Cats are masters at concealing pain, making recognition and treatment challenging. Better pain assessment tools and owner awareness improve welfare for this stoic species.
Cat pain goes systematically undertreated because feline stoicism masks suffering that would be obvious in other species. Understanding that hiding, reduced activity, and changes in grooming can indicate pain rather than normal aging empowers owners to seek veterinary assessment. Better pain assessment tools and owner education together represent a major opportunity to reduce chronic suffering in companion cats.