Cats are highly effective at masking pain, creating a recognition gap that means millions of cats live with undiagnosed and untreated pain conditions that reduce quality of life.
The gap between cat pain prevalence and pain recognition is one of the most significant unaddressed welfare problems in companion animal medicine. Cats in chronic pain from arthritis, dental disease, or internal conditions continue performing normal activities while suffering — appearing fine to observers while experiencing ongoing discomfort. Behavioural changes — changes in sleeping location, reduced jumping height, altered grooming patterns, changed social behaviour — are the primary diagnostic clues. Teaching owners to recognise these subtle pain indicators enables earlier veterinary consultation and earlier pain management. Validated pain assessment tools including the Feline Grimace Scale are increasingly used in clinical settings.