Cat Chronic Pain Recognition and Management

Chronic pain in cats is systematically underdiagnosed because cats mask pain instinctively, requiring owners and vets to use validated pain scales and proactive assessment.

Key Facts

Cats evolved to hide signs of pain and weakness as a survival strategy, making pain recognition difficult
Degenerative joint disease (arthritis) affects over 90% of cats over 12 years old
The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) allows reliable pain assessment from facial action units
Behavioral changes - reduced jumping, altered grooming, increased hiding - are often the only pain signs
NSAIDs approved for cats have changed management; meloxicam and robenacoxib are commonly used
Multimodal pain management combining analgesics, environmental modification, and weight control is most effective

Welfare Considerations

Chronic pain from arthritis dramatically reduces quality of life in senior cats. The masking of pain means many arthritic cats spend years in unrecognized suffering while owners attribute behavioral changes to 'normal aging.' Validated pain assessment tools, proactive questioning by vets, and owner education about subtle pain signs represent a welfare revolution in feline pain management that is still being fully adopted.

What You Can Do

Learn to use the Feline Grimace Scale to assess your cat's pain at home
Schedule biannual vet exams for cats over 10 and discuss arthritis pain assessment at each visit
Observe mobility changes: reluctance to jump, difficulty with stairs, altered gait
Discuss NSAID or gabapentin pain relief with your vet for confirmed arthritic cats
Modify the home environment - ramps, lower litter boxes, heated beds - to reduce pain impact
Monitor response to pain treatment as a diagnostic tool - pain relief that improves behavior confirms pain was present