Is your cat one of those easily scared ones that run and hide whenever a visitor comes into your house? Or maybe, those who are stressed out whenever you leave home? If your answer is yes, your feline must have a case of anxiety. And apparently, it is not as rare as you might have thought.
I know cat owners hate to see their feline friends feeling so distressed. Watching them frightened at the sight of something new and unknown is heartbreaking.
Luckily, there is a compound that can help relieve these feelings of distress of our feline, and it is called CBD. This compound is one of many ways to help your feline companion with anxieties. But how does it help with their anxiety? Read further to learn more about the substance and how it works for cats!
What Is Cat Anxiety?
Cats have sharp senses and instincts, and because of it, they may become anxious. Anxiety is what they feel when anticipating danger, despite there being nothing that would harm them. As a result, their bodies react, and their mood or behavior changes.
Not all anxious cats have the disorder. Though they may exhibit some signs, they are often typical and inconsistent. However, cats exposed to traumas early in their lives (read more) would likely have the disorder. So how can you identify them?
Well, there are three classifications of anxiety, and they are mild, moderate, and severe. Each of the classifications have their respective signs so watch out for them.
Signs Of Mild Anxiety:
- The tail slightly flicks around.
- Their tail tends to be closer to their body.
- They avoid eye contact with you as much as they can.
- The pupils of their eyes slightly dilate.
- They avoid facing you by shifting away from their body.
Moderate:
- They inhale and exhale faster than usual.
- They hold their tail tightly close to them.
- They crouch and lean away.
- They look at the stimulus that causes their anxious feeling.
- Their pupils become wider.
- Their ears are on the side.
Severe:
- Destructive behavior (scratching on something excessively).
- Pupils fully dilate.
- They stare at the stimulus.
- Their ears are reared towards the back of their head.
- Tend to either run to escape or freeze in place.
- Aggression
CBD Oil For Cats
CBD is one of 113 cannabinoids discovered in 1940. It is the acronym for cannabidiol, and they are abundant in hemp plants. Hemp belongs to the cannabis plant family. Despite the dirty reputation of cannabis because of another family member called marijuana, hemp is slowly gaining popularity because of the compound predominant in it.
Yes, cannabidiol is responsible for its trending status. Thanks to its beneficial effects, it quickly turns many people’s heads towards it. Due to its many beneficial effects on humans, scientists believe that it also has the same outcomes for animals. With more studies that claim that cannabidiol is safe and beneficial to our beloved felines, cat CBD products were manufactured! Unfortunately, cannabidiol products are yet to be approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), so there is no official dosage chart out.
CBD oil is one of many product forms out there in the market. So what are they made of? It is an oil blend with the compound and other components like essential oil and plant extracts. CBD oil has versatile use as it can be mixed with cat food and drinks.
You can also directly feed it to your cat, though they may find the earthy taste unpleasant. Nonetheless, CBD oils are popular, and they are available in many pet hemp local and online stores!
Beneficial Effects Of The Compound
To look at a better angle, let us talk a bit about the sister compound of CBD, which is THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the predominant compound in marijuana. It is famous, or infamous, for its euphoric or what users call as high. THC is generally a relaxant to our body but with addictive properties.
Now that you learned about THC let us bring CBD into the picture. Cannabidiol is almost the opposite of THC. CBD has no addictive properties and does not make people high but still gives relaxation effects in the body and mind. Another beneficial effect of the compound is its anti-anxiety property.
The cannabidiol works with the nervous system in the feline anatomy. As a result, calming and de-stressing effects are active in our beloved feline’s body. You can say the anti-anxiety property is part of its calming and de-stressing effect. But there are more benefits other than that. Cannabidiol can also effectively relieve pain, inflammation, and even seizures.
A More In-Depth Look On How CBD Works
Mammals like humans, dogs, and cats possess a system responsible for regulating mood, appetite, temperature, sleep, inflammation, pain, and more. This system is called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). It is an extensive communication system of receptors (link: https://ivcjournal.com/endocannabinoid-system-cats-dogs/#:~:text=The%20Endocannabinoid%20System%20(ECS)%20is,dogs%20and%20cats1%2D3.) and its respective chemicals. Cannabinoids are produced naturally in the cat’s body, and they are called endocannabinoids. However, sometimes deficiencies can occur.
Outside cannabinoid sources work similarly to endocannabinoids by binding with the receptors of ECS. These receptors are CB1 and CB2. After binding with the receptors, the organ that falls under the regulatory function of the receptors is affected.
CB1 Receptors Affects:
- Lungs
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Brain
- Vascular system
- Reproductive organs
- Muscles
CB2 Receptors Affects:
- Brain
- Spleen
- Bones
- Skin
Having read all this today, how likely are you to try CBD-based products for your pet cat? Be sure to check in with your vet before trying anything new though!