CBD Oil for Cats

Priscilla Pierce
3 min readJun 29, 2018

CBD is a cannabinoid that doesn’t get you high like THC does. It can actually work for many people, cats too.

Cats have an ECS just like we do that offers different functions including sleep, mood, and even pain management, and these receptors can be influenced.

How does it Help Cats

Despite a lot of evidence on the possibility of application of this, this I still a relatively new topic, especially since it’s involving well, felines.

However, there is a growing group of cat owners that use this to benefit their little feline friends.

In cats, CBD can help with the following:

  • Appetite issues
  • Aggression
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Inflammation
  • Pain, infections
  • Lack of energy

Though it’s been studied for plenty of conditions, for most researchers, it’s best for cats if they use it for pain and inflammation, although it can help with other problems as well in cats, depending on how they feel with it.

How to Dose

Cats are smaller than us of course so that means that they will not need as much CBD as we usually need.

If you get a CBD oil specifically for cats, you want to make sure that you look at the recommended dosage, and you can also use regular oils that are used with people, but it needs to be very small.

Most vets recommend that you use up to half a milligram of CBD for each kilogram, sometimes a tenth if they’re very small. Some dosages may vary depending on the issues the cats has. It’s better to start off small though and to see how the cat reacts to this as well.

Is it Safe for Cats?

Yes it is, but you should never give them too much, and if you’re worried about this, talk to a vet to see how you can safely dose them.

This works the same ways that it does in humans, but understand that while it is effective and safe, there it’s a ton of evidence which suggests that it works the same way that it does in humans, so always make sure to error on the side of too little before you give it to them.

Will they get high off of this?

No, just like with humans CBD oil for cats won’t get them high. This is because the molecule that’s a part of a cat’s physiology that affects them doesn’t make this possible. THC is what causes it, but CBD doesn’t offer that, but it instead works with the other receptors that are there and also other internal cannabinoids.

The side Effects?

CBD is something that does cause some side effects in cats, but it’s very few and far between.

You should not see a marked change in your cat and how they act for the most part.

Because it can cause potential side effects in humans though, you should always take it slow, and look at how the cat reacts.

If you suddenly see that the cat is a bit tired and doesn’t have as much energy, note that it’s normal. The best thing to do is start off small, and then slowly work up the dosage as time goes on. There are some rare side effects that come with this which should be mentioned and those are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or sometimes appetite changes, but that’s so few and far between usually that the side effects don’t last a long time and they’re usually mild.

So don’t be afraid to try it with them, just make sure you take it slow.

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