Cats are masters at hiding pain, making chronic pain recognition particularly challenging. Understanding feline pain indicators enables earlier detection and treatment.
Feline chronic pain is a widespread welfare problem that is dramatically underdetected and undertreated because cats' stoic nature makes pain invisible to observation without specific assessment tools. A cat that has stopped jumping on furniture, sleeps more, grooms less, or interacts less with family members may be hiding significant chronic pain rather than simply aging. The welfare opportunity is substantial: cats with chronic pain that receives appropriate management show dramatic behavior changes indicating significantly improved quality of life - increased activity, better grooming, more interaction - that indicate the extent of the hidden suffering that preceded treatment. Systematic behavioral monitoring and pain assessment should be standard for all cats over age 8.