Can CBD help dogs and cats frightened by hunting?
In France, the number of hunters is estimated at around 1 million. Just imagine how many gunshots all of these hunters can add up to over a single year. As you will have gathered, that is a great many shots fired, and our pets can be greatly stressed and frightened by them. Hunting grounds are shrinking day by day as new urban developments eat into natural areas.
The Cali Weed team started from a simple, personal observation: hunters sometimes end up very close to homes in the countryside, and this is bad news for our pets. Dogs become stressed and unsettled, while cats are likely to run off and hide when the anxiety caused by gunshots takes hold of them. So, you may ask, what is the connection between hunting, dogs and cats, and CBD? In this article, we will show how CBD can help and soothe your pets if they regularly hear gunshots during the hunting season.
Hunting in France
Hunting is an ancestral practice, in which people hunted for the sole purpose of feeding themselves and meeting their basic needs. The practice evolved over the ages: guns replaced bows and arrows, gradually reducing the prey's chances of survival. Today, many hunters admit that for them it has become more of an "enjoyable outing in nature" than a way of putting food on the table. In France, around five million people have held a hunting licence at some point. As mentioned above, approximately one million people take part in this activity each year, even though it tends to attract fewer and fewer enthusiasts.
Homes are often close to hunting areas, as there is inevitably more and more construction, more residents and fewer natural spaces. With hunting grounds gradually shrinking, encounters between hunters and pets are becoming increasingly common. Gunshots ring out regularly when you live in rural France. It is now very common to come across hunters by the roadside, or simply to spot them crossing fields or waiting patiently for prey to emerge from the thickets.
The fact remains that, in the midst of all this, we have forgotten what matters most: our pets. Have you ever seen your pets frightened by fireworks? Well, it is entirely possible that while you are at work, your pet is frightened by the sound of gunshots without you even knowing.
What is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a molecule derived from the hemp plant. Its properties in humans are well established. For a few years now, you have been able to find it in CBD shops on high streets all over France, as well as online, for example on our Cali Weed website. Far from being harmful to health, quite the opposite. The report from the WHO (World Health Organization) confirms it: CBD, or cannabidiol, offers a remarkable number of benefits for a single molecule.
In-depth studies on CBD are relatively recent, so there is still a great deal to discover. CBD is mainly used to relieve, or even eliminate, chronic pain in order to soothe people. But CBD is also widely used to combat epileptic seizures. As another example, CBD is widely consumed by people suffering from insomnia or sleep disorders, as it helps them relax and release tension in their muscles, making it easier to fall asleep peacefully.
Why can CBD help our dogs and cats?
Let's do a simple little exercise: put yourself in your pet's shoes. Gunshots ring out around your home and your pet simply thinks it is going to die (its survival instinct takes over). The strongest feeling at that precise moment is quite simply fear, closely followed by stress and anxiety.
We are not blaming hunting or hunters – we would not want to make enemies of people who own guns (^^). We are simply pointing out that our pets can often be anxious about this highly sensitive issue. The blasts from gunshots seem unpredictable and put our pets in a state of complete stress.
CBD for dogs or cats therefore offers one possible solution to this problem. It will be important to find out in advance about the correct dosage and methods of administration. We recommend an article we have written on this: Our advice before giving CBD to your pets.
Sometimes the problem does not lie where you might think. It simply comes down to training. By trying to comfort your dog, you reassure it and thereby tell it that its fear is justified. So we have set aside a short video on this subject for you; if you have five minutes to spare, it could help you and your dog clear up a few misunderstandings.
Here is that short video from the Educ-Dog website, whom we of course thank for their valuable advice.
Noise can therefore be a source of stress or anxiety for your dog or cat, and CBD offers extra support to help them get through these difficult moments.
CBD for dogs and CBD for cats
You are not at home all day, and that is perfectly normal – we are all busy with work or other activities. But when your dog or cat is left alone and hears gunshots ringing out, it will most likely remain frightened. If you want to make sure your pet is not stressed, you can absolutely give it CBD, or cannabidiol, to soothe it and anticipate this anxiety.
If you would like to give CBD to your dog or cat, you can of course buy CBD made in France from organic farming directly on our website. Simply visit our page dedicated to CBD oil for dogs and cats.
However, if it is only for your cat, this is the product we recommend. Only the quantity differs, as dogs need a little more CBD oil than cats because of their weight.
If you would like to go further in supporting your pet with CBD, we also offer CBD shampoos for dogs and cats. These CBD shampoos offer many benefits for your pets' skin and coat and have a neutral pH, with natural fragrances for sensitive skin or a lavender scent.
Giving CBD to your dog or cat
It is important to observe carefully how your pet reacts. The dosage is generally 0.2 mg of CBD per kilo (of your pet's weight). Depending on the results, you can of course gradually increase the dose up to 1 mg of CBD per kilo.
There are two ways to administer CBD oil to dogs and cats. You can give it directly under the tongue, orally (or sublingually). If you find this method difficult, you can also give it by adding it to your pet's bowl and mixing it in.
As mentioned above, we are not here to give hunting a bad name. We are simply highlighting an often overlooked issue, so that our pet dogs and cats are not overly affected or frightened by the noise this activity causes. We of course wish hunters the freedom to keep hunting (although we would still prefer them to turn to non-living targets), and we wish cats and dogs to be free from stress and anxiety. That is why, if you have any questions about CBD for dogs or cats, please do not hesitate to get in touch via this contact form – we will be happy to talk with you.
The Cali Weed team