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Home > Cats > CBD Oil vs CBD Treats for Cats: Which One Is Better?

CBD Oil vs CBD Treats for Cats: Which One Is Better?

CBD is a great ingredient to feed your cat if it experiences anxiety. Because of how popular CBD for cats has become, you have many products to choose from, including CBD oil and treats. Given that you only want to provide your cat with the best, it can be hard to decide which CBD product is better.

To help you learn whether you should feed your cat CBD oil or CBD treats, we have created this comprehensive guide to the products. Read this article to learn whether you should feed CBD oil or CBD treats to your favorite cat.divider-cat

Benefits Of CBD Oil for Cats

When fed in moderate amounts, CBD oil is a completely safe ingredient to help your cat live a healthier life. Made from the hemp plant, CBD oil is a natural ingredient that interacts with your cat’s endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for your cat’s inflammatory, skin, motor, mood, and appetite functions.

Because CBD positively interacts with so many systems in your cat’s body, it has numerous benefits. Most notably, CBD oil helps your cat respond to stress better. There are also studies that show CBD oil improves your cat’s quality of life by increasing joint mobility.

Cat Taking CBD Oil
Image By: Erin_Hinterland, Pixabay

Are There Side Effects of CBD Oil in Cats?

CBD oil can have negative effects in cats, especially if overfed. Some cats respond to CBD oil with gastrointestinal issues and other sensitivities. It’s important to introduce CBD oil to your cat slowly so you can see how it reacts.

The most important thing to do when feeding CBD oil to your cat is to monitor the amount of oil carefully. Too much of anything is bad, including too much CBD oil for your cat. Follow vet recommendations for how much CBD oil to feed your cat.

About CBD Oil For Cats

PEt hemp Oil

You can purchase CBD oil for cats. When you purchase CBD oil, it will come with a tincture, which is a mini dropper attached to the lid of the bottle. This form is beneficial because it is often highly affordable and allows you complete control over how much CBD you are feeding to your cat.

Many people also like straight CBD oil for their cats because it is not as likely to lead to weight gain. Since it is just an oil, it doesn’t come with added sugars or calories like CBD treats. Another benefit of CBD oil is the direct oil often has more cannabidiol, terpenes, and flavonoids than treats.

How It Works

How CBD oil for cats works is that you use the tincture to directly put the oil underneath your cat’s tongue or against its cheeks. If you select this method, make sure to feed your cat at the same time so that the CBD has maximum absorption.

An easier feeding method for CBD oil for cats is to simply drizzle the oil over your cat’s food. That way, you don’t have to fight your cat to get the tincture into its mouth.

Pros
  • Precise measurements
  • Affordable
  • Does not add additional calories
Cons
  • None

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About CBD Treats for Cats

Hemp Seed

CBD treats for cats are exactly what they sound like – they are treats that you can feed your cat, but they include CBD oil and other ingredients for healing benefits. Many people select CBD treats over the oil because it often tastes better than straight oil and is easier to feed to your cat.

CBD treats have both the nutritional benefits of CBD oil and the fun of traditional cat treats. So, you don’t have to buy CBD oil and cat treats. CBD treats serve both purposes perfectly, though treats can be more expensive in the long run and have fewer nutritional benefits.

How It Works

How CBD treats work is self-explanatory. The CBD is already mixed within the treat. All you need to do is feed the treat to your cat so it can enjoy the CBD properties, as well as the cat treat itself.

Pros
  • Cats love the flavor
  • Easy to feed
  • Treat and CBD oil in one
Cons
  • Often more expensive over the long run
  • Can lead to weight gain if over fed
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Differences Between CBD Oil and CBD Treats For Cats

CBD Oil CBD Treats
Serve Form Dropper CBD in treat and swallowed
Feeding Instructions Drizzle over food before feeding Feed treat to cat
CBD concentration Higher CBD concentration Fixed concentration per treat
Customization Adjust content by changing how much you feed to your cat Not adjustable
Other Ingredients Contains cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids from the plant Treat ingredients
Flavoring None Flavoring to make the treat more enjoyable

Can You Use Both CBD Oil and CBD Treats For Cats?

You should not use both CBD oil and CBD treats at the same time. CBD oil is safe for cats to consume if they are not overconsuming it. When you feed the cat both oil and treats, you run the risk of overdosing your cat on CBD oil.

For this reason, it’s best to only use CBD oil or CBD treats at a time. If you are not sure which product your cat will like, you can purchase both products, but only feed one at a time. For example, feed your cat the CBD oil the first day and the treat the next day. That way, you can see which product the cat responds to better without running the risk of overdosing your cat.

giving cat cbd oil
Image By: New Africa, Shutterstock

Which Is Better?

So, which is better: CBD oil or CBD treats? The answer to this question depends on your definition of better.

If you want the best CBD product in terms of benefits and health qualities, CBD oil is better because it contains all the benefits of the oil. In contrast, CBD treats are better if you are simply looking for an easy and convenient way to serve CBD oil to your cat.

Which Is Right For You?

To determine whether you should feed your cat CBD oil or treats, there are three factors you need to consider: your cat’s needs, ideal convenience, and budget. These three factors can help you pick out the right CBD product for your cat.

Your Cat’s Needs

If you are looking for CBD products for your cat, there is likely a reason why. Is your cat anxious all the time? Is your cat having joint issues? Thinking about why you want your cat to have CBD oil can help you get the right product.

For example, CBD oil will likely be the better option if your cat has severe illness or anxiety. Because the oil comes with more helpful ingredients, you will get the full benefits of CBD oil than you would with the treats. Likewise, CBD oil is the better option if your cat suffers from weight gain since it includes less sugars and additives.

In contrast, the treat option may be best if your cat only has moderate issues. The treat will provide enough CBD to help your cat, but it will not add too much CBD unnecessarily.

Don’t just think about your cat’s physical health needs. Think about your cat’s food preferences too. Most cats do not like the taste of CBD oil directly under their tongue or on their cheek. Thus, most cats prefer CBD treats instead.

Human giving CBD Oil to cat
Image Credit By: Lightcube, Shutterstock

Convenience

Hands down, CBD treats are much more convenient than oil. If you do not want to go through the hassle of measuring out the oil amount or struggling to get your cat to eat the CBD oil, you need the CBD treats. If you don’t mind having a less convenient method, then CBD oil works fine.

Price

Based on price alone, CBD oil is often slightly more expensive than CBD treats. That being said, the oil often lasts much longer than the treats, resulting in more savings over time. If you want to save money in the long run, go with CBD oil. If you are short of cash at the moment, treats are the better choice.

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Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, both CBD oil and CBD treats are great products to feed your anxious cat. Which one you should get depends on your needs and the cat’s health. By most standards, CBD oil is better than the treats simply because it is more powerful, customizable, and affordable over the long run. For some, CBD treats may be better because they are much more convenient to feed your cat.

To decide whether you should get CBD oil or treats for your cat, consider your cat’s needs, convenience, and price. By considering these three factors, you can determine which of the two products are best for you and your feline furball.

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