CBD or cannabidiol is used in cats for its soothing properties. Indeed, modern life is not always easy for a cat: living in an apartment, conflict with the neighbor’s cat, traveling… There are many sources of stress.

In the form of treats, appetizing oil or relaxation cushion, CBD can be of great help in cases of anxiety, insomnia or excessive aggression in small felines.

But is this use without risk to their health?

A recent study, published in the ” Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics “, looked at the tolerance of CBD in cats in a single dose at different concentrations; the American researchers were thus able to demonstrate excellent safety of cannabidiol, even at the highest doses, in a cohort of 8 healthy cats.

 

When it comes to CBD, cats are not small dogs either.

Why a specific study on CBD oil in cats ?

If the good tolerance of CBD in dogs has been demonstrated by various publications, this was not yet the case in cats.

However, when it comes to health, cats are not small dogs! They have their own physiological characteristics and their own particular drug tolerances.

Additionally, according to the scientific work Recent advances in cannabinoid physiology and pathology published in 2019, cannabidiol interacts differently with its cellular receptors depending on the species, thus potentially causing different effects.

It is therefore important to study CBD in all species and not be satisfied with the evaluations carried out on a similar species.

Thanks to this study published on October 27, 2022, we now have tangible elements on the tolerance of CBD by cats .

 

CBD well tolerated by cats in single doses

The CBD and Cat Study

This American study, which took place in Colorado, involved 8 young healthy cats (4 neutered males and 4 females).

The average age of the felines was 3 and a half years. They were fed exclusively with premium food.

The researchers gave the animals 1 month to get used to their new surroundings.

At the same time, veterinary students were responsible for socializing them (handling and petting) 2 to 4 times a week.

The CBD used in the study was extracted from hemp and mixed with sunflower oil for oral administration.

The researchers aimed to study the effects of CBD in a single increasing dose in cats.

The CBD concentration in the administered samples was:

• 0 mg/kg cat (placebo)
• 2.5 mg/kg cat (i.e. a 4 kg cat receives 10 mg of CBD)
• 5 mg/kg
• 10 mg/kg
• 20 mg/kg
• 40 mg/kg
• 80 mg/kg

Each cat was thus randomly assigned to 4 groups and received 4 different dosages throughout the study.

A period of at least 15 days was planned between each dose.

The results: good tolerance of CBD in cats even at high doses

Vital parameter monitoring, blood tests, and behavioral assessments were performed after each administration.

Unsurprisingly, the concentration of CBD in the blood was proportional to the dose administered.

The maximum concentration of CBD in the blood was obtained on average after 2 to 3 hours and elimination occurred in 7 to 37 hours depending on the dose and the animal.

Blood tests remained within normal range .

However, scientists have highlighted a decrease in urea and creatinine (parameters associated with renal function) after administration of CBD.

The mechanism of this phenomenon, which has no consequences on the health of cats , has not been explained to date.

Cats’ behavior remained unchanged before and after CBD according to observers.

The direct effects of the administration of the oil/CBD mixture (salivation, chewing, etc.) were not taken into account, as they were considered “normal” after this type of manipulation in felines.

The animals in the study remained in perfect health . They showed no digestive signs ( diarrhea and/or vomiting) or nervous signs (tremors, drowsiness, loss of balance or dilated pupils).

No adverse effects of CBD in these cats were therefore highlighted even at the highest dose.

This dose of 80 mg/kg represents a total of 280 mg of CBD in one go for a cat of 3kg500, or the equivalent of 112 BotaLicious soothing treats ! However, we advise you to respect the doses indicated by Botaneo!

This publication therefore highlights the very high safety of using CBD in a single dose in healthy cats: “In this study, we were able to successfully demonstrate the exposure to CBD and the safety of a single administration of oral doses of up to 80 mg/kg of highly purified CBD oil to a small cohort of healthy cats.” conclude the researchers.

 

Body fat reservoir for CBD in cats?

This research also highlighted large individual differences in the bioavailability of absorbed CBD; that is, at equal doses, some cats absorb CBD better than others and therefore have more product in their blood.

According to the scientists in this study, the amount of body fat could play a role in this bioavailability , with part of the ingested CBD being trapped in this fat.

This hypothesis could explain why 2 cats still had CBD in their blood 4 months after their previous dose: the CBD stored in the fat would be released gradually as has been demonstrated in humans with THC, a substance also derived from hemp but with psychotropic properties.

Further studies are needed to investigate this significant individual variability.

Due to the small number of participants, this study was unable to determine whether there was a difference in cannabidiol metabolism between males and females.

While this publication from the “Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics” is reassuring about the use of CBD in cats at a single dose of up to 80 mg/kg, the authors specify that other studies on long-term administration are still necessary to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of CBD in cats .