How to Tell if Your Cat is in Pain - Top 25 Behavior Signs


Detecting signs that your cat is in pain can be very important as early diagnosis of potential disease, ailment or injuries. It can help prevent major problems developing and undue suffering. Unfortunately, cats are renowned for not showing that they are in pain. The more that owners can identify the signals and subtle signs for pain, then the sooner the pain can be treated and alleviated. Even the most attentive owner can find it difficult to detect pain, even when they are familiar with your cat's behavior and demeanor. There may be many false alarms as many of the common signals are not specific to pain and may have other causes.

Many owners look for a single key sign such as a hunched-up posture, refusing food, difficulty in jumping, or the cat hiding or avoiding of bright lights. The diagnosis would be more reliable if owners could use a suite of signs that are generally indicative of pain. What is needed is a list of reliable signs of pain in cats so that the diagnosis by owners could be based on multiple trustworthy and proven pain symptoms, or signs, rather than single ones. Such a list would help cat owners and veterinary practitioners separate fact from fiction and eliminate myths that can cause false diagnosis and unnecessary trips to the vet. Similarly reliable diagnosis will reduce the time the cat suffers before being treated.

But how can the reliable behavioral signs of pain identified when there are so many myths and theories among owners and even veterinary practitioners?

A recent research project was based on an extensive survey of hundreds of veterinary experts in feline medicine to identify key pain symptoms and signs that usually occur when cats are in pain. Identifying the top 20 reliable behaviour signs would provide a much more reliable tool owners could use for detecting when cats are in pain. Seeing two or more of these signs would increase the reliability of the diagnosis. The other aim of the survey was to list symptoms which are generally poor indicators that cats are in pain. This eliminates the myths and fiction about pain in cats.

Behavioral Signs for Both Low Level and High Level Pain in Cats

Behavioral Signs Only Present for High Level Pain in Cats

Generally Poor Pain Indicators for Cats

For further information see the research publication.
Cat eyes and expressions can often be read as signs your cat is in pain
Cat eyes and expressions can often be read as signs your cat is in pain
        Source: By Peter Forster [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Changes in feeding and drinking patterns can be a sign your cat is in pain, but you need to know your cat's routine very well.
Changes in feeding and drinking patterns can be a sign your cat is in pain, but you need to know your cat's routine very well.
        Source: By tanakawho, Tokyo [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Many cats tend to hide in unusual places when they are in pain
Many cats tend to hide in unusual places when they are in pain
        Source: By User:Mattes (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Even if you know your cat very well, it is easy to misinterpret the changes in behavior you see. Discover the list of reliable signals.
Even if you know your cat very well, it is easy to misinterpret the changes in behavior you see. Discover the list of reliable signals.
        Source: Original Image - John Anderson
Two or three reliable signs are needed to tell if cats are in pain, as they are known to hide their pain.
Two or three reliable signs are needed to tell if cats are in pain, as they are known to hide their pain.
        Source: Original Image - John Anderson
Cats that are in extreme pain can become aggressive
Cats that are in extreme pain can become aggressive
        Source: Original Image - John Anderson
Use the definitive list of proven signs in this article to avoid unnecessary visits to the vet
Use the definitive list of proven signs in this article to avoid unnecessary visits to the vet
        Source: Original Image - John Anderson
Use the list of reliable signals as an early warning system to get quick relief for pain in your cat
Use the list of reliable signals as an early warning system to get quick relief for pain in your cat
        Source: Original Image - John Anderson