Feline arthritis is far more common than historically recognised and is frequently under-diagnosed and under-treated, causing chronic pain that significantly reduces quality of life in older cats.
Feline arthritis represents a massive hidden welfare burden — millions of cats living with chronic joint pain that owners, and sometimes vets, attribute to "normal ageing" or quiet temperament. The subtlety of feline pain expression evolved as a survival adaptation: showing weakness is dangerous for a small predator. This same adaptation makes feline pain invisible to observation, and cats silently endure significant suffering. Modern veterinary medicine has the tools to identify and treat feline arthritis effectively, but awareness, regular geriatric screening, and a willingness to initiate treatment proactively are all required. Owners who notice their older cat is less active, jumpier about being touched, or grooming less should raise arthritis as a possibility with their vet.