Feline osteoarthritis is massively underdiagnosed and undertreated. Modern pain management options dramatically improve quality of life for arthritic senior cats.
Feline arthritis welfare is characterized by massive underrecognition combined with excellent treatment options that remain underutilized. The very stoicism that makes cats beloved companions makes their arthritis invisible until it is severe — reduced jumping, changed sleeping locations, altered litter box behavior, and reduced grooming are the signs that owners often attribute to normal aging rather than painful joint disease. The emergence of frunevetmab has transformed feline arthritis management: a monthly injection targeting the pain signaling pathway eliminates the daily medication burden and toxicity concerns of NSAIDs, providing consistent pain relief in most treated cats. Post-treatment behavioral improvements — cats jumping again, grooming fully, engaging with owners — reveal the extent of previously unrecognized suffering.