Many cat parents have embraced CBD usage as a therapeutic drug to help their cats alleviate stress, provide relief from pain, and create a calming effect. Administering CBD for cat pain has proven to be very effective and shows immediate results. However, there are a lot of questions still hovering around CBD usage like how to give CBD to cats or how much CBD to give cat for pain. However, it’s essential to know how to give CBD to cats. How to Give CBD to Cats: Benefits, Dosage, Safety, Side-Effects & Usage.
But before we delve into our core topic, we would like you to inform that you can explore our other reads that deal with CBD for Depression & Anxiety: Myths, Facts, Benefits, Side-Effects-here-here.
We can all agree that our feline friends can get quite stubborn when we are feeding them or administering medication. Besides, the ideal dose will help maximize the benefits of CBD without causing any side effects. So, it is important to have a detailed understanding of the feeding methods and dosage before giving CBD to your cat.
The article is a comprehensive guide that provides detailed information on different methods of CBD administration to cats and deciding the ideal dosage.
Methods to Give CBD to Cats
CBD can be administered to cats by using different methods. Not every method will work for your cat. Some cats can get scared when you force feed it something and might even respond aggressively. So, it is important to try out each method one by one to know which method works best for your cat.
Below, we have listed the most popular and easiest methods on how to give cat CBD oil
Direct Feeding Method
This method comes as no surprise as this is the simplest and easiest method to give CBD to your cat. With the direct feeding method, all you have to do is to take two drops of CBD oil in the dropper and hold it near your cat’s mouth. If the cat licks it and takes a liking to the CBD oil, then your work is done. You can feed it in the same manner. But if it doesn’t, then you have to take a more assertive approach.
Place the required dose of CBD oil in a bowl. Then hold your cat and sit near the bowl. Pet your cat so that it will enter a relaxed state. Now, gently lift your cat’s head so that its face looks upwards. Using your other hand, take CBD oil in a dripper and place it in your cat’s mouth, and mildly squeeze the dripper so that a few drops fall into your cat’s mouth. Do the process slowly so as not to overwhelm your cat.
Mixing CBD Oil with Food
If your cat doesn’t respond well to the direct feeding method, then you can try mixing CBD oil with cat food. The flavorless CBD oil for cats is a more subtle method and you would have administered CBD to your cat without your cat even knowing about it. Prepare a cat meal as you normally would, add CBD oil to it, and mix them. Now, serve the meal to your cat.
Mixing it with Other Oils
Not just with food, CBD oil goes well with other oils too. Hemp oil contains many potential health benefits. But, it is not commonly mixed with CBD oil. If it comes down to hemp oil vs CBD oil for cats, the latter would be the best option. Hemp oil contains THC in small quantities of less than 0.03% which might cause drowsiness and other side effects.
Many people prefer using fish oil due to the cats’ natural craving for them. Fish oil is available in liquid form or in capsules. You can add the required dose of CBD oil to either one of them and serve a delicacy to your cats.
Feeding CBD Cat Treats
Many CBD brands like Petsmart CBD for cats sell cat treats that are infused with CBD oil. It comes in different delicious flavors so that your cat can savor them. When opting for CBD cat treats, you need to pay extra attention to the ingredients added to the cat treats. There might be unhealthy ingredients including artificial flavors and sweeteners. Identify brands that use wholly natural ingredients for a healthy diet for your cat.
Topical Treatment
This is another effective method that you can use to give CBD to your cat. This works in two ways. Cats have a high tendency to lick their paws. So, when you apply CBD oil to your cat’s paw, your cat will inevitably lick its paw and consume it. But keep in mind, it can get a little messy if your cat jumps all over your house with CBD oil applied it its paw.
CBD oil can be applied over cats’ ears and other areas to treat rashes and other skin conditions. Applying CBD oil on cats ears or on their skin is highly effective to treat skin conditions and manage pain, it is not ideally suited for stress relieving or other psychological conditions.
How much CBD to give Cat
Before giving CBD to your cat, it is very important to identify how many mg cbd to give to cat. Administering a low dose would prove ineffective without showing any results. On the other hand, an overdose can lead to excessive allergic reactions and other side effects.
The general rule of thumb is 2-4 mg of CBD for every 10 lbs of your cat’s weight. This has proven to be very effective and has shown great results. But if it doesn’t show any results, then you will have to increase the dosage. The most important thing is to start with a lower dose and gradually increase depending on how your cat reacts to it. To save you from the headache of calculating the ideal CBD dosage, we have prepared a CBD oil for cats dose calculator.
The below chart shows the ideal CBD dosage for your cat depending on its weight.
Weight (in pounds) | Starting (in mg) | Medium (in mg) | High (in mg) |
7-8 | 1.5 mg | 2.25 mg | 3 mg |
9-11 | 2 mg | 3 mg | 4 mg |
11-14 | 2.5 mg | 3.75 mg | 5 mg |
14-16 | 3 mg | 4.5 mg | 6 mg |
16-19 | 3.5 mg | 5.25 mg | 7 mg |
19-21 | 4 mg | 6 mg | 8 mg |
21-24 | 4.5 mg | 6.75 mg | 9 mg |
24-26 | 5 mg | 7.5 mg | 10 mg |
26-29 | 5.5 mg | 8.25 mg | 11 mg |
29-31 | 6 mg | 10 mg | 12 mg |
31-34 | 6.5 mg | 10.75 mg | 13 mg |
34-36 | 7 mg | 11.5 mg | 14 mg |
36-39 | 7.5 mg | 12.25 mg | 15 mg |
Conclusion
Whichever method you use to give CBD to your cat, it will be effective and will show results within a few hours. Try each method one after the other to know what works best for your cat. Also, use our dosage calculator to identify the correct CBD dosage needed by your cat. If your cat has any specific medical conditions, then we would suggest you seek a veterinarian’s advice before administering CBD.
PS: You can find out more in the article covered by the elite magazine Reader Digest on how to give CBD to your cats here- here