Only if a vet prescribes it. In Australia, CBD for a cat is lawful only on a veterinarian’s prescription, and the national veterinary medicines regulator has not approved any medicinal cannabis product for animals.1 There is also not enough evidence to say CBD helps cats with any condition.
What does the research in cats show?
Very little. Almost all pet CBD research has been done in dogs.
- A 12-week study gave 8 cats and 8 dogs a CBD-rich hemp product twice daily. It measured blood levels and side effects, not whether CBD helped any condition.2
- A dose-escalation study measured blood levels after single doses. It too was not a test of benefit.3
- A 2024 evidence review looked for studies of CBD added to usual treatment in cats with arthritis and found none that met its criteria. It concluded: “There is currently no evidence to recommend the use of CBD in cats for the treatment of OA.”4
We found no controlled trial of CBD for anxiety, seizures, pain or appetite in cats.
Do cats absorb CBD differently from dogs?
Yes. In the 12-week study, cats and dogs received the same dose for their weight. Peak blood CBD averaged 43 ng/mL in cats and 301 ng/mL in dogs, about one seventh as much.2 Results from dog trials therefore cannot be assumed to apply to cats. That is not a reason to give a cat more. Nobody has established what blood level, if any, is useful or safe in cats.
What side effects were seen?
One of the eight cats had a persistently raised liver enzyme, and cats showed excessive licking and head-shaking when the oil was given.2 Eight cats is a very small number, and nothing is known about long-term use.
Is THC dangerous for cats?
The Australian Veterinary Association says animals “can be psychoactively affected by THC and can suffer severe complications which may be fatal”, and that THC use in animals “cannot be recommended”.1 Human cannabis medicines and unregulated “CBD” products can contain THC, so none should be given to a cat.
What can a vet prescribe?
According to the Australian Veterinary Association, vets may prescribe CBD products where CBD is 98% or more of the cannabinoids, including CBD compounded by a licensed pharmacy. Schedule 8 and Schedule 3 products are not allowed for animals.1 The vet chooses the product and sets the dose.
Are hemp seed oil products for cats the same?
No. Hemp seed oil may contain only a trace of CBD, no more than 75 mg per kilogram.5 See is CBD oil the same as hemp oil?
If a cat eats any cannabis product, contact a vet straight away. For dogs, see can you give CBD to your dog?
Read the full guide: CBD for cats.
Footnotes
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Australian Veterinary Association. Use of medicinal cannabis in animals (policy, ratified 20 July 2023). https://www.ava.com.au/policy/use-of-medicinal-cannabis-in-animals ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Deabold KA and others. Single-dose pharmacokinetics and preliminary safety assessment with use of CBD-rich hemp nutraceutical in healthy dogs and cats. Animals, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826847/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Escalating single-dose pharmacokinetic study of cannabinoids in cats. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10092881/ ↩
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Veterinary Evidence. The therapeutic effectiveness of oral cannabidiol in addition to current treatment in cats with osteoarthritis (knowledge summary), 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12710401 ↩
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Australian Government. Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, October 2026) Instrument 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01327/asmade/2026-09-30/text/original/pdf ↩
This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Laws and evidence change; we show the date we last checked the facts at the top of every page. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
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