A white cat found freezing under a snow-covered bush in Toronto was the impetus for Mikey “Fivebucks” White to start providing cats with a better life.
Five years later, White is operating Catnip Dispensary.
Many people mistake the downtown Midland colourful storefront for a cannabis shop. In a way, catnip is kind of like cannabis for cats. Some of the nine strains sold at the 317 King St. store help cats mellow out, while others make them more energetic.
The shop is a feast for the eyes, full of colourful posters representing the catnip varieties and paraphernalia. There are cat hats, wigs, sunglasses, costumes, art, pins, stickers and more.
“Nobody can have a bad time in here. Everybody is laughing. I’ve created the environment I want to be in,” said White, 38, who has lived in Midland for two years.
It all started with Evol, the cat White took into his bachelor apartment in Toronto.
“I found her frozen outside in the snow and I wanted to give her the best life,” he said
He turned his apartment into a cat house and, in the spring, turned his balcony into a “catio.”
White found his cat didn’t react to dried catnip from a store, but she reacted instantly to the first live plant he brought home.
White started experimenting. He discovered through trial and error that hanging catnip to dry for 90 days and curing it in glass jars for another 90 days was the right way to go.
“It preserves all the essential oils and makes it a lot more fresh and potent,” he said.
White was featured on Dragons’ Den in November 2021, when his business was new and he was still in his bachelor apartment. He said producers stay in touch with him.
He opened Catnip Dispensary last October and business is good. He’s had people seek him out from as far away as Ottawa.
Catnip is a perennial in the mint family. It grows naturally all over the world. White figures there are about 250 varieties worldwide.
“I have a huge seed bank as I’ve been collecting seeds from all over the world,” he said.
He has done a lot of travelling and has friends from as far away as Australia and Spain sending him catnip seeds.
White started renting two acres in Tay Township. Work began in June with clearing out the weeds and making garden beds for catnip.
“I have a mini farm getting started. It’s perfect.” he said.
He began with the nine varieties he currently has for sale, but continues to expand the garden varieties.
“I expect to have 20 varieties before the end of the season,” he said.
White continues to experiment.
“When I have a new strain, I have an army of tester cats that I send it all out to. Then they send me videos back. We talk about each one, if it’s more on the energetic side or on the mellow side,” he said.
“Once something really starts to stand out, a pun comes to me and I sketch out the idea.”
He sends his sketches to an artist in the Philippines who creates the posters and packages for him.
The catnip is sold in small packages of one-eighth of an ounce for $10 or $15. White says you only need a pinch at a time.
His top-selling strain to promote exercise is Meower Diesel.
“Ninety per cent of cats find it to be more on the energetic, playful side,” he said.
Freddy Purrcury is the best one for cats that have anxiety and hide.
Purrcatory is an in-between. Some cats have a zoned-out experience alternating with zoomies.
The best calming variety is Critical Mouse, a good one to use before long car rides.
“It kind of helps them shut off and (they) relax and meditate,” White said.
This October will be his first anniversary of the shop opening. He said he’s looking forward to creating a Halloween window front and having the shop filled with cat costumes.
More information about Catnip Dispensary can be found on its website.
