Hemp oil and CBD oil for cats are often terms that can be used interchangeably. Most products labeled hemp oil contain CBD, and cat CBD oil could also be considered hemp oil because it's made with hemp extract.
This is typically the case, but there are some important distinctions between different type of hemp-based CBD products for cats. Let's take a look.
Hemp & CBD Oil for Cats are Often The Same Thing
Both hemp oils & CBD oils for cats are derived from hemp extract. That extract is then mixed with a carrier oil, and, potentially, other ingredients to form an oil that cats can digest.
CBD grows organically from the hemp plant, along with hundreds of other cannabinoids. By law, cat hemp products must contain less than 0.3% THC content. Any product that's labelled as hemp must have less than 0.3% THC content, otherwise it's considered marijuana and falls into an entirely different set of regulations.
Never give your cat a hemp oil or CBD product that contains more than 0.3% THC, as high amounts of THC are toxic to cats. To better understand the distinctions among cat hemp products, let's go through the main types and what their differences are.
Understanding Different Cat CBD & Hemp Products
While all of the products below are formulated with CBD derived from hemp extract, they all differ in the distribution of cannabinoids in the final product. This is important to understand, as cannabinoids are the active ingredients in these products, and those responsible for all of the potential benefits of CBD oil for our feline friends.
Full-Spectrum CBD Oil for Cats
Full-spectrum CBD oil is always the same thing as full-spectrum hemp oil. "Full-spectrum" refers to the full range of natural cannabinoids present in the oil.
That means the CBD and other cannabinoids are present in the oil, and they can work synergistically to provide health benefits. In most cases, full-spectrum oils are the most beneficial to cats, providing a holistic set of benefits.
CBD Isolates for Cats
Isolated CBD oils are those that use CBD extracted entirely from the other organic compounds in the hemp plant. In this way, it's just the single ingredient mixed with a carrier oil to be easily digested.
These products require more time in the lab, thereby increasing contamination and reduction of quality. That isn't to say that CBD isolates are unsafe, but that they go through a process which opens up more risks.
Broad-Spectrum CBD Oils for Cats
Broad spectrum CBD is a form of hemp oil that has all of the natural cannabinoids apart from THC which has been stripped out. Broad spectrum oils, again, go through additional processing that could jeopardize the purity and efficacy of the oils.
Broad spectrum oils are generally the second-best option compared to full-spectrum hemp oils.
Hemp Seeds & Hemp Seed Oil
Hemp seeds are safe for cats, although they aren't equipped with the same range of benefits that hemp oils are. Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil are derived from the seeds of the hemp plant, and those seeds don't contain CBD or many of the other cannabinoids responsible for the health benefits that you're probably looking for.
Avoiding Confusion Terminology
You will see numerous different claims about the definitions of CBD oil and hemp oil for cats and dogs, although the terminology above is accurate.
Some sites will claim that hemp oil contains little-to-no CBD, but this is untrue. Full-spectrum hemp oil contains high amounts of CBD which should be listed clearly on the packaging and website.
Always follow dosage guidelines based on your cats weight and discuss the use of CBD with your veterinarian, particularly if your cat is on existing medications!
