Veterinary acupuncture is increasingly used alongside conventional medicine for cats with chronic pain, neurological conditions, and other ailments, with growing evidence supporting benefit in selected conditions.
Integrative medicine welfare considerations center on avoiding its use in ways that delay or replace effective conventional treatment while recognizing genuine benefit in selected contexts. Acupuncture for cats with chronic pain that cannot tolerate NSAIDs or where NSAIDs are contraindicated (CKD) represents a welfare-positive use - providing pain relief where otherwise none exists. Cats that find the procedure stressful should not be forced through sessions; most cats that tolerate the initial session accept subsequent ones well. The welfare benefit of pain relief in chronic conditions, when achievable through acupuncture, is significant and real.