Introduction to CBD benefits for cats
Cats are a very contradictory animal. One second they won’t stop cuddling with you and the next second they will ignore you completely. They are picky eaters who like to lay around and they also love to explore new places and eat strange stuff. And those are the things that make them so adorable and mysterious.
That being said, most of the time, the curious nature of a cat is what could lead them to all sorts of health problems. That’s why keeping a close eye to any possible changes in their behaviour and being extra cautious to their diet is a very crucial thing to do.
CBD-based products claimed to be something that could help keep your cat’s health in check. Not only that, it could also help treat all kinds of ailments. This article will tell you about how CBD could help your cats, the kinds of benefits that you could expect from it, and lots of other things that you need to know about CBD.
What is CBD?
The plant called cannabis, specifically hemp, has two main compounds within it. The psychoactive compound responsible for the feeling of “high” called Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the non-psychoactive compound responsible for the feeling of “calm and relax” called Cannabidiol (CBD).
While THC could be addictive and dangerous, CBD could be highly beneficial both for our physical and mental health. The challenging part is extracting the CBD from the hemp without the THC. And as you might expect, scientists manage to do it but with varying success.
But as the years went by and technology improved, scientists finally managed to create a highly pure extract of CBD. Thanks to this new and improved method, we could finally enjoy various CBD-based products that have been proven to be beneficial for both humans and animals.
How does CBD help cats?
CBD products work by directly affecting the nervous system. Such a feat is possible because in the nervous system of humans and animals, especially mammals, exists something called the endocannabinoid system with millions of endocannabinoid receptors around it.
The Cannabidiol (CBD) will make contact with the endocannabinoid receptors and temporarily affect the nervous system. While the effect would only work temporarily, but for some ailments it would mean the difference between an intense pain and the feeling of calm.
The effect will more or less work the same way on every mammal, be it dogs, cats, horses, or any other kinds of mammals. Further research may provide more insight into the possibility of CBD working on other types of animals other than mammals.
What kind of benefits can your cat get from CBD?
Due to its nature of connecting directly to your endocannabinoid receptors and therefore affecting the nervous system, CBD could offer lots of different health benefits for your cat. Some of it has been proven by science while other comes from experiences of other people who’ve been using CBD for a long time.
CBD for cat seizures
1. Seizures, especially on epilepsy, is one of the main ailments that CBD could treat. There has been lots of research to back up this statement. As a matter of fact, even the FDA has formally approved and recognized the use of CBD to help treat epilepsy.
CBD for cats with anxiety
2. As mentioned before, CBD is the one that is responsible for elevating the feeling of calm and relaxation. Therefore, it makes CBD one of the best natural anti-anxiety compounds that you could use. That’s why CBD has been used to help treat patients with problems like panic attacks, PTSD, and many more.
CBD for pain-management in cats
3. Similar to its ability to induce the anti-anxiety effect, CBD could also help with pain-management of your body. This is especially useful for patients who suffer intense pain due to chronic illness such as cancer. CBD will help reduce the pain significantly.
CBD to increase the appetite in your cat
4. Some of the things that most people have seen when they use CBD for their pets is an increase in appetite. The reason is because other than the nervous system, CBD could also affect the digestive system, to some extent. But of course, a lack of appetite may indicate a bigger issue, so make sure to talk to your trusted vets about it.
CBD for cats with join problems
5. The anti-inflammatory properties within CBD works perfectly for all kinds of joint problems. You could use it to help treat something chronic like arthritis, or something simple like a sprain, redness, swelling, and a minor bump.
Is CBD safe to use for your cats?
Yes, CBD has been proven to not only be safe to use for your cats, but it also could bring numerous benefits as well. But just like any other kind of medicine, the most important thing is the purity and the dosage. Because if you use an impure CBD or use it more than the required dosage, then it would lead to more problems for your beloved pets.
A pure CBD is one with little to no THC in it. Any trace of THC will bring the psychoactive effect with it. And that could be quite dangerous for your cats. As for the dosage, there are different variables that would affect the amount of CBD that could be consumed at once. Make sure to properly consult your trusted vets to know the right dosage for your cats.
Best CBD product for cats?
There are various CBD products that you could find for your cats in the market right now. But while the packaging may differ, they all have relatively the same benefits inside. The difference is mainly just the delivery method.
You’d find CBD in the form of cat’s foods, cat’s treat, gummies, CBD cream, and many other CBD-based products. But the best one of them all is certainly the CBD oil. You’d get them in a small bottle and use them by dropping the oil into the mouth of your cat. This way, you could easily control the dose of the CBD through the amount of drops that you give.
Conclusion
CBD has been proven to give numerous health benefits to your cats. From anti-anxiety effects to managing pain, CBD could help treat lots of different ailments because of its direct connection to the endocannabinoid system.
But please remember that for now, the FDA reminds us that CBD could only help with the treatment of some illness, not curing it. Another thing that you should look into is the purity and the dosage. That’s why you should always consult with a trusted vet before you give CBD to your cats.