Cats are sensitive creatures and choosing appropriate, effective wellness resources to support them is not always a simple task. Cat parents have to be attentive to their kitty’s needs, because cats are masters of disguise and rarely display discomfort and pain. This same level of focus and attention has to be applied when choosing the best CBD oil for cats.
Start by Ensuring Safety and Quality of CBD Oil for Cats
When considering a CBD for cats, you need to assess the product for quality and safety first and foremost. Your cat’s health and safety are paramount, and unfortunately, there are many products in the pet industry that are untrustworthy – either because they aren’t carefully manufactured or because they aren’t designed specifically for cats. Especially in the CBD space, it can be challenging to find a reliable product for our feline friends.
There are several components of a safe CBD oil for cats. It needs to be derived from hemp that was grown in the US, because American farming standards will ensure the plant itself isn’t treated with pesticides or dangerous chemicals that might threaten your cat’s health. Furthermore, to qualify as hemp in the US, a cannabis plant has to contain less than 0.3 percent THC. This low level of THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis, is important to ensure your cat doesn’t experience the feeling of being “stoned” or disoriented. You’ll also want to seek out a CBD for cats that has gone a step further and removed all the THC in the product to earn the THC-free* label.
A Certificate of Analysis is another crucial component of the safety and quality of any CBD oil for cats. This document should be available for every CBD product on offer by a company, because it provides an independent, third-party assessment of a product’s strength and ingredient list. With a COA, you know exactly how honest a company is being about what is in their products – including the amounts of CBD and THC.
Why You Need CBD for Cats to Be Specific to Felines
Cats are not small dogs. It might be tempting to give your cat a generalized pet CBD product, or even a CBD product designed for small dogs or humans. This is a bad idea for a variety of reasons. Your cat’s physiology is unique and sensitive, so you need a cat CBD oil that is designed to function in and accommodate the feline body.
CBD for cats will impact your cat’s endocannabinoid system which is shared by dogs, humans, and all other mammals. Despite this similarity, cat CBD oil needs to be specific because dogs and humans have different health and wellness needs. For example, a CBD for humans might contain higher levels of THC than are appropriate and safe for a cat. A CBD for dogs might be offered in flavors that are unappealing to picky cats or may not be available in strengths that are appropriate for cats. Furthermore, a CBD product for cats can contain additional ingredients that will support common feline health concerns like kidney issues. A cat CBD oil can help you address specific wellness goals, like empowering your cat's stress management with an additional calming herbal blend. These are benefits you might not find in a more general product.
Cats Are Often Picky – Flavor Matters for Effectiveness
Any veteran cat parent knows that cats can turn their noses up at almost anything. The finicky feline palate is astonishing sometimes, so the best CBD for cats will be made in flavors like salmon or catnip that your cat finds irresistible. Or, for the pickiest kitties, an unflavored CBD oil for cats will be impossible for them to notice and can be drizzled on their favorite food or treat, whatever that may be.
Finding a cat CBD oil in a flavor that your cat really loves is extra important because you want your cat to finish every last drop of their daily dosage of CBD. In order to experience the benefits of CBD, your cat needs to consume their full serving daily with none left behind. If they aren’t getting enough CBD each day, you’re unlikely to see any positive results.
Choose the Right Strength and Proper Dosage of Cat CBD
In order to choose the best CBD oil for cats, you need to find a CBD oil concentration that is functional and safe for your cat’s size. Deciding on your cat’s CBD oil dose will require a little trial and error, but the best CBD oil for cats will provide a clear starting place with suggested serving sizes for cats according to their weight.
A number of factors will play into how much CBD works for your cat, including their daily activity level, unique physiology, stress level, and specific health needs. If you start with a CBD that is too strong and concentrated for your cat's size, it might be difficult to keep the serving size small enough to avoid negative side effects like sluggishness or lethargy. Likewise, if you get a cat CBD oil with a lower concentration, you might struggle to ensure their daily dose is large enough.
Monitor Your Cat Closely for the Benefits of CBD
In the same way cats disguise their pain, it might also be a challenge to notice the benefits of CBD for cats once it starts working. Cats are often stoic creatures, not letting on to their suffering or their relief.
Cat parents will need to monitor their pet carefully for at least 30 days when starting a new CBD regimen. During this time, assess your cat carefully. Don't wait for them to surprise you. Examine their typical daily behaviors for slight changes. Perhaps they sleep a little more soundly, or react less when the doorbell rings, or seem to have more motivation when chasing the laser. CBD takes time to accumulate on your cat's system, so you might not notice benefits for a few days or weeks after starting a new routine.
It may be small benefits like this that indicate you have found the best CBD oil for your cat. If you aren't seeing the results you want, it may not be a problem with the quality of the cat CBD oil, but a problem with dosage. Increase your cat's daily CBD dose by a small increment, and monitor again for 30 days to assess the benefits.
Choose a Cat CBD Oil That Works for Your Finicky Feline
The best cat CBD oil will be high quality in the general ways that ensure safety – derived from domestic hemp, THC-free,* and supported by a COA. But what makes it the best will be effectiveness and preference for your individual cat. It might take some time to find a product, dosage, and routine that works for your pet, so do some trial and error to find the best flavors, additional ingredients, and dosage. Patience is key in all areas of cat parenting – and finding the best CBD oil for cats is no different!
