Companion Animal Welfare

Cat Feline Grimace Scale Application

The Feline Grimace Scale provides a validated tool for assessing acute pain in cats using facial action units, improving pain recognition and treatment in clinical settings.

Key Facts

The Feline Grimace Scale assesses five facial action units including orbital tightening and ear position
Validation studies show strong inter-observer reliability when trained observers are used
The scale detects acute pain differences before and after analgesia administration
A free app enables real-time FGS scoring from photographs in clinical settings
The scale is sensitive to moderate and severe pain but less reliable for mild pain

Welfare Considerations

Cats' stoic nature means acute pain is frequently underrecognised and undertreated in veterinary practice. The Feline Grimace Scale provides an objective, validated assessment tool that enables veterinary teams to detect and treat pain that would otherwise go unrecognised.

What You Can Do

Ask your vet about pain assessment protocols including the Feline Grimace Scale
Support veterinary education about validated pain assessment tools for cats
Advocate for routine pain assessment as a standard of care in feline veterinary practice