CBD For Cats: What You Should Know

Posted on by TJ
Giving a cat CBD oil. The text on the image reads "CBD For Cats: A Guide"

Key Takeaways:

  1. Cats who suffer from pain, mobility, and anxiety issues may benefit from long-term, consistent dosing of CBD.
  2. We recommend starting a cat on 1-2mg of CBD per 10 pounds of body weight. 
  3. We don’t know of any unsafe CBD dose for cats, but your cat may experience some unwanted side effects.

Table of Contents:

What is CBD?

CBD is the shortened term for cannabidiol, which is one of the naturally occurring compounds produced by hemp plants. Unlike THC, the intoxicating cannabinoid produced by cannabis plants, CBD is non-psychoactive and generally regarded as safe to give to cats.

CBD comes in many forms: edibles, smokables, topicals, etc. But when we talk about “Kitty CBD” or “Feline CBD,” we’re referring to CBD oil for cats or CBD-infused treats designed for cat consumption. At no point will we suggest sharing a CBD smokable with your cat. 

Is CBD for Cats Safe?

The number one question cat owners ask us here at Sunset Lake is, “Is CBD safe for my cats?” While there are only a handful of studies on the subject, a 2024 study published in Animal Nutrition and Metabolism found that, yes, cats can tolerate long-term daily dosing of CBD. After 26 weeks of continual dosing, nearly all of the cats in the study handled consistent CBD dosing well.1

As with any supplement, CBD can give your cat some side effects, though most will be mild and short-term. Side effects like upset stomach, lethargy, and balance issues can almost always be alleviated by discontinuing CBD use.

How CBD Works

Nearly all animals have a network of signals and receptors in their bodies called the EndoCannabinoid System (shortened to ECS).  This system helps regulate several critical bodily functions like:

  • Learning and memory formation
  • Sleep quality and quantity
  • Temperature regulation
  • Pain control and response
  • Immune system response
  • And more…

All animals produce endocannabinoids to help keep their ECS running. However, sometimes animals, our cats included, could use a little help. Enter phytocannabinoids (meaning “of the plant”) like CBD. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system and helps pick up the slack, ensuring that the functions listed above run more smoothly. 

What can CBD do for Cats?

Stress-related anxiety is one of the most common reasons that folks reach out to us about kitty CBD. It can manifest in your cat as hyperactivity, excessive grooming, change in appetite, marking, furniture destruction, and ultimately turn your house upside down.

While not an FDA-approved medication for cats, CBD may be able to regulate your cat’s destructive behavior by helping them maintain a calmer disposition. However, that’s not all feline CBD is good for. It may also help with the following:

  • Better sleep – CBD can promote better sleep if your cat suffers from chronic health conditions that keep it up. 
  • Better mobility – If your cat is getting older, you may notice its mobility is limited. CBD may be able to help control inflammation and allow your cat to get around a little easier.
  • Pain management and recovery – If your cat is recovering from an injury, you may be able to use feline CBD to help keep your cat more comfortable and bounce back even faster. A team of researchers in Portugal found that CBD significantly improved comfort and reduced inflammation in cats recovering from feline chronic gingivostomatitis operations.2
  • Increased appetite – CBD can help stimulate your cat’s appetite, especially if it’s acclimating to a recent change in your environment.
  • Help manage seizure disorders – While there aren’t cat-specific studies regarding CBD and seizure control, we know that CBD can help manage seizure intensity and frequency in humans and dogs. If we had to make an educated guess, we would think CBD may be able to help your cat, too. But speak to your veterinarian for further instructions.

What’s the Correct CBD Dose for Cats?

Unfortunately, there haven’t been many studies on the optimal CBD dosage for cats. It may take a few weeks of trial and error before you and your cat land on an effective dose.

We recommend starting low and slow, basing your cat’s dose on their weight. Most information online suggests starting your cat on 2-4mg of CBD for every 10 lbs they weigh. For example, if you have a 12-pound cat, you’d want to start them on 2.4mg – 4.8mg. This range is a little high, in our opinion.

We here at Sunset Lake recommend starting your cat on a lower dose to be safe. Start your cat on 1-2mg of CBD per every 10 lbs they weigh. Give your cat this dose every day once per day, ideally at the same time every day for at least two weeks. As your cat acclimates, you can raise their dose.

Is There An Unsafe Dose?

As of this writing, there is no unsafe CBD dose for cats. CBD is nonlethal, even in massive amounts. That said, your cat is likely to experience harsher side effects at higher doses. It’s always better to start your cat off on a smaller dose and increase their dosage incrementally.

The long-term dosing study we referred to earlier found that cats tolerated 4mg/kg well.1 When converted, that equals 18mg per 10 pounds, much higher than our suggested use. At a certain dose, though, your cat will experience diminishing marginal benefits from CBD.

How to Give Your Cat CBD

If you plan on giving your cat a soft chew pre-infused with CBD, this section may not be pertinent. However, if you plan on customizing your cat’s CBD dose with a CBD oil designed for pet use, the next tips will be helpful.

You can give your cat CBD oil a few different ways:

  • Mix it with food – If your cat isn’t picky, you may be able to add your cat’s CBD directly to their food. Wet food is the easiest.
  • Make pre-dosed treats – If you want to make some treats for your feline friend, you can use CBD oil as an ingredient. As long as you don’t expose the treats to temperatures over 356F, the CBD won’t degrade.
  • Make better CBD oil – If your cat doesn’t like the CBD oil’s flavor, you can always mix your CBD oil with salmon oil. Because they are both oil-based, they should homogenize well.
  • Apply to their paws – This tip comes straight from one of our awesome customers. If your cat just will not take their dose of CBD oil, you can try dabbing the back of their paws with oil. They’ll instinctively clean their paws and take their dose.

We don’t recommend:

  • Mixing with water – Especially if you own a running water dish for cats, please don’t put their CBD oil in their water. The oil may end up damaging your running water dish.
  • Direct application – Your cat may not like this method too much. Save yourself the headache. 

How to Find Quality CBD for Your Cat

If you’re ready to buy CBD for your cat, you’ll want to prepare for the world of online CBD sales. It’s the Wild West out there, so heed these tips.

  1. Third-party Lab Tested – This tip is good for any and all CBD products. If the product’s purity and potency haven’t been verified by third-party testing, it isn’t worth your time. Always look at a product’s certificates of analysis. This document should tell you if there are any contaminants, how much CBD is inside, and if there are any other cannabinoids in your product.
  2. Simple Formulations – When shopping for kitty CBD, look for products with simple formulations and simple ingredients list. If the product contains fillers that you wouldn’t want to take yourself, it’s probably best to skip that product.
  3. Positive Customer Reviews – Numerous good product and company reviews are a good signal that the company that you’re dealing with is trustworthy and selling quality products.
  4. CBD. Not Hemp – Last tip: Hemp for cats is different than CBD for cats. A lot of online platforms, like Amazon, do not allow for any CBD. However, you will find plenty of pet hemp products that are designed to look like CBD products. Don’t be tricked; these hemp products contain nothing more than hemp seed oil.

FAQs

Can my cat take too much CBD?

If your cat takes more than their recommended dosage, they will likely experience some unwanted side effects like upset stomach, diarrhea, lethargy, and, in extreme cases, disorientation. These symptoms will subside in a few hours, though. 

Likely, your cat will end up sleeping it off and will wake up right as rain. However, if your cat exhibits side effects for longer than 24 hours, contact your vet.

Can CBD interact with medications?

CBD may interact with your cat’s medications. Only your veterinarian will be able to give you more information.

Can CBD help with my cat’s arthritis?

CBD may help manage your cat’s pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. It will not cure your cat’s arthritis, but it may be worth trying to improve your cat’s mobility.

Can CBD help with my cat’s anxiety?

CBD may be able to help with your cat’s anxiety. Results will vary from cat to cat and situation to situation. In less stressful situations like travel, CBD may be able to help.

Sources:

  1. Coltherd, Jennifer C et al. “Healthy cats tolerate long-term daily feeding of Cannabidiol.” Frontiers in veterinary science vol. 10 1324622. 24 Jan. 2024, doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1324622
  2. Coelho, Joana Chambel et al. “Placebo-Controlled Trial of Daily Oral Cannabidiol as Adjunctive Treatment for Cats with Chronic Gingivostomatitis.” Animals : an open access journal from MDPI vol. 13,17 2716. 26 Aug. 2023, doi:10.3390/ani13172716
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