Multimodal pain management combining different drug classes and non-pharmacological approaches provides superior welfare outcomes for cats compared to single-drug protocols in both acute and chronic pain contexts.
Feline pain management has historically lagged behind dogs partly due to their limited drug tolerance and partly due to the difficulty of pain recognition. Multimodal approaches allow effective pain control while managing the risks associated with individual drug classes in this sensitive species. The development of species-specific monoclonal antibody analgesics represents a significant advance that removes previous constraints on long-term pain management for conditions like osteoarthritis. Integrating environmental modifications — heated beds, ramps, low-sided litter boxes — with pharmacological treatment provides comprehensive welfare improvement that neither approach achieves alone.