CBD Oil Amounts for Cats: How Much CBD Should I Give My Cat?

With the rapidly rising popularity of pet CBD, you’ve likely considered giving your cat CBD of some kind. Your friends are probably posting about using pet CBD on social media, and many articles are being published about pets and CBD. Maybe you’ve heard that CBD is good for a health problem your cat is having like allergies or stress. Or, perhaps you’re motivated by wanting to promote your cat’s good health and are wondering how much CBD to give your cat. While there aren’t any official recommendations from the FDA, a rule of thumb when it comes to giving cats CBD is 1-2 mg per 10 lbs of weight. A good general recommendation is to start at the low end, 1 mg, and adjust up from there in 1-2 mg increments until you see the desired results with your cat.

One reason you might want to give your cat CBD is because of all of the beneficial compounds found in hemp. Perhaps you’ve done some research on terpenes and think your cat could benefit from these potent plant chemicals. Terpenes are volatile plant compounds associated with smell and flavor. They also help make up a plant’s immune system, and these compounds may be very helpful for both humans and animals. Terpenes are just some of the helpful things found in hemp. CBD, or cannabidiol, is just one of many cannabinoids found in full-spectrum hemp, or hemp oil made from whole hemp plants. CBD acts on part of your cat’s nervous system called the endocannabinoid system. We have this same part of our nervous system, and CBD helps the endocannabinoid system communicate more effectively with the rest of the body. The endocannabinoid system is part of the central nervous system and is responsible for helping the body maintain homeostasis.

How Much CBD to Give Your Cat

While 1-2 mg per 10 lbs of body weight will help you find the right quantity for your cat, most CBD companies include a usage formula with their CBD product. This means you don’t have to do any math to figure out how much CBD to give when different CBD products have different CBD potencies. Below you’ll find a chart for giving your cat Pet Releaf CBD. And remember, at the end of the day, your cat gives the final word about what the appropriate amount is. Pay attention to your kitty during the first few days of giving him CBD and adjust your quantity based on how he’s doing.

Factors to Consider Before Giving CBD to Your Cat

There are several factors, including the brand of CBD you choose and your cat’s overall health that may impact how much CBD you give your cat. Here are a few things to think about when deciding your cat’s CBD amount.

How healthy is your cat?

If your cat is in good health, then she may only need a lower quantity of CBD. However, if your cat has health issues, then you may want to work up to a larger amount to see the desired benefits. It depends on what your goals are for giving your cat CBD. Remember, look at your cat and see how they’re doing on whatever quantity you’ve chosen, and go from there. In general, and especially if your cat has health issues, please talk to your vet before giving your cat any new supplements, including CBD.

What brand are you using?

It’s important to choose a high-quality CBD product for your cat. High-quality CBD will have active hemp plant compounds and be free from any harmful contaminants, like chemicals from farming, or solvents from the extraction process.

Each brand’s product, along with products within the same brand, will have a different potency, or amount, of CBD. CBD comes in concentrations from 100mg to 750mg and higher. Also, each manufacturer will have its individual quantity guidelines. Follow the instructions given and use your good judgment about whether to increase or decrease your cat’s amount based on their specific needs.

How are you giving your cat CBD?

Hemp oil, or CBD oil, is the most efficient and cost-effective way to give your cat CBD. You’re just paying for the CBD and nothing else. Most cat CBD oils are made with hemp oil mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil or fish oil. Depending on your cat’s preferred administration method, Pet Releaf has oils that can be administered on an empty stomach and oils that can be administered during or after mealtime. Our USDA Organic Hemp Oils can be administered directly into your cat’s mouth with the dropper, or use the dropper to drip the amount of oil needed into your cat’s food bowl. Your cat will associate their food bowl with eating and will likely lick the CBD oil right up. Pet Releaf’s hemp oils are designed to be given twice per day, once in the AM and once in the PM. This way, CBD is always in your cat’s system.

If that method does not work, then Pet Releaf has a CBD oil that is designed to be taken during or after mealtimes. The Liposome Hemp Oil 100 can be administered during mealtime, making giving your cat CBD easy and painless.

CBD Quantity by the Size of your Cat

A common rule of thumb for giving CBD to cats is 1-5 mg per 10lbs of body weight. Here is a breakdown of how much Pet Releaf CBD to give your cat based on the type of CBD oil chosen and your cat’s weight. Each recommendation is designed to be divided between the morning and evening.

1. Small to medium cats (1-15lbs)

Pet Releaf’s Hemp Oil 100: 1 full dropper a day

Pet Releaf’s Liposome Hemp Oil 100: 0.25 full dropper per day

2. Large cats (15lbs+)

Pet Releaf’s Hemp Oil 100: 1.5 droppers per day

Pet Releaf’s Liposome Hemp Oil 100: 0.5 full dropper per day

Cat CBD FAQ’s

1. What CBD products are best for cats?

The best CBD products for cats are made with organically grown hemp and had no chemicals or solvents used in the extraction process. Look for USDA Organic and National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) seals on products. These seals indicate higher quality products.

2. How long will CBD last?

CBD will stay in your cat’s system for about 9 hours. This is why it’s best to divide your cat’s CBD into an AM and a PM amount and administer it twice a day.

3. Is it possible to give my cat too much CBD?

Just like it’s possible to feed your cat too much food, you could give your cat too much CBD on accident. Maybe the label was confusing, or perhaps your mischievous kitty knocked over the bottle of hemp oil and went to town! Have no fear, there is no known overdose amount for CBD and pets when using a full spectrum CBD product. A study done on dogs with CBD found that even incredibly high amounts were well tolerated. While cats and dogs are not the same, and you will want to use caution with CBD, like you would any supplement, there’s no evidence either scientific or anecdotal that a little extra CBD will hurt your cat. At worst, your cat will be extra drowsy for a little while if they accidentally get more than their usual quantity.

4. How do I know if the CBD is working?

You’ll know when you see a change in your cat’s behavior or health. It may take a few weeks to see the full benefits, but you’ll likely start seeing a change within a few days. So, while the improvements might be gradual, you’ll know the CBD is helping when you observe a shift in your cat’s overall health.

5. How long does it take for the CBD to start working?

It’s going to be different for every cat. You might notice a difference in your cat within the first few hours after giving them CBD. If you don’t notice a change, you can up the amount of CBD you give them next time.

6. What are the risks of giving my cat CBD?

There are very few risks to giving your cat CBD, and most of the risks come from poor-quality products and not CBD itself. The biggest side effect your cat might experience if he gets into too much CBD is some drowsiness. (Now, this isn’t the same if they get into marijuana—if your cat does eat something containing THC, they need to go to the emergency vet.)

The biggest risks of pet CBD come from poorly manufactured products that don’t contain the amount of CBD they claim, or contain harmful chemicals from conventionally grown hemp, or toxic solvents from the extraction process.

The best way to protect your cat when giving her CBD is to choose a reputable manufacturer that uses organic hemp and a solvent-free extraction process.

7. Can I give my cat CBD every day?

Yes, most CBD products are designed to be given twice a day.

Pet Releaf CBD for Cats

The people at Pet Releaf love their pets as much as you love your precious cat. That’s why they make their pet CBD with sustainably grown hemp and process it without any harmful chemicals or solvents. They use the whole hemp plant when making their CBD, because they know that hemp is full of many different beneficial compounds, like terpenes and other cannabinoids.

Pet Releaf offers several CBD products for cats.