Cats present unique pain management challenges due to limited drug options and their tendency to hide pain. Advances in feline analgesia are improving welfare outcomes for cats in pain.
Cat pain management presents the combined challenges of a stoic species, limited drug options, and owner unfamiliarity with feline pain signs. Cats do not limp as obviously as dogs when in joint pain - they simply become less active and jump less, which owners often attribute to aging rather than pain. Osteoarthritis affects a significant proportion of middle-aged and elderly cats but is profoundly underdiagnosed and undertreated. The development of the Cat Grimace Scale has given veterinarians and informed owners a validated tool for detecting pain that does not depend on behavioral changes alone. Advances in feline-specific drug formulations are gradually improving the pain management toolkit.