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From epilepsy to anxiety, cats experience much of the same medical conditions humans do. Research into how CBD can benefit cats is only just beginning to bloom.
So far, many of the positive benefits of CBD oil for cats have come from anecdotal and clinical veterinary observations. However, some more recent research papers focus on cats and highlight their potential benefits.
CBD oil is known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-epileptic actions, just to name a few. It influences a vast range of physiological processes, including interacting with the endocannabinoid system, found in both humans and animals.
Through acting on receptors and modulating homeostatic pathways, CBD can influence stress resilience, pain responses, digestion, and immune and nervous system signalling.
Clinical trials translating CBD’s potent therapeutic actions for humans into the context of our feline friends are still in their infancy, but some promising new studies have been published in the past six months.
Vets regularly encounter the question, “Will CBD oil help my cat?”, especially regarding pain or mobility issues.
From human and other animal studies, including dogs with pain from osteoarthritis, we know that CBD oil can reduce pain scores and inflammation, as well as improve mobility and quality of life.
CBD is shown to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects as outlined in “The role of cannabinoids in pain modulation in companion animals” published in 2023. So, we can presume that it may also be beneficial for other health concerns causing pain in cats.
A recent placebo-controlled study evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of a commercially available cannabidiol (CBD) oral formulation as an adjunctive treatment for pain management of feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS).
The study’s results were that cat owners involved in the study noticed a significantly higher level of comfort and activity following CBD administration as part of a multimodal approach to FCGS. It concluded that CBD was beneficial and safe for cats when administered in vet-prescribed doses for this condition.
Another paper from 2023 reports on the efficacy of CBD and THC for a cat with chronic osteoarthritic pain.
Whether moving to a new home, travelling or adjusting to another animal or child in the house, cats may showcase anxiety through excessive vocalisation or grooming, arched back, urine spraying and destructive behaviour to name a few. Each cat will exhibit anxiety behaviours in its own unique way but through observation and discussion with its owner it can be identified.
CBD interacts with hormones and neurotransmitters attributable to anxiety behaviours and may reduce anxiety in pets.
When it comes to cats, there is sparse research, with most knowledge coming from veterinary doctors clinical experience internationally.
However, recently (Feb 2024), a new paper was published following a study of 10 healthy domestic cats and their attachment to their caregivers using a Secure Base Test (SBT).
As part of the study, they administered CBD to some of the cats and a placebo to others. The aim was to see how CBD helped the cats’ separation anxiety when they were taken away from their caregivers.
What they found, they believe, is the first demonstration of the anxiolytic effects of CBD on feline response to a brief separation.
The findings offer some evidence for cat owners that CBD may be a useful option for anxiety in cats.
Lately, regulations have become less restrictive, allowing for more research to be conducted on cats’ well-being and even CBD for feline cognitive dysfunction.
In the past five years, there have been a handful of safety trials on CBD oil involving cats. Cats seem to show poorer absorption, lower serum concentrations and faster elimination of CBD than dogs.
At doses of 2mg of CBD oil per kilo bodyweight, twice daily, the main side effects cats showed were excessive licking, head shaking, and less commonly, pacing and chomping. Food consumption and body weight weren’t affected by CBD in cats and unlike dogs, cats don’t seem to exhibit any gastrointestinal side effects to CBD oil treatment, although they can experience some vomiting.
This randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled study tested the long-term safety and tolerability of daily CBD administration to cats. It was found that THC-free CBD at a dose of 4mg/kg body weight was absorbed into plasma and well-tolerated by healthy cats when given over a 26 week period.
Further research is warranted to look at the effects of THC in cats, so considering current knowledge, it would be prudent if cats were prescribed CBD isolate preparations.
Many CBD products sold online without a prescription have not been tested for their cannabinoid content and may contain additives that could be harmful to cats. CBD may be prescribed safely but always under the guidance of a medical cannabis-informed vet.
This recent study (2023) compared the oral administration of pure CBD in cats in a fasted and fed state. A statistically significant difference was noted between the fed and fasted absorption levels, suggesting that CBD should be given shortly after a meal.
Many vets continue to be hesitant to consider medical cannabis as a veterinary medicine. This is understandable given decades of stigma and potentially hands-on experience treating pets who have accidentally ingested toxic amounts of cannabis.
Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence abounds on the internet, and more vets are becoming educated on why and how to use CBD for a cat’s health.
While anecdotes and clinic observation may inform future research, it’s important that CBD be prescribed and monitored by a vet for the safety and well-being of any animal administered.
CBD Vets Australia provides extensive education to veterinary doctors and vet teams on prescribing legal CBD oil for pets, including cats.
Learn more on their website or email info@cbdvetsaustralia.com.au
Dr Chris Lee is the Veterinary Director of CBD Vets Australia and has practiced as a small animal veterinarian for over 30 years. Dr Lee runs Pet Universe Veterinary Centres and Adelaide Canine Rehabilitation Centre in South Australia alongside an award-winning team with a special interest in pet rehabilitation and regenerative medicines, including advanced pain care techniques. In his practice, Dr Lee has seen first-hand how CBD oil can be used not only for pain control, but also for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and as a mood balancer for animals, and he is excited by its use as an adjunct therapy in veterinary medicine.
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