Chronic pain in older cats is vastly underrecognised and undertreated, with studies suggesting the majority of cats over 10 years of age have degenerative joint disease causing ongoing pain that owners rarely identify.
Chronic pain in senior cats represents probably the most widespread and unaddressed welfare problem in companion cat populations. The biology of feline pain expression — showing pain through reduced activity and behavioural changes rather than vocalisation — means that owners interpret arthritic cats as simply ageing normally when they are in fact experiencing ongoing musculoskeletal pain. The availability of validated pain assessment tools and increasingly safe long-term analgesic options makes this a treatable condition when identified. The welfare imperative is owner and veterinary education that raises the index of suspicion for chronic pain in senior cats and normalises pain assessment as part of annual health monitoring in this age group.