Companion Animal Welfare

Cat Pain Recognition: Identifying Suffering in Silent Patients

Cats are stoic in showing pain, leading to chronic suffering going undetected - validated pain scales and owner education help identify and treat pain earlier.

Key Facts

Cats evolved to hide pain and weakness as a survival strategy - owners often miss early signs
The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) is a validated tool using facial action units to assess acute pain
Chronic pain from arthritis affects an estimated 61-90% of cats over 6 years of age
Changes in activity, grooming, posture, and social behaviour are key pain indicators
Multimodal analgesia combining NSAIDs and other drugs provides better pain control than single agents

Welfare Considerations

Pain recognition in cats is a critical welfare gap. Chronic arthritis pain is almost universal in older cats yet frequently unmanaged because owners do not recognise the signs. Training owners to notice reduced jumping, altered grooming, changed facial expressions, and social withdrawal enables earlier veterinary intervention. Veterinary practices that use validated pain assessment tools at every visit detect and treat more pain, with measurable welfare benefits.

What You Can Do

Learn to recognise feline pain signals - changes in behaviour and mobility are key
Use validated pain scales like the Feline Grimace Scale to assess your cat's comfort
Request pain assessment at every vet visit, especially for older cats
Support initiatives to train vets in routine feline pain assessment