Cats are masters of pain concealment — recognising subtle pain indicators is essential for owners and vets to ensure welfare needs are not overlooked.
The welfare consequences of undetected pain in cats are severe: cats suffering from dental pain may eat less but continue eating, masking the problem; cats with arthritis reduce their activity but owners interpret this as normal ageing; cats with internal pain may become more withdrawn rather than vocalising. This systematic masking of pain means many cats live with significant, treatable pain for months or years. Welfare improvement requires systematic pain assessment at every veterinary visit using validated tools including the Feline Grimace Scale and the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) clinical guidelines. Owners should learn the subtle behavioural indicators of chronic feline pain and proactively report changes to their veterinarian rather than waiting for obvious signs.