We all know the term “scaredy cat,” right? Well, that term exists for a reason. Cats have a reputation for being skittish and more prone to bouts of anxiety and severe stress than, say, dogs. Having a stressed-out cat can be extremely upsetting to a pet owner as it’s difficult to communicate to them that they’re safe from harm.
In fact, many kitties are diagnosed with clinical anxiety, which means that they have heightened levels of stress even when there’s no legitimate danger present. So, what can we do as pet owners to help our precious furry friends calm down? Luckily, there are ways to treat anxiety in cats, and one of the most cutting-edge methods involves using CBD.
Yes, that’s right – CBD, the cannabinoid found in hemp that has become a massive industry, has the potential to regulate stress levels the way it may do so for humans. Today, we’ll be talking about how to use this plant compound as a potential method for calming your cat down. First, however, we’re going to explore cat anxiety in order to help you understand this relatively common condition.
Why are Cats So Prone to Anxiety, Anyway?
We often consider dogs to be friendly and outgoing, while cats are reclusive and nervous. Of course, there are exceptions to every stereotype, but there are good reasons why cats have maintained this reputation.
Dogs have been domesticated for several thousand more years than cats, and so cats are much more closely related to their wild ancestors than dogs, and they behave as such. Cats are less trusting toward humans, for instance, than dogs, and this is due to biological instincts. This can cause cats to be more on edge than dogs, which can result in anxiety and severe stress.
Additionally, cats have a reputation for being more set in their ways than most animals that we have as pets. If you’ve ever changed your cat’s food, or moved them into a new home, you know this very well. Cats are biologically programmed to be uncomfortable with major changes as a way to keep them safe. The more consistent their routine, the safer they feel.
How Can I Tell if My Kitty Has Anxiety or Severe Stress?
There are some pretty clear signs of anxiety or severe stress in a cat. One is that they will be hyperreactive to fairly normal, day-to-day things like relatively loud noises, the sound of the front door opening and closing and even your attempts to pick them up. Cats withanxiety or severe stress may run away from you despite the fact that they know you as their caretaker.
Anxious or stressed-out cats may also hide whenever a person other than yourself is in their home. This is because they feel as though they are unsafe around other people.
More severe anxiety disorders in cats can cause symptoms such as a loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, extreme shedding, shaking, skin conditions and constant hiding in hard-to-find spaces.
Can Anxiety or Severe Stress Lead to Other Health Problems?
The problem with cats and anxiety is that extreme stress can lead to very severe symptoms compared to humans. When cats maintain high levels of cortisol, this can gradually damage their kidney and liver functions due to the way in which this hormone is processed. It can also cause severe digestive ailments because of how cortisol affects the digestive tract.
How is Anxiety Treated in Cats?
Anxiety in cats is treated on a case-by-case basis. Your vet may first recommend that certain changes be made around the home in order to make your cat feel more comfortable. For instance, maybe their stress primarily comes from the fact that there aren’t enough “hiding places” in the home where your cat can make themselves feel safe. Or, maybe they’re stressed out because you constantly have strangers in your home.
Severe cases of anxiety may be treated with certain medications that are designed to slow down cortisol production. These medications can only be prescribed by a vet, and they must be administered properly to avoid severe side effects and unwanted reactions.
Can Giving My Cat CBD Help with Their Anxiety?
If you want to try a more natural approach to treat your cat’s anxiety or extreme stress, you may want to look into giving them CBD. More and more vets are approving CBD as a legitimate treatment option because of the many clinical studies showing that it has the potential to improve anxiety and other conditions in pets. Pets, like humans, have an endocannabinoid system that processes CBD in a way that can regulate certain bodily processes including, among other things, cortisol production.
In fact, <a href=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/>many studies show that CBD has the potential to directly improve anxiety and stress conditions</a>. This is because of the way in which this cannabinoid is capable of regulating the various neurotransmitters in the brain.
Proper Ways to Administer CBD to Your Cat
If you wanna start giving your kitty CBD as a potential anxiety treatment, you must speak with your vet first. For one thing, your vet must rule out any potential medical conditions and circumstances that may be affecting their stress levels. Also, before you try any treatment, your vet should know.
It’s important that you find a CBD product that’s specially formulated for pets and give them the proper dosage level according to their body weight. We suggest giving your cat CBD daily so that the cannabinoid can build up in their body.
A Calm Kitty Can Be a Happy Kitty
Anxiety in cats is fairly common due to the way in which cats operate on a biological level. Still, as cat owners, we want to do everything that we can to keep our kitties calm and happy. If your cat is struggling with extreme stress or anxiety, you should ask your vet about giving them CBD from the hemp plant. This natural, legal product may be able to give your cat the relief that they deserve.
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