Companion Animal Welfare

Cat Chronic Pain Recognition and Treatment

Chronic pain in cats is pervasive but poorly recognised, with better diagnostic tools and owner education offering significant welfare improvements.

Key Facts

Feline musculoskeletal pain affects an estimated 61% of cats over 6 years
The Feline Grimace Scale allows objective pain assessment from facial expression
Cats show pain through subtle behavioural changes including altered grooming and reduced activity
NSAIDs are limited in cats by species-specific drug metabolism requiring careful selection
Multimodal pain management combining analgesics and environmental modification improves outcomes

Welfare Considerations

The scale of unrecognised chronic pain in cats is extraordinary. Millions of cats living with osteoarthritis, dental disease, and other painful conditions experience daily suffering that owners attribute to normal ageing. Better owner education about pain recognition and increased use of validated pain assessment tools would identify enormous quantities of treatable chronic pain.

What You Can Do

Learn the Feline Grimace Scale for objective pain assessment
Request pain assessment at annual veterinary visits for cats over 7 years
Provide environmental adaptations that reduce pain impacts for affected cats