Pet owners all around the globe are giving their pets CBD, claiming it can help them deal with pain, anxiety, old age, and much more. I’m one of those pet owners. Here’s how CBD is helping my 19-year-old cat live a better, healthier life.
Meet Moses, The Cat That Crossed The Ocean
I didn’t have a lot of friends when I was 8. My family and I had just moved from Switzerland to Australia and, before settling down in Melbourne, we spent 6 months drifting through the Australian desert in a 4WD campervan. We didn’t speak the language, understand the culture, or have a stable enough life for me to make any real friends. That all changed, however, when my sister came to visit us at the end of 2000 and got me a small, black and white cat for my birthday. My Dad took one look at the little guy, stared into his big, yellow-green eyes and decided we should call him “Moses.”
He also made it crystal-clear that the cat was mine and, therefore, I would be responsible for anything it destroyed or shat on. Having just turned 8, I somehow didn’t feel quite ready to take on that kind of responsibility. I’m kinda glad I did, though. Little did I know that, on my 8th birthday, I’d meet my closest, most loyal companion.
Fast-forward 19 years and I’m writing this post from my apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I moved here 5 years ago with Moses packed away in an airline-safe carrier in the cargo hold of a Boeing 747. As I’m typing, he’s fast asleep beside me on the couch, having just devoured half a can of tuna with a healthy dash of CBD oil. I started giving Moses CBD about a year ago after I noticed his old-age starting to take a toll on him.
His appetite died down, he started having trouble jumping up on the couch and bed, and he seemed to have pain in his hips and back.Moses also showed some signs of dementia (such as howling at night, regularly returning to his bowl after eating, etc). And just to top things off, he tumbled off my 4th story balcony less than a week ago.
My vet couldn’t believe that my 19yo cat not only survived the fall but also got off with nothing more than a fractured jaw. Now, CBD definitely didn’t save my cat. It has, however, greatly improved Moses’ quality of life ever since he started taking it. That’s because, like humans, cats, dogs, and other mammals have an endocannabinoid system that helps regulate a plethora of their bodily functions. This system comprises of 3 main components (endocannabinoids, receptor cells, and enzymes that synthesize, transport, and metabolize cannabinoids) and has been shown to regulate: Pain, Stress, Inflammation, and Sleep.
And while there’s a lack of research into how CBD affects pets, the fact that most cannabis research is conducted on lab rats suggests it’ll likely have similar effects on Fido. In fact, the entire pet CBD industry (which is expected to be worth close to $2 billion by 2023) is based on the theory that, by stimulating their endocannabinoid system, CBD can help pets by: Relieving pain and inflammation, Reducing anxiety, Stimulating appetite, Improving sleep, Calming digestive issues, … and much, much more.
Now, remember; I’m no vet or doctor. However, I have seen great results using CBD with my cat. Ever since I started giving Moses CBD oil, he’s been eating better, has less trouble getting up on the couch/bed, and seems to be in noticeably less pain. And while my vets here in Argentina aren’t very informed about CBD, they’ve consistently told me to keep using it based on the effects it’s having on Moses.
Not All CBD Is Created Equal
Unfortunately, finding good-quality, reliable CBD oil in Argentina (or any other country where cannabis remains illegal and unregulated) is difficult. Fortunately, I was able to find a seller on Mercado Libre (a South American version of eBay) with a limited stock of Hemp Bomb’s 125mg Pet CBD tincture. And while I knew that the brand had its limitations, I trusted it a hell of a lot more than the homemade, unlabeled tinctures I’d occasionally find people selling on Facebook.
Unfortunately, if, like me, you live in a country where cannabis is still illegal, you’ll likely run into similar problems trying to find a CBD supplement for your pet.
If not, enjoy your freedom and consider looking into CBD pet products to help your pet live a better, healthier life. Trust me, Moses swears by it!
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or a veterinarian. None of the information in this article should be taken as medical or veterinary advice.
Steve Voser
