Cats and Cannabis 101
It is becoming pretty common for people to give their dogs cannabidiol (CBD) to treat their illnesses. But what about other pets, such as cats? According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 30 percent of all households own at least one cat (a projected number of 36,117,000 households in all). Like dogs, the health of feline companions often begins to degrade when they approach old age. In honor of today being International Cat Day, we take a look at how cat owners can use the healing properties of CBD to help their felines life healthy, more relaxing lives.
Cats like Zaphod, found success through cannabis. At 14 years old, he lost his ability to purr, became blind and was unable to jump or play, and in his old age he became irritable when picked up. His owner tested two different methods of dosing before finding the right combination (one full dose that the product recommended, and then half a dose twice a day). After that, he was much more calm and relaxed, and more willing to cuddle with his pet parent. Due to his old age, he died not too long afterwards, but Zaphod’s owner was happy that at least she could help him life more happily in his final days.
The Boulder Holistic Vet (BHV) believes that five of the most common conditions experienced by cats can be helped with cannabis. Cats that suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, arthritis, cancer and asthma are all common conditions. Many of these conditions are also prevalent in humans as well. So although there aren’t many studies on the effects of cannabis on cats, BHV notes that the benefits of cannabis are limited just to humans. “While there is emerging research on the use of cannabis for dogs and cats, much of what we know today is anecdotal or extrapolated from human medicine,” BHV noted on its website. “Anecdotal evidence is mainly composed of individual reports. For example, a dog or cat might have accidentally ingested some medical marijuana and the guardian noticed a resolution of symptoms. Maybe after consuming the cannabis, the pet was able to jump on the bed again or was more playful.”
There are a number of CBD pet products on the market, some of which are marketing directly toward healing cats. HempRx for instance is offered in both oil and chew forms, making your pets eating preferences a priority (plus, it is said to have a decent flavor to it as well). CannaCompanion is also highly regarded for treating cats, although it is more limited since it is only available in capsule form. Canna-Pet also offers capsules and deems it safe to open those capsules in order to mix into your pet’s food. Keep in mind that when treating your pets, keep an eye on their behavior. Some pets react differently to CBD, just as humans do. The dosage may take a while to perfect, but once you do, your pet will be much better off.
