Cats are masters at concealing pain, an evolutionary trait that makes chronic pain difficult to detect. Learning subtle signs helps owners ensure their cats receive appropriate relief.
Chronic pain represents a massive hidden welfare problem in the cat population. Unlike dogs, cats rarely vocalize pain and instead become quieter and less interactive. Changes such as reluctance to jump, altered grooming patterns, reduced playfulness, and changes in litter box use may indicate underlying pain. Pain undertreatment in cats is partly a result of limited licensed analgesic options compared to other species and lack of owner awareness. Fortunately, increasing recognition of feline chronic pain has led to better diagnostic and treatment protocols.