Cats are masters at concealing pain as a prey-animal survival strategy, making validated pain assessment tools essential for identifying and treating feline suffering.
Feline pain undertreatment is a significant and widespread welfare problem rooted in both the difficulty of recognition and historical underestimation of cat pain sensitivity. The Feline Grimace Scale, validated for acute pain assessment, provides an objective tool that improves recognition. Chronic pain from arthritis, dental disease, and organ disease requires behavioral assessment over time. Educating cat owners on subtle pain signs transforms welfare outcomes through earlier veterinary consultation.