Can Cats Eat Hemp Seeds? Vet-Reviewed Info to Know
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Cats are mischievous pets that can find themselves in all kinds of situations. If your cat ate some hemp seeds that spilled on the floor or that you left out, you may be asking yourself if cats can safely eat hemp seeds. The answer to that question is that while cats should not be fed hemp seeds, it is okay if your cat ate a few as they shouldn’t do it any harm.
What Happens If My Cats Eats Too Many Hemp Seeds?
Eating too much of anything that’s not healthy for your cat can be harmful and especially if it’s something toxic. If your cat ate a lot of hemp seeds, you should contact your vet for advice.
The good news is that although hemp is in the cannabis family, it only contains a trace amount of the compound called THC that causes psychoactive effects. This means that hemp seeds won’t get your cat high, so you don’t have to worry that your furry friend will flip out and act crazy!
Hemp Seed Oil Is Used to Make Various Cat Products
The oil derived from hemp seeds is used to make various cat products ranging from nose and paw hemp balm to hemp cat supplements that claim to help cats deal with stress and anxiety. These products made from hemp seeds are commercialized for cats. Further studies are still not available to prove if the claims in cats are true.
Hemp Seed Oil Is Different Than CBD Oil
While hemp seed oil is made exclusively from hemp seeds, CBD oil comes from the hemp plant’s flowers, leaves, and stalks. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in the hemp plant that contains less than 0.3% THC.
You may know that CBD is widely advertised as a good option for providing relief for anxiety, stress, and depression in humans. What you may not know is that CBD oil for pets is big business today. While cats are generally easygoing animals that don’t ask their humans for much more than food, water, and their time and cuddles, like humans, cats can benefit from CBD.
Cats can suffer from stress, and this can lead to loss of their appetite, becoming aggressive, or excessively grooming themselves. A stressed cat even wreaks havoc on furniture with their claws. CBD oil for cats can help relieve stress by calming the animal down and making it more relaxed.
Today, it’s easy to find CBD oil for cats that’s being advertised as a viable treatment option for cats that suffer from a range of conditions including:
- Anxiety
- Allergies
- Hip and joint pain
- Stress
- Seizure management
- Anti-inflammatory
Now that you know that it’s not harmful if your cat eats a few hemp seeds and that, anecdotally, some vets suggest that cats can benefit from hemp oil and CBD, we’ll discuss the nutritional needs of cats. We’ll also give you a few tips for choosing cat food that your cat will gladly eat.
What Cats Need Nutritionally
As carnivores that eat mainly meat, cats need protein that comes from animals. Cats also need the following in their diet so they can live long, healthy lives:
- Amino acids like arginine and taurine
- Minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc
- Vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B6, B12, Vitamin K, and Vitamin D
- Fats and fatty acids like animal fat and Omega 3 and Omega 6.
In short, a cat’s nutritional needs are extensive, which means you need to feed your cat a well-balanced diet. The best way to do that is to feed your cat quality cat food that’s loaded with all the things your cat needs to thrive.
If your cat is a picky eater, try to figure out what flavors he likes best. This way, you can buy your cat food he will eat. For instance, if you discover your cat loves salmon over anything else, pick cat food made with salmon.
A good way to learn what flavors your cat likes best is to pick up a variety of cat food samples from your local pet store. Then simply offer the various flavors to your cat to see what he prefers.
Additional Considerations
While hemp seeds are a source of healthy oils, minerals, and vitamins that do indeed provide nutritional value and could even be used in pet food production, additional research is needed to completely understand its safety and long-term feed results.
In February of 2023, 17 organizations led by AFFCO sent a letter to ask for state leaders and hemp proponents to “work through the federal regulatory pathways used for all other animal feed ingredients”. The letter states that, “It is our position that sufficient scientific research to support the safety and utility of hemp in animal feed must be completed prior to any federal or state approval,” the letter stresses the importance of research through universities or private laboratories to help guarantee the safety and utility of hemp before it is allowed into commercial animal feeds and diets.
Conclusion
Cats can find themselves in all types of trouble because they’re often looking for things to get into. If your cat happens to eat a few hemp seeds, don’t worry because it won’t hurt your furry friend.
In fact, hemp seed is even proposed by some as an ingredient to add to the nutrition of pet food; however, further research is needed to prove the safety of its long-term use. Remember that cats must be fed good quality food that meets their dietary requirements, so read the ingredient list to make sure your furry feline is getting top-quality foods.
Featured Image Credit: ulleo, Pixabay
