Companion Animal Welfare

Cat Perioperative Pain Management Welfare

Pain management around veterinary procedures in cats has improved significantly but remains inconsistent across practices.

Key Facts

Cats experience pain from surgical procedures equivalently to other mammals
Under-treatment of feline pain is historically common due to difficulty of assessment
Multimodal analgesia combining NSAIDs, opioids and local anaesthesia is most effective
Post-operative pain monitoring using the FGS allows evidence-based analgesia adjustment
Pain management protocols should extend to home care after discharge

Welfare Considerations

Perioperative pain in cats causes unnecessary suffering that is largely preventable with appropriate multimodal analgesia. Evidence-based pain management from premedication through to home care represents current best practice that should be universal.

What You Can Do

Ask your vet about their perioperative pain management protocol before any procedure
Request pain assessment using a validated scale and analgesia adjustment for your cat post-operatively
Ensure you understand home pain management instructions and can monitor your cat effectively after discharge