Best CBD Oil for Cats: 8 Products Compared

Written by Marc Brannigan, Co-Founder & CEO of HempMy Pet. Last updated 30 October 2026. Disclosure: HempMy Pet makes two of the products compared here. We are not the cheapest per mg, and we have no study in cats; the tables say so. Every competitor figure comes from that brand's own product, About and policy pages on the date above, linked in the tables.

Best CBD Oil for Cats: Price Compared

Cats need very small servings, so a bottle lasts months and the monthly cost is low. What differs is the price per milligram, and whether the brand tells you the milligrams at all.

*60 mg over 30 days: 2 mg a day, about 0.2 mg per lb for a 10-lb cat, inside the common 0.1 to 0.25 mg/lb range. List prices before sales or subscriptions, from each brand's product page on 30 Oct 2026. "Not stated" means the product page gives no total mg we could verify; Lolahemp's label and its posted COA disagree on the bottle's total. Pet Releaf states mg of hemp extract, not mg of CBD. HolistaPet also sells its cat oil up to 3,000 mg, which brings the price to about $0.04 per mg.

Strength, Carrier and Flavor

For cats, mg per mL matters more than bottle size. A dilute oil lets you give 1 or 2 mg without measuring a single drop. The carrier and flavor decide whether your cat takes it.

CBD per mL is mg per bottle divided by stated volume, or the brand's own per-mL figure. Innovet labels its oil both "full spectrum" and "THC-free", which contradict each other; check the COA. MCT carriers were linked to more stomach upset in cats in a 2021 safety study (Kulpa 2021). Every brand here says it publishes certificates of analysis; match the lot number on the COA to your bottle.

Who Makes It: Farm, Research and Track Record

From each brand's About, FAQ and refund-policy pages and a Europe PMC full-text search of the feline literature, 30 Oct 2026. "None found" means no peer-reviewed or university study testing that brand's own cat product turned up. Lolahemp's cat page cites the ElleVet paste study, which tested ElleVet's product, not Lolahemp's. A widely cited 2021 cat safety study (Kulpa) used Canopy Growth oils, not any brand listed here.

Best CBD Oil for Cats by Need

• Most research on its own cat products: ElleVet, with two company-funded feline studies, though neither tested the MCT oil it sells today. Most expensive here at $79.
• Best for picky cats: HempMy Pet hemp-infused coconut oil (100 mg $39 or 500 mg $89). It is a mild organic coconut oil you stir into wet food rather than drop in the mouth, at about 3.4 mg per mL (500 mg jar), so a cat serving is a small fingertip amount.
• Own farm plus a measured dropper: HempMy Pet 250mg (8.3 mg/mL, $0.196/mg). Earth Buddy is the only other brand here that grows its own hemp.
• Lowest cost per mg: HolistaPet broad-spectrum 300 mg ($0.133/mg), with chicken and salmon flavors and no THC.
• Calming blend: Pet Releaf Feline Stress Releaf, which adds ashwagandha and catnip to the hemp extract.
• Lowest entry price: Honest Paws at $24.95, USDA Organic and NASC-sealed, though the bottle's total mg is not stated on the page.

What the Cat Research Actually Shows

Three practical takeaways. First, cats absorb CBD less well than dogs, so don't copy a dog dose and don't expect dog-sized effects from a drop. Second, acceptance is the limiting factor: both the 2019 and 2025 studies ran into taste problems, so pick a format your cat will eat. Third, the comfort result for older cats came after six weeks of daily use, so give it time. For more on why cats handle hemp differently, see our feline review summary.

How to Get a Picky Cat to Take CBD Oil

If your cat spits it out, drools or runs when it sees the dropper, you are in good company. In the 2025 osteoarthritis study, 12 of 26 cats dropped out, mostly because they would not eat the product, and the 2019 study recorded licking and head-shaking at every dose. Here is what works, in the order to try it.

1. Stop dosing by mouth. Stir the serving into a teaspoon of strong-smelling wet food (tuna or salmon pâté) and offer it before the rest of the meal, while she is hungriest.
2. Make the serving smaller in volume. A cat-strength oil (4 to 10 mg per mL) means 1 to 2 mg is only a few drops, which disappears in food. A dog-strength oil concentrates the taste.
3. Use a lickable treat. Mix it into a squeeze-tube cat treat or a smear of plain cooked chicken purée.
4. Switch the carrier. Some cats reject MCT oil (it also caused more stomach upset in the 2021 safety study). A mild food-grade fat like hemp-infused organic coconut oil blends into food with no dropper at all.
5. Try a flavored oil (chicken or salmon) if plain oil in food still fails.
6. Keep it calm. Same time, same spot, no chasing. A cat that learns the dropper means a struggle will refuse the food too.

How Much CBD Oil to Give a Cat

Start at about 0.1 mg of CBD per pound once or twice daily and work up slowly toward about 0.25 mg per pound if needed. Older, larger or more active cats can gradually work up to about 0.5 mg per pound a day, holding each step for 3 to 5 days. Research doses were higher still (2 mg/kg twice daily in the 12-week study).

Our 250 mg bottle holds about 600 drops (30 mL), so each drop is about 0.4 mg of CBD; droppers vary. For any other brand, divide the mg you want by that oil's mg per mL. Full chart: CBD dosage for cats.

1. Mix it into a teaspoon of wet food or a lickable treat rather than dropping it in the mouth. Most cats tolerate it far better this way.
2. For a known stressor (vet visit, travel, a new pet), give it 30 to 60 minutes beforehand; blood levels peak about 2 hours after an oral dose.
3. For comfort in an older cat, give it daily at the same time and judge it after 4 to 6 weeks. Note a baseline first: does she still jump onto the bed, use the litter box easily, groom her back?
4. Hold the dose for a week before you change it.
5. If your cat drools, licks or shakes its head, that is the taste, not a reaction. Switch to food-mixing or a milder carrier.

Side Effects and When to Call Your Vet

At normal servings, the side effects seen in cats are mild: stomach upset (more often with MCT carriers), drooling and head-shaking from the taste, and occasional sleepiness. One cat in eight showed a lasting rise in the liver enzyme ALT in the 12-week study. THC is the bigger concern for cats, which is why pet oils matter: in the 2021 study, oils containing THC caused more wobbliness, lethargy and low body temperature. Call your vet before starting CBD if your cat:

• takes daily medication or has liver, kidney or thyroid disease
• is pregnant, nursing or a kitten
• is scheduled for anesthesia or surgery

Stop and call your vet if you see wobbliness, vomiting that continues, refusal to eat, or unusual lethargy. More detail: is CBD safe for cats, CBD for cat anxiety and CBD for senior cats. For independent background, Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine keeps a plain-language CBD overview.

Where HempMy Pet Fits

We make two of the products above, so read this with that in mind. We are not the cheapest per mg, and we have not run a study in cats; ElleVet has more feline research. What we can show: we grow, extract and bottle the hemp on our own Colorado farm, every batch's COA is public, and we make a mild coconut-oil format that mixes into food, which is the problem the feline studies keep running into. Our own university research, a 90-day pilot with Colorado State University researchers, was in dogs. Hemp supports calm and everyday comfort in cats; it does not replace your vet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CBD oil effective for cats?
The feline evidence is early but positive for comfort. In a 2025 randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study of cats with osteoarthritis, a CBD/CBDA paste given for 6 weeks significantly lowered both veterinary and owner pain scores in the 14 cats that finished. Safety studies have found CBD well tolerated in healthy cats. Cats absorb CBD less well than dogs, and many dislike the taste, so the format you choose matters as much as the brand.

What is the best CBD oil for cats?
The best CBD oil for a cat is one it will actually take: a low-strength full-spectrum or broad-spectrum oil (about 4 to 10 mg per mL so tiny servings are easy to measure), a mild carrier, no added essential oils, and a certificate of analysis for the batch. In our October 2026 comparison of eight cat products, ElleVet has the most research on its own cat products, HolistaPet is the lowest cost per mg, and HempMy Pet is the only one here with both its own farm and a food-mixable coconut-oil format.

Is hemp oil the same as CBD oil for cats?
No. Hemp seed oil is pressed from seeds and has essentially no CBD; it is a fat and omega supplement. CBD oil (hemp extract) is made from the flowers and leaves and states its milligrams of CBD. If a cat product lists no mg of CBD or cannabinoids, it is probably seed oil. Some brands use hemp seed oil as the carrier for their CBD extract, which is fine. More on the difference in hemp oil vs CBD oil.

Can I use human CBD oil for my cat?
It is not a good idea. Human oils are usually far too concentrated to measure a cat-sized serving, often contain more THC (in a 2021 feline safety study, THC-containing oils caused more wobbliness, lethargy and low body temperature than CBD oil), and may include flavorings or essential oils that are unsafe for cats. Use a product made and dosed for pets, with a COA showing THC under 0.3%.

How much CBD oil should I give my cat?
Start low: about 0.1 mg of CBD per pound of body weight once or twice daily, so roughly 1 mg for a 10-lb cat, and increase slowly toward about 0.25 mg per pound if needed; older or larger cats can work up to about 0.5 mg per pound a day. Research doses were higher (2 mg/kg twice daily in a 12-week safety study). Divide the mg you want by your bottle's mg per mL to get the volume. Our cat dosage chart does the math by weight.

How long does CBD take to work in cats?
In a pharmacokinetic study, blood CBD peaked about 2 hours after an oral dose in cats. Owners usually notice calming within 30 to 60 minutes when it is given before a stressor such as a vet visit or travel. For comfort and mobility in older cats, judge it after 4 to 6 weeks of consistent daily use; the osteoarthritis study measured results at 6 weeks.

Is CBD safe for cats? What are the side effects?
In controlled studies CBD has been well tolerated in cats. Healthy cats in a 2021 study tolerated CBD oil up to 30.5 mg/kg with only mild, short-lived side effects, mostly stomach upset, which was more common with MCT carriers. In a 12-week study at 2 mg/kg twice daily, one of eight cats had a persistent rise in the liver enzyme ALT. The most common practical problems are drooling, licking and head-shaking from the taste. Ask your vet about bloodwork for long-term use. More in is CBD safe for cats.

My cat won't take CBD oil. What can I do?
You are not alone: in the 2025 osteoarthritis study, 12 of 26 cats dropped out, mostly because they refused the paste. Try a lower-strength oil so the volume is tiny, mix it into a teaspoon of wet food or a lickable treat instead of dropping it in the mouth, or switch to a mild food-mixable format such as hemp-infused coconut oil. A flavored oil (chicken or salmon) helps some cats.

Is full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD better for cats?
Full-spectrum keeps the hemp plant's minor cannabinoids and trace THC under 0.3%; broad-spectrum removes the THC. Cats are more sensitive to THC than to CBD: in the 2021 escalating-dose study, wobbliness and lethargy were more common with THC-containing oils. A full-spectrum pet oil at a normal serving delivers only a trace of THC, but if your cat is very small or sensitive, broad-spectrum is a reasonable choice.

Is CBD good for senior cats with stiff joints?
It may help support comfort. In the 2025 Utrecht study of cats with osteoarthritis, a CBD/CBDA paste reduced both the TRiP veterinary pain index and owner-rated DORFOP scores after 6 weeks versus placebo. Senior cats often hide stiffness, so look for subtle signs like not jumping up, and keep your vet involved. CBD supports comfort; it does not replace veterinary care.

Can I give my cat my dog's CBD oil?
Only if you can measure a cat-sized serving and the oil has nothing cats should not have. Dog oils are often 2 to 8 times more concentrated than cat oils, so a single drop can be several times a cat's starting dose, and some dog products are flavored with ingredients not tested in cats. A low-strength oil made for cats or small pets is safer and easier.

The Short Version

• Choose a pet oil at about 4 to 10 mg per mL, with a COA, no essential oils, and THC under 0.3%.
• Cat CBD is cheap per month (about $8 to $12 for a 10-lb cat); compare price per mg where the brand states it.
• Start at about 0.1 mg per lb, mixed into food, and judge comfort after 4 to 6 weeks.
• Pick a format your cat will eat: taste is why nearly half the cats in the newest study quit.
• Keep your vet involved, especially for older cats or cats on medication.

Shop CBD for Cats → Cat Dosage Chart

CBD Dosage for Cats · Is CBD Safe for Cats? · Cat Anxiety · Senior Cats · Signs of Arthritis in Cats · Best Hemp Oil for Dogs · Best CBD Oil for Horses

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your cat is unwell, contact your veterinarian.