed my fingers and then went crazy. Licking, rubbing, following me to the sink where I washed with soap and tried to get way from my crazy kitten.

The next day I gave him a quarter of an olive, and he ate it! Then licked and rubbed the paper towel I'd laid it on, then tore it up and rolled in the shreds. It was like catnip to him.

I googled the query and asked if this was a really weird thing, like, did I end up with another weird cat? Naw, seems it's fairly common. Same with cantaloupe.
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"I've heard of this before. Frankly, I'm not sure why some cats react to olives as though it is catnip. It must be something to do with the scent and perhaps something used in the oil to flavor/can the olives. Cats react to the volatile oil in the leaves of catnip and release the oil-scent into the air by biting, rolling on, and crushing the leaves. Perhaps the special oil in Spanish olives tickles the kitty brain in the same fashion."