As a pet guardian, you always keep looking for ways to keep your pooch and kitty healthy. Investing in traditional western medicines includes allopathic elements that mostly do the job. But sometimes, if you are looking for alternative treatments, Cannabis oil is a viable option. Also, what makes these holistic alternatives gradually popular among pet lovers is their low side effects.
Well, if you check the positive benefits of CBD for cats, you’ll see that they have lesser side effects. That’s because treating ailments with Cannabis is a natural process of treatment. The plant does possess healing abilities, which are already proven scientifically for humans. For pets? There isn’t anything so far on the radar.
So, should you at all use CBD for your cat? Is it safe for them? What ailments do they treat in cats? This article is all about these questions and their answers.
CBD Oil: What is it?
CBD oil is the abbreviated version of Cannabidiol. This ‘Cannabidiol’ is one of the chemical compounds extracted from Hemp or Marijuana plants. Cannabis plants contain more than a hundred such chemical compounds. The most used one is CBD oil.
CBD works on the Endocannabinoid Systems (ECS) of animals. This ECS is responsible for controlling communications in your pet’s brain and body. It is what partially controls how your cat reacts, moves, or feels.
Talking of its potential benefits, well, CBD oil relaxes the Nervous System. It can make your pet calm while also working on relieving their pain.
Check out how CBD Oil helps your Cat
There is no doubt that CBD oil does wonders for humans through its practical benefits. Talking of cats, they have kind of predictable behavior. Well, you must have a cat in your home and therefore, you know that better. Most of them develop their unique personality traits and attitudes. Some might be vocal, or some shyer and quieter. So, not all cats love to cuddle or play.
Regardless of what your cat does, you know it’s alarming if you find any off-the-track behaviors. Sudden changes in digestive habits, mobility issues, over or less vocalization, lethargy, etc., can be worrying things.
Before scheduling an appointment with the vet, CBD oil can help your cat in the following ways –
Treating Anxiety in Cats
Cats love to have freedom in their activities and movement. But just like humans, anxiety can strike your cat at any time. It can be for various reasons, like being at the vet’s or groomer’s place or traveling in a car. While some cats have it genetically, some grow it with time for whatever reasons.
Now, you don’t love seeing your pet suffer for whatever reason. In fact, constant anxiety can invite additional health ailments, sometimes even chronic ones.
CBD oil has impressive anti-anxiety effects. So, whether it is fireworks or anything else making your cat restless, CBD might induce relaxation feelings. It can gently calm your cat even without the need to use a sedative. It is ideal for cats that have anxiety attacks.
Pain Reliever from Feline Discomfort
With aging, there can be a lot of health issues in cats. Ailments like bone loss, degenerative diseases, mobility problems, inflammation, etc., are common. They create discomfort in your cat, which might not always have a direct cure. In such cases, CBD oil has proved to be a ray of light to make your kitty feel better.
To be frank, it’s surprising how CBD can manage to curb discomfort symptoms effectively. Many pet parents are glad after CBD improved their pet’s quality of life. Well, that is possible because of the compound’s anti-inflammatory properties.
Besides, did you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) has cleared that CBD has minimal side effects?
Treating Dementia in Cats
Another ailment that comes with aging cats is neural degeneration or dementia. And one of the most common symptoms of dementia is unnecessary night-howling. Check if your cat gets hyper or excessively vocal at night hours. It can be an effect of feeling distressed or disoriented.
CBD or any other Cannabinoids improve neuroplasticity and also regenerate brain cells. They activate your cat’s Endocannabinoid system. All these neuroprotective properties of CBD make it such a relief on tough days.
Relieving your Cat from Seizures
When talking about the neural benefits of CBD, you cannot miss out on seizures. Quite naturally, watching your dear pet suffering from seizures is a frightening experience. Even beyond that, it’s bad for them too. Seizures are induced due to abnormal activities of Neurons in the brain.
So, if you see your kitty is having seizures, never waste time and visit the vet at once. You can ask them if you can apply CBD. So far, there is no extensive research done to ensure CBD can directly help in an epileptic seizure. However, the National Institute of Health did publish CBD research data on rodents, showing their anticonvulsant effects.
The Bonus Advantage of CBD
As CBD oil is a natural compound, you can use it to foster peace in your home as well. Wondering what’s that? See, when you bring a new cat home, you can witness friction with your existing cats. Most importantly, if you want to make a dog and a cat coexist in your home, CBD oil can help. It can keep both the residents calm and peaceful until their relationship turns mutually positive. So, that’s definitely something that pet owners look for.
So, Is CBD Safe for your Cats?
Studies show that CBD oil has no products that might trigger something critical. It is, after all, a natural compound with little to no side effects! Regardless, you should know that there isn’t enough research that validates CBD is entirely safe.
However, the biggest concern lies in the dosage. Many vets and scientists opine that a wrong dose is the biggest threat to CBD use.
Will CBD Oil make your Cat high?
Unlike THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive compound in Cannabis), Cannabinoids can influence brain activity without making your pet high. CBD oil does not make your pets high because it has the non-intoxicating elements of Hemp or Marijuana. Instead, CBD has anti-stress, anti-anxiety, and anti-inflammation properties that can relieve your ailing pet.
The Conclusion
So far, there has been no record of adverse effects of CBD for cats. In fact, all that the world knows about CBD is its beneficial side. You have already read that in the article. Nevertheless, it is never wise to apply any dose without your vet’s knowledge.