Arthritis is the most common condition in senior cats yet remains dramatically underdiagnosed and undertreated. Recognising its subtle signs enables effective pain management that transforms quality of life.
Feline arthritis welfare is compromised by a perfect storm of factors: cats are stoic, their pain signs are subtle, owners attribute changes to ageing, and until recently effective licensed feline analgesics were limited. The result is millions of arthritic cats receiving no treatment for a painful condition that affects every aspect of their daily life. The cat that no longer grooms its hindquarters, has stopped jumping onto its favourite perch, and visits the litter tray less frequently than previously is communicating chronic pain through the only signals available. Recognising these signals, confirming the diagnosis, and initiating effective analgesia transforms quality of life. The welfare opportunity is enormous — most arthritic cats can experience meaningful improvement with treatment.