How Long Will It Take CBD to Work in a Cat? Vet-Verified Facts & Safety Tips

With the ever-growing popularity surrounding the health benefits of cannabinoids, it comes as no surprise that cat owners are seeking out CBD (cannabidiol) as a natural plant-derived remedy to help reduce their cat’s anxiety, relieve pain, and help with seizure control. How fast CBD oil works and how long its effects last on your cat depends on the product used, the dose administered, and your cat’s metabolism. As a general answer, after ingestion, it takes approximately 1 hour for CBD to start having detectable effects in your cat. In this article, we will talk a bit more about using CBD for cats and go over what you can expect from this product.

Please Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved the use of any CBD or hemp-based products in pets. The lack of regulations can be a safety concern for cat owners interested in using natural products like this. If you plan to administer CBD oil to your pet, you should always consult with your veterinarian before doing so.

Using CBD for Cats

All animals, humans included, have an endocannabinoid system which is a biological system composed of endocannabinoids that helps regulate and balance many key bodily functions. Since cannabinoids regulate how cells send, receive, or process messages, the body is responsive when introduced to outside forms of cannabinoids like CBD.

Research into the effects of CBD is still ongoing but this natural oil shows promise in many areas for humans and animals alike. While it first became popular for chronic pain relief, CBD has shown promise for cats in the following areas:

• Anxiety
• Pain
• Inflammation
• Arthritis
• Seizures/ Epilepsy
• Appetite stimulant

Administering CBD to Cats

When it comes to administering CBD oil to cats, it’s fairly simple. Most cat owners choose to mix it right into their food. If you have a picky eater, you may have to get creative to ensure they ingest the full dose. The dose will depend on your veterinarian’s recommendation and the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

After ingestion, it approximately takes 1 to 2 hours for CBD to go into full effect. The effects tend to last for several hours but further research is needed administering particular doses of CBD in a larger population of cats in order to establish reliable and consistent data.

Is CBD Safe for Cats?

While research is limited regarding the use of CBD for cats, there has been a recent study¹ that suggests CBD is generally safe in both healthy dogs and cats. However, mild side effects were seen in both species. Dogs were found to absorb and eliminate CBD more rapidly than cats and better than cats, resulting in a need for a different dosage regime in each species.

Reports from both veterinarians and owners also suggest that CBD is safe, though there are some reports of side effects such as drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and distress. These effects usually resolve when the dosage is lowered, or use is halted altogether.

Since there is a lack of sufficient evidence and regulatory oversight over the products on the market, it is best to use caution when shopping for and offering CBD to pets. You should consult with your vet before purchasing any CBD-containing products. The biggest concerns relate to potentially low-quality products that may contain harmful contaminants such as heavy metals, or those whose label information does not match the actual concentration of CBD in the product.

A 2020 study conducted on commercially available CBD products showed that many contain less CBD if any at all than what the label described. Since CBD products are federally legal for sale in the U.S. but the FDA has not approved any products in pets, there is a lack of existing controls that is currently difficult to fill.

How to Find Safe CBD for Cats

It’s important for cat parents wanting to give CBD a try to do so in the safest way possible. This means avoiding those low-quality products that don’t live up to their promise and potentially contain unwanted ingredients.

Final Thoughts

CBD takes approximately 1 hour to start working in a cat after it has been ingested, but this depends on the cat’s metabolism and the dose and type of CBD consumed. CBD has many promising health benefits that have left many pet owners opting to try out this natural approach. Research is currently limited, and you do not just want to trust CBD manufacturers blindly, so make sure you utilize the information above to ensure you are getting a quality product that is meant for cats.

Featured Image Credit: Erin Stone, Pixabay