CBD for cats: is it safe? Dosage, studies and side effects

CBD was mostly well tolerated in short studies of healthy cats. The longest trial gave 4 mg per kg a day for 26 weeks. The most common reactions were drooling, lip-licking and head-shaking right after dosing, and a few cats had raised liver values. Cats handle CBD differently from dogs, so talk to your vet first.

Is CBD safe for cats?

Healthy adult cats tolerated CBD well in the published studies, including daily use for 26 weeks. The studies are still small (8–26 cats) and mostly short.

• The longest study gave healthy cats 4 mg/kg of a THC-free CBD distillate with a meal every day for 26 weeks. The authors concluded that the cats tolerated it well (Coltherd et al., 2024).
• In a blinded study with rising single doses, cats reached up to 30.5 mg/kg of a CBD oil. All side effects were mild and passed without treatment. Oils containing THC caused more wobbliness, lethargy and low body temperature (Kulpa et al., 2021).
• Eight cats given single doses of purified CBD up to 80 mg/kg showed no major blood or behaviour changes. The only reactions were head-shaking, lip-smacking and drooling just after dosing (Rozental et al., 2023).

Two limits matter. Almost all of these cats were young and healthy, so the results say little about older or sick cats. And each study tested one product, so results don't automatically carry over to another oil or paste.

Why do cats handle CBD differently from dogs?

• Lower blood levels. When dogs and cats got the same product at 2 mg/kg, peak CBD levels in cats were about a seventh of those in dogs (43 vs 301 ng/ml). The authors concluded that cats absorb or eliminate CBD differently (Deabold et al., 2019).
• Food changes absorption. Cats absorbed about eleven times more of a purified CBD medicine after a meal than on an empty stomach (Jukier et al., 2023).
• Taste. In an osteoarthritis trial, 12 of 26 cats dropped out, mainly because they refused the CBD paste (Mulder et al., 2025), one reason our cat oil is applied to the skin rather than fed.

What happened to cats' liver values in the studies?

ALT is a liver enzyme that vets measure in a routine blood test. A raised ALT can be a sign that the liver is under strain.

• Deabold 2019: one of eight cats given 2 mg/kg twice daily for 12 weeks had ALT above the normal range for the whole trial (source).
• Coltherd 2024: in the 4-week study, average ALT was higher in the CBD group than in the placebo group. Two CBD-fed cats had raised ALT and AST and were kept out of the 26-week study. Over 26 weeks, ALT in the two groups was statistically equivalent. The authors advise caution and a vet check if a cat has a history of liver problems (full text).
• Suriyawongpongsa 2025: one of 16 cats had a mild ALT rise two weeks after a single dose (source).

Other studies, including a one-week paste study and a six-week osteoarthritis trial, found no clinically relevant blood-test changes (Wang et al., 2022; Mulder et al., 2025). Raised liver values are also a known effect of CBD in people (Brown & Winterstein, 2019).

How much CBD for a cat? Doses by weight (kg)

There is no established CBD dose for cats. The table shows the amounts researchers used in healthy cats, worked out for typical body weights. It is study context, not a dose recommendation: the studies gave CBD by mouth, and our cat oil is labelled for use on the skin.

The 2 mg/kg amount was a single dose in two anaesthesia studies (Zanelli 2024; Suriyawongpongsa 2025) and a twice-daily dose in Deabold 2019. A gum-disease trial used a fixed 4 mg per cat twice a day (Coelho 2023).

How much Pet Routine for Cats should I use?

Follow the label: start with 1–2 drops, 1–2 times a day, and adjust gradually to your cat's response and your vet's advice. The label doesn't give amounts by body weight, so we don't either. Pet Routine for Cats is applied directly to the cat's skin. It is not meant to be given by mouth or mixed into food. Each 30 ml bottle holds 900 mg CBD (30 mg per ml). One drop holds about 1–1.5 mg CBD (20–30 drops per ml, our measurement of the 30 ml dropper); our CBD oil dosage guide has the figures for every oil.

What might CBD help with in cats?

Three small placebo-controlled or clinical studies found benefits. In cats with painful gingivostomatitis, the disease score improved more when CBD was added to standard treatment (Coelho 2023). In cats with osteoarthritis, a CBD/CBDA paste lowered vet and owner pain scores over six weeks in the cats that finished (Mulder 2025). Before spaying, a single CBD dose increased sedation, and fewer cats needed extra pain relief during surgery (Zanelli 2024). These were small studies of other products given by mouth.

The mouth finding fits research from our Bologna project: cannabinoid receptors were markedly more common in the inflamed mouth tissue of cats with gingivostomatitis (Polidoro 2021; see below).

What have studies in cats actually tested?

None of these studies tested Pet Routine for Cats, and none shows that CBD treats a disease.

A 2025 veterinary review sums up the field: absorption data look favourable, but clinical evidence in cats is still limited (Niño Cital et al., 2025).

What did the University of Bologna cat study find?

From 2019 to 2021, Formula Swiss supported a research project led by Professor Roberto Chiocchetti at the University of Bologna's Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences. It studied CBD-related receptors in the digestive tract of cats and horses and in horse spinal ganglia, as recorded in his university CV. Formula Swiss supported this research financially and with products. Our scientific research page describes the collaboration.

The cat study from this project was published in Histochemistry and Cell Biology in 2020 (Stanzani et al., 2020). The paper acknowledges Formula Swiss funding. The team stained tissue from the feline stomach and intestines to see where cannabinoid receptors sit. They found:

• CB1 receptors in the stomach lining, hormone- and mucus-producing cells, mast cells and gut nerve cells
• CB2 receptors in hormone-producing cells, gut lining cells and immune cells
• Related receptors (GPR55, PPARα, TRPA1, 5-HT1a) in the gut lining, nerves, muscle and immune cells

So the feline gut has the receptors that cannabinoids act on. The authors say this could support future research into cannabinoids for gut inflammation, but functional studies haven't confirmed it yet. It is anatomy, not a treatment trial: no cat was given CBD, and it doesn't tell us a dose.

The same group also mapped these receptors in the mouth lining of healthy cats and of cats with chronic gingivostomatitis, a painful mouth inflammation. The paper itself acknowledges financial support from Formula Swiss. Receptor levels were markedly higher in the inflamed tissue (Polidoro et al., 2021). Again, no CBD was given.

Which signs should I watch for?

Change one thing at a time, and note how your cat is doing each day for the first couple of weeks.

Stop use if any adverse reaction occurs, as the product label says.

Can I give my cat my own CBD oil, or the dog's?

No. Human CBD oils are usually far stronger per ml, and some contain THC, which caused more wobbliness and lethargy in cats (Kulpa 2021). Some human products and pet sprays also contain essential oils. Concentrated tea tree oil caused serious poisoning in cats, with small and young cats most at risk (Khan et al., 2014). It matters twice for cats, because they lick their coat.

Pet Routine for Cats contains just two ingredients, MCT oil and hemp extract, with no flavourings or essential oils. The dog and horse oils have their own strengths and directions; our CBD for dogs guide covers the dog studies.

Older cats, kidney or liver disease, and medication: when should I be extra careful?

• Older cats or liver problems: there is little data on seniors, and the Coltherd authors advise a vet check for cats with a history of liver problems. Ask your vet for a blood test first.
• Kidney disease: we found no published study of CBD in cats with kidney disease. Two studies in healthy cats saw a kidney-related blood value (BUN) fall slightly (Rozental 2023; Suriyawongpongsa 2025), but that tells us nothing about sick kidneys. Only use CBD with your vet's agreement.
• Medication: in people, CBD affects liver enzymes that break down many medicines, so interactions are possible (Brown & Winterstein, 2019). Data for cats are scarce. Tell your vet about everything your cat takes, and never stop or change prescribed treatment. Our guide to CBD and medication explains how these interactions work.
• Pregnant or breeding cats and kittens: no studies have been done. The label says not to use it in pregnant or breeding animals.

What's in our cat oil, and how is it tested?

Pet Routine for Cats has a vegan formula.

• Label values: 3% CBD, 900 mg CBD per 30 ml bottle, 0% THC specification, MCT carrier oil
• Batch report: report 260410_A01, sample 260408.07 (8 April 2026) measured 3.29% CBD by weight. Δ9-THC and the other cannabinoids tested were below the detection limit.
• All reports: see our test results and quality control pages.

Pet Routine for Cats is not a registered veterinary medicine and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. It is not a substitute for veterinary care.

Made for cats and applied to the skin: Pet Routine for Cats CBD oil