catnip
With catnip and The Cat API it's Caturday everyday in WordPress!
Consider an alternative
catnip shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 70+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (70+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 14 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.4 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & supportDaily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where catnip stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| cats | >100 |
| lolcats | #1 |
| shortcode | >100 |
| the cat api | >100 |
| widget | >100 |
About catnip
From the official readme · v1.0.1Description
catnip enables you to add cute and funny images of random cats in your WordPress theme sidebar or in any page with the catnip shortcode.
Current API functionality built into catnip from The Cat API:
- Currently the only functionality built into catnip is the ability to get 1-100 random images from The Cat API’s “get” method.
This plugin is part of the Free WP Training I offered at UGA. Check out the site for the 4 day training videos and resources.
Installation
This section describes how to install the plugin and get it working.
- Upload
catnipdirectory to the/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
Changelog
1.0.1
- General bug fixes
1.0.0
- Initial release of catnip.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best catnip alternatives
All cats plugins →| Rank | Plugin | Active installs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
No Sub-Category Posts in Loops
Once activated, only posts from the current category are displayed in your loop (no posts…
|
90+ |
| 3 |
CTL Playful Kitty Lite
Add Playful Kitty Lite to CTL Arcade Lite plugin
|
10+ |
FAQ
catnip: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 14, 2026
Is catnip free?
Yes. catnip is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is catnip safe to use in 2026?
catnip shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 70+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
How many websites use catnip?
catnip is active on 70+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 3,181 times since it launched in June 2012. It was downloaded 85 times in the last 30 days.
Does catnip work with WordPress 7.1?
catnip is officially tested up to WordPress 3.4.2, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was catnip last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on June 21, 2012 (14 years ago).
Who makes catnip?
catnip is developed and maintained by Lew Ayotte.
What are the best alternatives to catnip?
The most popular alternatives to catnip are No Sub-Category Posts in Lo… (90+ installs) and CTL Playful Kitty Lite (10+ installs).
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