One of the most alarming things that can happen to a pet owner is a sudden act of aggression from their four legged friend. As parents, we are constantly reminded that our animals are actually animals and not human, and when cats begin to exhibit aggression it needs to be handled. CBD is actually a very effective and natural way to help remedy aggression in cats.
There’s lots of reasons for a cat to become aggressive, and while there are many different ways to remedy this behavior, using CBD as a temporary solution can buy you valuable time before something tragic happens.
Why Is My Cat Acting Aggressive
Cats are temperamental creatures and change generally rubs them the wrong way. In most cats, this causes anxiety, which can morph into aggression when provoked.
When a cat becomes anxious they start to become more concerned with their surroundings. An anxious cat becomes fearful of noises or disturbances, sensing they are being attacked which can quickly lead them to a fight or flight status. This status can cause them to act outwardly hostile towards you, others around you, and animals nearby.
If your cat is displaying the following postures, they can be seen as acting aggressively:
- Hissing or growling
- Ears flattened
- Stiffened tail
- Hair raised
There are a lot of other signs, but these are generally the leading indicators your cat is ready to fight.
Does CBD Help Aggressive Cats?
In short, yes CBD can effectively assist temporarily with aggressive behaviors in cats. It’s probably not a good idea for a long term solution though, as it can become costly and tiresome to constantly be administered to your cat.
In a short term situation, and to help ease them into new environments, you would be hard pressed to find a better solution than CBD in treating aggressive cats. Just remember that while it can help on a temporary basis, the real cure is in understanding the source of their aggression and working towards fixing it.
How To Use CBD To Curb Aggression In Cats
Using CBD for aggressive cats really depends on the cat. Administering CBD oil can be tricky, especially if your cat is already acting aggressively. Shoving a dropper into their mouth sounds like a great way to get bit.
Depending on your cat and the level of aggression they are displaying, you may want to start by trying to get them to eat a few CBD treats. You can drop these at their feet and hope they choose to eat them. Unfortunately, most cats who are already displaying peak aggression are in no mood to eat.
If you can calm them down first, that is your best bet. Putting them into an empty room is a great way to give them space to calm down.
In the event that it’s not possible to give them space, a dropper is actually your best bet as you can forcefully administer it, but you will need to hold your cat and get extremely close to their mouth. The chances of being bitten are very high, so it’s not recommended.
Here’s a small chart to explain the suggested dosage of CBD based on a cats weight. Depending on how aggressive a cat is acting, we would recommend using either the medium or high dose.
| Weight | Low Dose | Medium Dose | High Dose |
| Under 10 lbs. | 1mg | 3mg | 5mg |
| 10 lbs. - 20 lbs. | 2mg | 4mg | 6mg |
| 20 lbs - 30 lbs. | 3mg | 5mg | 7mg |
The best thing that you can do is determine what it is that is making your cat so aggressive. When you understand the source, you can at least provide them with CBD before exposure to it. For our household, Pima tends to display a lot of aggression around other cats, mainly because he feels insecure about his ability to protect himself. So before we allow our other cats to come near him we give him some CBD to help keep him calm.
CBD can also be used prior to cutting a cat's nails or cleaning their ears to help them remain calm during the process.
Just remember that CBD is not going to sedate your cats. Melatonin is a better way to get them to sleep if you need them to sleep.
Best CBD For Aggressive Cats
The best CBD for aggressive cats depends on your cats style and preferences. As we have alluded to, administering CBD to an aggressive cat can be challenging, so we would recommend keeping multiple options on hand if you need them.
For us, we prefer to feed treats when possible because they are easy to administer, and enticing to a cat. But the oils generally are more powerful, and are very easy to slip in with wet food.
As with all CBD for cats, the most important thing is that it’s natural and purely made with no contaminants.