CBD Benefits For Cats: Can Your Cat Enjoy CBD?

Cats, just like humans, may derive much from taking some CBD oil. That’s right! You can even give CBD to your pets and have them enjoy its many therapeutic benefits. CBD packs potent properties that might be able to prevent anxiety, arthritis, IBS, and some other inflammatory conditions in pets. More and more enthusiasts are now online saying that the compound worked wonders for their pets. You might be understandably hesitant about introducing CBD to your beloved kitty for the first time. But, fear not, understanding what CBD is and how it interacts with your cat’s body will make you see that taking it does just as good as them as they do to you. Keep reading to learn all of CBD benefits for cats your kitty can start enjoying today.

What Is CBD Oil and How It Interacts with A Cat’s Body

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring compound of the cannabis plant. It occurs alongside more than a hundred other cannabinoids, including the infamous tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychoactive but packs plenty of therapeutic properties to improve your pet’s overall health. Manufacturers obtain CBD oil by extracting it from industrial hemp, which has only trace amounts of THC. Thus, hemp does not contain enough THC, the psychoactive compound of cannabis, to get even remotely high.

Like humans and dogs, cats also have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) within them. And just as the case with humans, cats’ ECS is also responsible for regulating various bodily functions. When taking CBD, it will interact quickly and safely with the ECS through the CB1 and CB2 of the ECS. The result of that interaction will be much relief for your cat in a couple of different ways. Introducing CBD into the cat’s ECS will help their body manage discomfort from some conditions and even help deal with digestive disorders. While CBD is virtually harmless to cats, you need to be particularly mindful of the THC levels your CBD oil has. Any oil holding more than 0.3% THC is not something you would want your cat to take. Thus, stick only to high-quality CBD oil if you want your kitty to enjoy only the full CBD benefits for cats.

Which Are The CBD Benefits for Cats?

Upon taking CBD, the interaction of the cannabinoids with the receptors of the ECS will trigger a couple of therapeutic effects. Those effects are:

Pain Relief And Arthritis Management

Arthritis is a common condition that afflicts aging cats. Most cats suffering from it will show signs of pain and not be as playful anymore due to it. Arthritis is, however, much harder to detect in cats, thanks to their flexibility and agile nature. Even veterinaries tend to only diagnose the condition when it’s already in advanced stages. However, giving CBD oil to your aging kitty can help fight off the pain and inflammation coming from arthritis. This is because CBD has potent anti-inflammatory properties, which are quite effective in easing the symptoms of arthritis. It also packs powerful analgesic properties to help ease the pain. Thus, enabling your beloved kitty to move around with ease once again upon regular taking.

Alleviates Stress and Anxiety

Not you nor your cat is immune to stress and anxiety. It takes a keen eye to detect even the slightest signs of a stressed or anxious kitty, though. The most visible symptoms of anxiety in cats include reduced appetite, increased defecation/urination, hiding in odd places, etc. The cat might also suddenly stop using the litterbox as well which is never good news. Granted, these might be symptoms of another underlying, more serious condition. Yet, adding CBD to your cat’s diet can help manage the anxiety while figuring out if there’s anything else to worry about. CBD will help calm their nerves and brain in general, allowing your kitty to relax in no time.

Cats, just like dogs, also get stressed or anxious when subjected to uncomfortable conditions and environments. Leaving your cat in a constrained space agitates and stresses them like it does taking them on a trip. However, a few drops of pure CBD oil just before a trip might be all it needs to be less feisty about it. Your vet might also recommend changing their diet plan to a more balanced one for better, long-lasting effects.

Combat Seizures and Epilepsy

Epilepsy and seizures are not that rare in cats. Epilepsy attacks mostly happen when due to a burst of electrical activity in the brain, causing the cat to shake uncontrollably. This can pose a severe health risk to your cat, and you get the vet to check on your cat if it ever happens. Luckily, research shows CBD might help combat and reduce the frequency of seizures in dogs and cats. CBD will interact with the ECS’ CB1 receptors to subdue the excess of electrical activity in the brain. Soon enough, your cat will have seizures less frequently and with less intensity after taking it.

CBD oil, unlike conventional medication for epilepsy, does not have severe side effects due to it being all-natural. It might also reduce the risk of heart failure, kidney failure, and agitation in cats as well. For epileptic cats, best to use CBD tincture since it’s easier to make them drink it.

Improves Appetite

Lack of appetite in cats isn’t something to take lightly. It might be due to either physical sickness or mood-related disorders. Some cats may also have poor appetite due to recent changes in diet or living environment. Whatever the cause is, you don’t want your cat to go days without food. A few drops of CBD oil under the cat’s tongue might, however, improve their appetite.

Studies show that hormonal imbalance, stress, inflamed bowel symptom, and mood disorders may be why cats develop a decreased appetite. Giving them a few drops of CBD will help restore their appetite for food. Yet, you might want to also book an appointment with a vet if the problem persists. In this case, CBD works by binding on CB2 receptors to trigger increased production of hunger hormones. In addition, its interaction with the cat’s ECS also helps restore hormonal balance as well.

Improved Gut Health

Your cat’s gut health can make or break their overall health. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), for example, is a condition where the nerve endings of the gut inflame. That may be because of the presence of harmful bacteria in the digestive system. It might also be because food passed too quickly or slowly through the digestive tract, which might cause such flare-ups. This condition triggers reduced appetite in cats as they avoid eating for the most part as it might worsen it.

CBD oil packs potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, which may come in handy to manage IBS in cats. It will facilitate faster recovery of the inflamed nerve endings in the gut. Also, it promotes the growth of good gut flora, which expunges harmful bacteria from the digestive tract. If your cat suffers from IBS, some drops of CBD could help them feel and eat well after a while.

CBD For Asthma in Cats

Asthma is one of the most common inflammatory conditions in cats. Symptoms of asthma attacks in cats are almost the same as in humans, mainly an inability to breathe. While most cats suffer from minor symptoms of asthma attacks at some point in their life, chronic asthma is unfortunately quite common. Some cats even require an inhaler to make it through the worst of them. Thanks to its potent anti-inflammatory properties, CBD may help reduce inflammation in the respiratory tracts. Although there’s little official research so far, many enthusiasts attest to seeing remarkable improvement after giving their kitten CBD.

CBD Benefits for Cats – Is it Safe for My Cat?

Cats are particularly sensitive to some foods and supplements, yet, their bodies are rather welcoming of CBD. This is because cats, like all mammals, have an ECS designed to interact with CBD to restore optimal body functions. Giving CBD to your cat, thus, may improve their quality of life while upping their chances of fighting off inflammatory conditions. You, however, should be watchful of CBD products with more than 0.3% THC content. Cats do not respond particularly well to THC. Exposing your cat to THC may trigger a myriad of side effects, some of which might be fatal to them, be careful.

Safe CBD Dosage for Cats

While CBD is generally safe for cats, it’s advisable to start with a low dosage then gradually increase it. This is to minimize the risk of side effects. Experts recommend between 0.1-0.5mg of CBD per kilogram of weight your cat currently has. Studies also show that some cats will start responding and feeling better after a few minutes. Yet, it will take a few days or a week to prove effective against certain chronic conditions. The best way to experience the full CBD benefits for cats buying is from high-quality manufacturers.

This is because you want to be certain it contains no more than 0.3% levels of THC and no other harmful substances. The best way to do this is to do a background check on the manufacturer you are thinking of buying from. CBD Manufacturers require to submit their hemp batches to 3^rd party labs for testing before extraction. The best manufacturers will make the results from those tests public either on their label, website, or both. Make sure to look for them. If you cannot find them, then look for a product from a different manufacturer, your cat deserves only the best, assured quality.