How chronic pain manifests differently in cats than in other species, validated assessment tools, and evidence-based treatment approaches for osteoarthritis and other pain conditions.
Chronic pain in cats represents one of the most widespread and consistently underrecognized welfare problems in companion animal medicine. The stoic nature of cats — an evolutionary adaptation that prevents advertising vulnerability in a solitary predator — means that cats in significant pain frequently appear superficially normal to owners and even to veterinarians without trained assessment. Behavioral changes that owners attribute to aging — reduced grooming, decreased jumping, sleeping more, reduced play — are frequently direct consequences of chronic pain rather than inevitable aging processes. Recognizing this distinction opens significant welfare opportunity: effective pain management can restore quality of life that owners have normalized away as age-related change. The therapeutic landscape for feline pain management has expanded substantially: from meloxicam as the primary option to gabapentin, tramadol, and now monthly monoclonal antibody injections that target specific pain pathways with minimal systemic side effects. Environmental modification is equally important: removing barriers that require painful movement and providing ramps, elevated water stations, and accessible litter boxes can substantially improve daily quality of life without pharmaceutical intervention.