Cats are stoic pain-hiders, making recognition difficult. Evidence-based pain assessment tools and management options have improved significantly, enabling better welfare outcomes for cats in pain.
Cat pain management is one of the most important and challenging areas of feline veterinary welfare. The combination of stoic behavior, toxicity risks of many common pain medications in cats, and owner difficulty recognizing subtle pain signs creates conditions for significant chronic suffering. Many cats with painful arthritis are never diagnosed because their reduced activity is attributed to normal aging. Veterinary advances in feline-safe analgesics are expanding treatment options. Owners who learn to recognize feline pain signals and respond with appropriate veterinary support are the frontline of cat pain welfare.