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For cats

Cats and CBD: the honest short version

The feline literature is one good pharmacokinetics-and-safety study and a lot of extrapolation. That's enough to use carefully — not enough to promise anything.
Get the dose All evidence
I

Our evidence grade

Feline evidence = pharmacokinetics and basic safety only; no behavior trials at all. Usable, but with stricter rules than dogs.

What's actually known

The 2019 study that dosed both species found cats absorb notably less CBD than dogs and clear it faster, with 12 weeks of twice-daily dosing well tolerated (occasional head-shaking at dosing, licking, mild GI signs). No feline behavior or anxiety trial has been published. Grade: I — and any site telling you otherwise is selling.

The cat-specific rules

The studies behind this page

Pharmacokinetics (dogs & cats)

B-

Single-dose pharmacokinetics and preliminary safety assessment with use of CBD-rich hemp nutraceutical in healthy dogs and cats

Deabold et al. · Animals · 2019

n = 8 Pharmacokinetic study 2 mg/kg twice daily

Established absorption and 12-week safety basics in dogs AND cats — the study most cat guidance leans on. Cats absorbed less and cleared faster than dogs.

Read the study
Written from primary literature by the research desk Every claim cited & graded Updated July 6, 2026

Questions, answered plainly

Can I use my dog's CBD oil for my cat?
The molecule is the same; the risks are in the extras. Cats lack certain liver enzymes and are far more sensitive to essential oils and some carriers. A plain CBD + fish/MCT oil formulation may cross over — but check every inactive ingredient, and halve your instincts on dose. Cat-specific products exist to make those checks unnecessary.
What dose for a cat?
The only real PK data used 2 mg/kg twice daily and found cats absorb less and clear faster than dogs. Practically: start ~0.25–0.5 mg/kg twice daily — for a 10 lb cat, that's roughly 1–2 mg per dose — and titrate slowly with your vet.
My cat is stressed by a new pet/moving/the carrier. CBD first?
Environment first: separate resources, vertical territory, pheromone diffusers (Feliway has actual feline trials), carrier desensitization. Feline stress is usually territorial logistics. CBD is a reasonable adjunct trial after the environment is fixed, not instead of it.

Keep reading

Is CBD safe (dog data, but the framework applies)

Read

The evidence library

Read

The dosage calculator (dogs)

Read
/// talk to your vet /// start low, go slow /// check the COA /// THC is toxic to dogs /// evidence over hype