Chronic pain in cats is systematically underdiagnosed due to the species' tendency to mask pain, with significant welfare implications for millions of cats living with unrecognised painful conditions.
Chronic pain is one of the most significant hidden welfare problems in companion cats. Unlike dogs, cats rarely vocalise pain and instead show subtle behavioural changes — reduced grooming, increased hiding, reluctance to jump, and altered social behaviour — that are easily attributed to normal aging. Systematic use of validated pain assessment tools at every veterinary visit and owner observation checklists at home enables diagnosis of previously invisible pain. Treatment with NSAIDs, solensia (anti-NGF therapy), and environmental modifications dramatically improves quality of life for diagnosed cats.