Companion Animals

Cat Feline Grimace Scale Pain Assessment

The Feline Grimace Scale provides a validated tool for assessing acute pain in cats based on facial expressions, improving pain recognition and treatment.

Key Facts

Cats hide pain behaviours making recognition difficult without validated tools
The Feline Grimace Scale uses ear, eye, muzzle, whisker and head position scoring
FGS has been validated in multiple clinical studies for acute pain
It can be used by owners from photographs as well as veterinary staff
Widespread adoption of FGS improves analgesia provision in clinical practice

Welfare Considerations

Pain underrecognition in cats is a major welfare problem - their stoic behaviour means acute pain often goes untreated for too long. The Feline Grimace Scale provides an accessible, evidence-based tool that enables earlier recognition and treatment. Owner training in recognising the subtle facial expressions of pain improves home monitoring.

What You Can Do

Learn the Feline Grimace Scale from the official training resources
Use FGS to monitor your cat after surgery or injury
Advocate for FGS training in veterinary nursing and vet education