Catmint

The other day I had picked some mint from the garden to make mint tea. Since I wasn't ready to use it yet, I put it in some water on the counter. A while late, my kitten jumped on the counter (as he does often). When he saw the mint, his eyes went wide. Then he hooked it with one paw and carried it to the floor.

Once in his possession, he chewed it, tossed it around, shredded it, and just generally enjoyed the life out of it. My older cat entered the room, saw the mint, and grabbed some for himself.

I've heard of catnip, but I never heard that regular spearmint would invoke this kind of reaction in felines. Anybody else?