It is no secret that we, humans, have a soft corner for our furry friends. According to statistics, 68% of the households in the US have a pet and there are many who feed the stray, caring for them like family. We have 95 million cats in the country altogether in the country. The total number of cats in the world is between 600 million to 1 billion.
If you still do not have an idea of how serious Americans are about taking care of their pets, you should know that they take life insurance for their animal friends too. The average monthly pet insurance for a cat is $28 and for a dog is $44. The expensive healthcare system in the US prompts their citizens to do so.
Now, imagine a cat in pain and its owner trying a prescribed pharmaceutical drug in medium dose. The cat also suffers from insomnia, for which the same medicine was prescribed. Over time, the cat will want the drug in a higher dose and will get addicted to it. To avoid this, many have resorted to natural substitutes like CBD.
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol (commonly known as CBD) is a natural chemical compound from the group cannabinoid. It is derived from hemp which belongs to the Cannabis Sativa family. All the plants of the Cannabis family have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the compound that makes a person stoned. On the contrary, hemp only contains a very meager amount of THC, usually lesser than 0.3%. In fact, in the US, hemp will be called ‘hemp’ only if the THC content is lesser than 0.3%.
Do People Buy CBD Pet Food And Medicines?
A survey by Packaged Facts conducted in October 2011 said that 11% of dog owners and 8% of cat owners have used CBD products like pet treats and supplements for their pets at least once. You will be surprised to know that the annual retail sales of pet treats alone are around $6.7 billion in the US. Now you know why the number of brands supplying CBD products for animals is increasing daily. At present, the CBD pet product market is $32 million per year.
Why Should You Buy CBD Products For Your Cat?
Many cat owners use CBD products to treat their cat’s anxiety. The other issues that CBD helps with are-
- aggressive behavior
- arthritis
- asthma
- chronic upper tract respiratory infections
- loss of appetite
- seizures
- stress
- depression
The list is long and will keep getting longer when the tests on CBD are complete. Moreover, as CBD has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, it works well for inflammation in cats too. These are the common CBD uses.
How Does CBD Work In Your Pet’s Body?
Not many of us know about endocannabinoid systems. We recently discovered that not only our dear pets, but we too have one. To understand how CBD will work, you should know what the neurotransmitters and cannabinoid receptors do.
Neurotransmitters
A neurotransmitter is a molecule produced at the end of a neuron whose function is to trigger the other neuron connected to the first neuron. This is how our brain passes information and makes different parts of our body function. Some of them are released into the blood where it travels to the cells of other organs and gives them information regarding what they should do next.
Cannabinoid Transmitters
The cannabinoids interact with the cannabinoid receptors on the surface of the cells. These receptors pass on the information depending on the conditions outside the cell. Once the information reaches inside, a particular response- as said by the brain- is triggered. Cats have two main CBD receptors- CB1 and CB2.
Although cats have cannabinoid receptors all throughout the body, it is concentrated in the brain and spinal cord. The hypothalamus (which controls appetite) and amygdala (which regulates emotions) has the most number of CBD receptors in the brain. CB1 receptors can control pain and CB2 receptors (which are abundant in the nervous and immune system) can regulate inflammation. CBD and THC are signaling molecules like hormones that will bind themselves to cannabinoid receptors.
How Does CBD Oil Work For Cats?
Inflammation is the primary function of the endocannabinoid system. Uncontrolled inflammation can lead to severe chronic inflammation. Inflammation is also part of many diseases. If you supply the endocannabinoid system with cannabinoids externally, it can reduce inflammation by moderating the body’s immune response.
As the primary function of the endocannabinoid system is to maintain homeostasis- the balance of our body. The CBD supplied by CBD products will trigger the release of endocannabinoids in CB1 and CB2.
Things To Keep In Mind
- Always check the label of the product before you buy it. Ensure that the brand contains CBD derived from hemp.
Make sure that pure natural CBD was used to make the product. See this blog to see if CBD is safe for your pet!