Design your Croissant
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Creating the most durable and healthy cat toys
Every Croissant combines premium reinforced fabric, high-quality catnip, and handmade craftsmanship to keep your cat engaged and relaxed all day.
Triple Herb Blend
Certified organic Nepeta cataria, silvervine and valerian root — three herbs, two distinct chemical pathways. The blend is designed to reach cats that a single-herb toy simply cannot.
Reinforced Organic Cotton
Double-stitched seams on certified organic cotton. Designed to withstand real play — not fall apart after three sessions like a standard toy.
Hand-Stitched in France
Designed and made in small batches, by hand, each Croissant is individually stitched using haute-couture savoir faire, to create a durable and long-lasting product.
Potency That Lasts Months
Because the blend works through complementary compounds — nepetalactone and actinidine — its potency is sustained far longer than a single-herb toy. Months, not days.
Enhanced Play
Built for active cats, helping reduce stress while encouraging healthy movement. The croissant shape invites carrying, bunny-kicking, and tossing — replicating natural prey behaviour in a toy your cat will return to.
No Plastic. No Dyes.
Every material is cat-safe. No synthetic colorants, no pesticides, synthetic additives, or diluted filler, no plastic components, no small parts. Safe to bat around, carry, and kick.
How it compares
More potent, healthier and longer lasting
Most catnip toys are made cheaply and sold cheaply — and cats lose interest in days. Here's how The Croissant compares on what actually matters.
| Feature |  | Other Catnip Toys |
|---|---|---|
| Herb Blend | 3 organic herbs, 2 chemical pathways | Single herb — unresponsive for 1 in 3 cats |
| Herb Quality | Certified organic, pesticide-free | Often diluted or synthetic-treated |
| Herb Quantity | Minimum 20g | Less than 4g |
| Fabric | 100% organic cotton | Polyester, plastic, synthetic dyes |
| Construction | Hand-stitched, reinforced seams | Machine-sewn, thin seams |
| Potency Duration | Months — complementary compounds | Days to weeks, fades quickly |
| Origin | France | Mass-produced, undisclosed origin |
| Cat-safe | No plastic, no dyes, no small parts | Varies; often plastic components |
The science behind it
Three herbs.
Two chemical pathways.
The Croissant combines three herbs that act on a cat's olfactory system through two distinct mechanisms — which is why the blend reaches cats that a single-herb toy cannot.
The first mechanism is nepetalactone. Nepeta cataria (catnip) contains nepetalactone, a volatile compound that binds to feline olfactory receptors and triggers a temporary euphoric response. Around two in three cats carry the hereditary sensitivity to this compound.
The second mechanism is actinidine. Silvervine (Actinidia polygama) and valerian root (Valeriana officinalis) both contain actinidine — a structurally distinct compound that operates independently of nepetalactone. Research published in BMC Veterinary Research found that approximately 75% of cats that do not respond to catnip do respond to silvervine. The valerian adds a third, complementary olfactory signal through the same actinidine pathway.
1 in 3
cats cannot respond to catnip alone — the trait is hereditary. A single-herb toy is the wrong choice for roughly a third of cats.
75%
of catnip non-responders react to silvervine — per peer-reviewed research (BMC Veterinary Research, 2017) — making it the most effective alternative herb identified to date.
3 herbs
Nepeta cataria · Silvervine · Valerian root — all certified organic, all cat-safe, working through complementary compounds for sustained potency.
Frequently asked
Questions about Ponoto
What is The Croissant by Ponoto?
The Croissant is a hand-stitched cat toy made in France by Ponoto, shaped like a French croissant. It is made from reinforced organic cotton and filled with a blend of three certified organic herbs: Nepeta cataria (catnip), silvervine and valerian root. It contains no synthetic dyes, no plastic parts, and no pesticide-treated materials.
What herbs are used in The Croissant?
The Croissant contains a blend of three certified organic herbs: Nepeta cataria (traditional catnip), silvervine (Actinidia polygama) and valerian root (Valeriana officinalis). All three are pesticide-free, free from synthetic additives, and sourced for potency. Catnip acts via nepetalactone; silvervine and valerian act via actinidine — a separate compound that reaches cats unresponsive to catnip.
Where is The Croissant made?
The Croissant is handmade in France in small batches. Each toy is individually hand-stitched — not mass-produced. The organic cotton and catnip are ethically sourced.
Is it safe for cats?
Yes. The Croissant is made entirely from cat-safe materials: organic cotton and organic catnip. There are no synthetic dyes, no plastic components, and no small detachable parts. Catnip is non-toxic — it produces a temporary, harmless euphoric response and has no long-term health effects.
How long does it last?
The Croissant uses reinforced seams specifically to outlast standard catnip toys. Most mass-produced catnip toys fall apart within days of heavy play. The Croissant is built to withstand regular use. The blend's potency is sustained far longer than a single-herb toy — months, not days.
My cat doesn't respond to catnip. Will this work?
Sensitivity to catnip is hereditary — around 1 in 3 cats do not respond to it. Whether your cat is one of them or not, The Croissant makes an excellent play toy thanks to its blend of three herbs. On top of that, its shape and texture encourage bunny-kicking and carrying.