Cats mask pain as a survival strategy, making owner recognition of feline pain one of the most critical and most frequently missed welfare challenges in companion animal care.
Feline pain recognition is a welfare skill with enormous potential impact — the majority of chronic pain in cats goes unrecognised and untreated because it manifests as subtle behaviour change rather than obvious vocalisation. A cat that has gradually reduced its activity level, stopped jumping, grooming less thoroughly, or spending more time hiding may be in significant chronic pain from arthritis, dental disease, or internal disease. The Feline Grimace Scale makes acute pain assessment more objective and accessible. Building pain recognition literacy in cat owners is one of the highest-leverage welfare interventions available for the companion cat population.