Cats are masters of masking pain, making chronic pain recognition a major welfare challenge requiring owner education and proactive veterinary assessment.
Chronic pain in cats is vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated because the signs are subtle and owners attribute them to normal ageing. A cat that no longer jumps onto the sofa or uses the litter tray less reliably may be arthritic, not lazy or developing behavioural problems. The suffering of unrecognised chronic pain extends over years in many cats, representing a massive and preventable welfare burden. The development of validated feline pain scales has created new tools for recognition, but translating these into routine veterinary and owner practice remains an ongoing challenge.