5 Purrfect Benefits of CBD for Cats
Research reveals that feeling frisky and enjoying an afternoon cat nap isn’t the only similarities cat lovers share with their feline companions.
Like humans and dogs, the feline anatomy is equipped with an endocannabinoid system. Because of this, your cat can experience a variety of health benefits from cannabinoids like CBD.
If that has your whiskers tingling, purr-haps you want to keep reading… we’re about to let the cat out of the bag.
In this article, we’re going to explain how CBD works and explore the many health benefits of CBD for cats.
How CBD Works for Cats
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a network of receptors found throughout the central nervous system and other biological systems that can interact with cannabinoids like CBD and THC.
By influencing these receptors with its anti-inflammatory and antipsychotic properties, studies have shown that CBD can help maintain and improve their functionality, thereby improving the integrity of the systems they regulate.
This interaction is what allows CBD to deliver numerous benefits to cats, such as pain relief, stress management, reduced aggression and more.
Now that you have a general understanding of how CBD works, let’s explore how CBD can help improve the lives of our frisky friends (all nine of them).
5 Health Benefits of CBD for Cats
CBD Can Put a Paws on Arthritis and Joint Pain
It was previously believed that dogs had a higher chance of experiencing arthritis; however, recent studies have shown that cats get arthritis just as frequently as dogs, with higher chances in older cats.
According to a 2011 study, 61% of cats six years or older have arthritis in at least one joint and 82% of cats 14 years or older suffer from arthritis.
This can lead to decreased mobility, constant pain, lack of energy, and all sorts of other symptoms that can make life unpleasant.
While age is inevitable, CBD can help improve the situation.
Packed with powerful anti-inflammatory properties, CBD can help reduce inflammation, while mitigating the spread of further inflammation. In addition, researchers have found that CBD can decrease the perceived level of pain by activating and desensitizing the brain’s vanilloid receptor.
CBD Can Help Alleviate Stress and Anxiety, Right Meow!
Like us, our cats can experience stress and anxiety at varying levels along with many of the same unpleasant symptoms we experience.
Common stressors for cats include changes to their environment, conflicts with other cats, poor human-cat relationships, and health problems or irregularities.
While moderate stress may turn your cat into Mr. Grumpy Cat for a day, prolonged stress can lead to declined health, poor grooming habits, behavioral issues, poor eating habits, and many other issues.
Often times, owners may not notice that their cat is experiencing stress, which amplifies the problem and creates displacement.
Studies have shown that CBD can help alleviate stress and anxiety by moderating cortisol (the stress hormone) production and influencing with receptors in the brain responsible for mood regulation and moderating neurological activity.
By doing so, CBD has shown to help reduce stress levels while improving our brain’s “Fight or Flight response,” or how the brain responds to stress signals.
CBD Can Help Stimulate Your Cat’s “Inner-Garfield”
While your cat shouldn’t eat as much as Garfield, a regular eating habit is important for their health.
A decreased appetite in cats can be caused by a variety of different things, including dental problems, mood-related disorders, and numerous health conditions.
“Poor appetite just means your cat is not feeling well,” explains Dr. Linda Ross, associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Ross notes that, once you identify an eating problem with your cat, try and get to the root of the problem. The issue may be as simple as a change in diet or feeding times or it could be caused by a mood or health issue.
While the issue may vary, CBD can help stimulate your cat’s appetite and can provide relief for some of the possible issues, such as mood disorders, hormonal imbalance, inflamed bowel syndrome, or stress.
CBD is the Cure for a Bad Cat-itude
While the image of the “Grumpy Cat” has been humorized throughout the internet, it can be a serious problem caused by low levels of energy, unbalanced hormones, or other deeper issues.
By alleviating issues that are possibly at the root of the issue, such as health issues, stress, and anxiety, CBD can help improve your cat’s mood-related disorders.
In addition, CBD can work synergistically to maintain homeostasis in the body by interacting with receptors in the brain responsible for regulating mood levels and moderating hormone production.
CBD May Help Reduce Epileptic Seizures for Cats
Like humans, cats can, unfortunately, suffer from epilepsy and experience seizures at varying levels of severity and frequencies.
Seizures occur when there is an abnormal level of electrochemical activity in the brain and are typically caused by brain damage or other brain conditions.
While there is still much research to be done regarding CBD for the treatment of epileptic seizures in felines, specifically, there has been an increasing number of studies on the subject with very promising results.
One of the most well-known studies is a 2015 study by the American Epilepsy Society, in which the researchers confirmed that CBD was effective in reducing both the frequency and severity of seizures, with a median reduction rate of 45.1%.
CBD is the Cat’s Pajamas
With the ability to provide natural relief for numerous conditions, CBD can improve your cat’s overall quality of life and keep them healthier longer.
If that’s not the “Cat’s Pajama’s” I’m not sure what is!
As researchers continue to learn more about this amazing hemp-derived cannabinoid, hopefully, we will uncover more ways CBD can benefit our pets.
Thank you very much for reading our article. I hope it helped to inform you about the many benefits of CBD for cats and added value to your life!
Because research is still inconclusive, we still strongly advise consulting your vet before giving CBD to your cat. While we do aim to provide the most thorough and well-researched information, each person and animal’s body is unique and should be individually assessed.