Hi readers,
Like so many areas of feline health, CBD for cats sits in a strange middle ground.
It’s clear that demand exists for feline CBD supplements, mainly to treat feline anxiety and manage pain, amid the growing popularity of “natural” pet care.
However, unlike in human or even canine health, feline-specific research into CBD treatments remains thin. There is limited data demonstrating optimum CBD dosing, efficacy and long-term safety for cats.
Still, this situation presents an opportunity.
When it comes to a lightly-regulated area like pet CBD treatments, and highly sensitive animals like cats, CBD brands that can demonstrate real safety and efficacy data are most likely to win the trust of cat guardians and vets.
What we’re watching
CBD for cats: How the science gap can become a moat for brands
The CBD pet market is projected to grow at a rapid CAGR of nearly 33% to reach US$4 billion by 2033. However, as is the case in other markets, the CBD space remains overwhelmingly focused on dogs.
Feline-specific CBD products are virtually absent in comparison, despite increasing numbers of cat guardians and a shortage of approved feline-specific therapeutics.
The main areas of acute unmet need in feline medicine include:
Pain management;
Behavioural conditions such as inappropriate urination; and
Stress-related conditions that are poorly served by existing feline medicine.
The competitive landscape
Scientific rigour = peer-reviewed feline pharmacokinetic or safety data published. Feline specificity = products formulated and validated specifically for cats, not line-extended from canine ranges. Positioning reflects publicly available information as of Q1 2025.
At the retail level, the field of feline CBD appears quite crowded. However:
High-profile CBD brands market offer cat products primarily derived from canine formulations; and
Minimal or no feline-specific research is published.
The lack of data matters all the more given how significantly feline metabolism differs from canine metabolism. This makes cat-specific research key.
As Dr. Joseph Wakshlag, Chief Veterinary Medical Officer at ElleVet Sciences, told Feline Business Brief: "[The brands] prove it out in dog and then everybody just makes a cat supplement that looks like the dog supplement … You can't do dog and expect it to 100% translate to cat. Their metabolism is just different."
Key competitive differentiators
Published feline science: CBD brands that establish scientific credibility by publishing feline-specific research will be able to build an early moat. ElleVet Sciences is one of few companies who have published peer-reviewed pharmacokinetic, safety, and clinical data specifically in cats.
For every ten dog studies, there's just one cat study. And doing these studies is not easy. You can fool a dog. You can't fool a cat.”
In 2018, ElleVet Sciences became the only company in the industry to publish an efficacy and pharmacokinetic study, with feline safety data following in 2019. Controlled studies show CBD is generally well tolerated in cats, even at relatively high doses, with adverse effects largely mild.
This creates a sharp divide between companies:
Science-led companies investing in trials, publishing data, and building veterinary credibility; and
Commodity supplement brands competing on price, positioning, and consumer perception.
National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) certification: This is also a meaningful but underutilised factor. While ElleVet Sciences is a member, most CBD players are not.
Focus on veterinary channels: ElleVet Sciences sells direct-to-consumer and through veterinary wholesale, deliberately avoiding Chewy, PetSmart, and Petco. Most CBD brands take the opposite approach, prioritising retail reach over clinical credibility.
Overall however, veterinary adoption of CBD products remains limited, driven by a pharma-centric training model and inconsistent CBD product quality (e.g. mislabelled CBD levels, contamination risks).
Pricing premium: ElleVet Sciences’ products command a significant price premium over mass-market competitors, supported by their science positioning and vet endorsement.
The research asymmetry
Peer-reviewed CBD companion animal studies published per year, 2018–2024. Source: PubMed/CAB Abstracts search, peer-reviewed only. Estimates based on available literature; exact counts vary by search methodology.
The academic literature on feline CBD remains thin, compared to canine research.
Key findings to date:
Cats absorb CBD significantly less efficiently than dogs. This critical finding invalidates cross-species dosing assumptions;
ALT enzyme elevations (a liver stress marker) have appeared in some feline studies, requiring ongoing monitoring given cats' well-documented sensitivity to certain compounds;
A 2024 long-term safety study found healthy cats tolerated daily CBD at 4mg/kg over 26 weeks, with biochemistry remaining broadly within normal ranges;
Full-spectrum formulations are believed to outperform isolates, but hiding whole hemp extract's smell and taste in feline products remains technically challenging.
The palatability problem
Source: ElleVet Sciences palatability studies; industry interview data. Figures are indicative ranges from published and interview sources.
Palatability represents a clinical and commercial bottleneck, that will determine brands’ ability to build an evidence base in cats.
ElleVet Sciences’ five-year development trajectory highlights this challenge:
Initial paste formulations: ~20% feline acceptance rate
Salmon-flavoured paste: 55–60% acceptance
New soft chews: ~80% acceptance across their full format range
“Between the paste, the soft gel, and the chew, we can probably treat about 80% of cats,” said Dr. Wakshlag. “Will you ever get to 100%? No. Because it's a cat.”
What this means for industry
The feline CBD category is characterised by a limited published scientific evidence base, growing consumer demand, and a regulatory environment (NASC compliance, incoming US THC limits) that will separate credible operators from opportunists.
As Dr. Wakshlag put it: "One in twenty supplement companies are doing the research to prove out their formulations. The brands that do are building a very strong moat."
Dr. Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, Chief Veterinary Medical Officer at ElleVet Sciences, was interviewed for this piece. ElleVet's feline CBD/CBDA soft chews are available across all 50 US states via direct-to-consumer and veterinary wholesale channels.
Feline Business Brief provides competitive intelligence on the global cat sector. We analyse early signals, emerging risks and structural shifts across feline health, therapeutics, diagnostics and technology. Learn more here.
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