Dental disease is the most common health condition in cats and causes chronic pain that is frequently unrecognized and undertreated.
Feline dental disease represents a chronic welfare crisis characterized by near-universal prevalence combined with profound underrecognition and undertreatment. Cats continue eating despite significant dental pain because the drive to eat overrides pain signals, leading owners to believe a cat that eats normally must be comfortable. In reality, cats with severe periodontal disease or active tooth resorption may experience constant pain they have simply learned to endure. The behavioral changes of dental discomfort — reduced grooming, food preference changes, reduced social interaction — are subtle and easily attributed to normal aging. Professional dental assessment including radiography under anesthesia reveals the true extent of disease in most middle-aged and older cats, frequently requiring multiple extractions. Post-extraction cats consistently show behavioral improvements described by owners as becoming more active, playful, and social, demonstrating how much dental pain had been suppressing normal behavior.