Chronic Pain in Cats: Recognition and Management

Chronic pain is extremely common in cats, particularly from arthritis and dental disease, but is massively under-diagnosed because cats hide pain instinctively. Improving recognition transforms welfare for millions of cats.

Key Facts

Degenerative joint disease (arthritis) affects over 90% of cats over 12 years old on X-ray
Only 4% of cat owners report their cats showing signs of lameness — most pain goes unrecognised
The Feline Grimace Scale provides a validated tool for assessing pain from facial expression
NSAIDs licensed for cats can provide significant pain relief with appropriate monitoring
Cats receiving pain treatment show renewed activity, grooming, and social behaviour

Welfare Considerations

Cats experiencing chronic pain live in a state of persistent discomfort that profoundly affects their quality of life. As prey animals, cats instinctively mask pain signs, meaning the signs that reach owners — reluctance to jump, reduced grooming, avoiding interaction — represent severe underlying pain. The gap between the prevalence of arthritic pathology (most old cats) and the recognition of pain (very few owners) represents an enormous welfare failure. Pain treatment dramatically improves quality of life, often revealing changes in behaviour owners had attributed to normal ageing.

What You Can Do

Watch for subtle signs of pain in older cats: reluctance to jump, reduced grooming, changed toileting
Discuss pain assessment with your vet at annual check-ups using validated pain scales
Ask specifically about pain management options if your cat is over 10 years old
Learn the Feline Grimace Scale to improve your own pain recognition
Support research into safe, long-term pain management for cats