Cat Chronic Pain Management: Recognising and Treating Hidden Suffering

Cats are masters at hiding pain, making chronic pain conditions among the most under-recognised and undertreated welfare problems in feline medicine. Validated assessment tools and modern treatments are transforming outcomes.

Key Facts

The Feline Grimace Scale measures acute pain through facial action units including ear position, eye aperture, and muzzle tension
Chronic pain in cats is most commonly associated with osteoarthritis, dental disease, and chronic kidney disease
Studies show that over 90% of cats over 10 years old have radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis, yet most receive no pain treatment
Cats rarely vocalise pain — changes in behaviour including reduced jumping, altered grooming, and social withdrawal are key indicators
Meloxicam, buprenorphine, and gabapentin are commonly used analgesics in cats with chronic pain conditions
Monoclonal antibody treatments targeting nerve growth factor are showing promising results for feline osteoarthritis pain
Owner-reported quality of life and activity monitoring tools improve pain detection between veterinary visits

Welfare Considerations

Chronic pain in cats represents one of the most significant and addressable welfare gaps in companion animal medicine. The combination of cats' stoic pain behaviour and owners' tendency to attribute changes to normal ageing means millions of cats live with treated or undertreated pain. A cat that has stopped jumping to favourite resting spots, is grooming less, is less interactive, or avoids being touched in certain areas is communicating pain through behaviour — but these changes are easily missed. Veterinary approaches that incorporate structured pain assessment at every visit, radiographic screening for osteoarthritis in seniors, and proactive multimodal pain management dramatically improve welfare outcomes. Owner education about feline pain signs is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions available.

What You Can Do

Learn the Feline Grimace Scale and use it to assess your cat's facial expression during any illness or injury
Report any behavioural changes to your veterinarian — especially reduced jumping, altered grooming, or social withdrawal
Request pain assessment at every veterinary visit for your cat, including during routine wellness examinations
Ask about multimodal pain management including physiotherapy, dietary supplements, and appropriate analgesia
Support research into feline-specific pain biomarkers and non-invasive assessment methods for objective pain monitoring