How Do I Know If My Cat Is in Pain? Signs to Watch For | Pallium

Cats rarely announce that something hurts.

They do not have to cry, limp, or stop eating to be in pain. In fact, some of the most important signs of pain in cats can look like ordinary aging or subtle personality changes.

You may notice:

• She doesn't jump onto the bed anymore.

• He sleeps downstairs now instead of coming upstairs with us.

• She's gotten grumpy when I pet her back.

• He doesn't groom himself the way he used to.

• She still eats, but she doesn't seem interested in playing anymore.

Changes like these are worth paying attention to because cats are very good at adapting their behavior around discomfort. Rather than waiting for one dramatic sign, look for changes in how your cat moves, rests, interacts, grooms, eats, and navigates their everyday environment.

What Are the Signs That a Cat Is in Pain?

Pain looks different from one cat to another.

You know your cat's normal routines better than anyone, so changes from their normal can be particularly important.

Pain may change:

• Where your cat sleeps

• How much they interact with you

• How often or how high they jump

• Whether they use stairs

• How they enter or leave the litter box

• How they position themselves while resting

• How they respond to being touched

• How much they groom

• How much they play

• Their appetite

• Their facial expression

• How much they move around the house

• Whether they seek out or avoid other pets

• Their overall personality or tolerance for handling

Often, several small changes occurring together tell us more than one obvious symptom.

Watch How Your Cat Moves

Changes in mobility are among the most important signs of chronic pain in cats.

This is especially true for arthritis in older cats.

Unlike many dogs, cats with arthritis do not always develop an obvious limp. Instead, they often change how they move through the house.

A cat who once jumped directly onto the bed may begin using a chair as an intermediate step.

A cat who slept upstairs may begin spending most of their time downstairs.

You might notice that your cat:

• Pauses before jumping

• Jumps to lower surfaces

• Pulls themselves onto furniture with their front legs

• Hesitates before jumping down

• Uses stairs more slowly

• Stops climbing onto favorite furniture

• Walks more stiffly after resting

• Has difficulty getting into the litter box

• Avoids parts of the home they once visited regularly

  
  

One of the most useful questions you can ask is:

Where did my cat used to go that they don't go anymore?

Sometimes a favorite windowsill, bed, countertop, or sleeping area disappears from your cat's routine because getting there has become uncomfortable. Cats with joint pain may change their habits long before a family realizes they are experiencing arthritis.

Watch How Your Cat Rests

Pain can also change the way a cat sits, sleeps, or positions their body.

An uncomfortable cat may appear tense or hunched. Others repeatedly reposition themselves because they cannot find a comfortable way to lie down.

You may notice that your cat:

• Keeps their body tightly tucked

• Hunches their back

• Holds their head lower than usual

• Protects one part of the body

• Avoids stretching out

• Sleeps in unusual positions or locations

• Frequently changes position

• Reacts when getting up or lying down

• Seems unable to settle comfortably

The important question is not simply whether your cat sleeps a lot. Cats naturally sleep for long periods.

Ask instead:

Can my cat rest comfortably?

Your Cat's Face Can Show Pain Too

Pain can change a cat's facial expression.

Veterinary professionals sometimes use a tool called the Feline Grimace Scale to help evaluate these changes.

Signs that may accompany discomfort include changes in:

• Ear position

• Eye shape or squinting

• Whisker position

• Muzzle tension

• Head position

You do not need to become an expert in feline pain scoring to notice that your cat's face looks different. If your cat repeatedly appears tense, squints, holds their ears differently, or seems to have an unusual facial expression along with other behavioral changes, take note. Photos or short videos taken at home can also be useful to show your veterinary team—especially because cats may behave very differently once they arrive at a veterinary hospital.

Grooming Can Tell You a Lot

Grooming is an important part of normal feline behavior and when grooming habits change, pain may be one possible explanation.

For example, arthritis may make it difficult for a cat to twist far enough to groom the lower back or hindquarters. Dental or mouth pain may make grooming uncomfortable. A cat with serious illness may simply feel too poorly to maintain their usual routine.

Watch for:

• Greasy or clumped fur

• Matting

• Increased dandruff

• Unkempt fur along the back or hindquarters

• Urine or stool on the coat

• Reduced grooming overall

Some cats respond in the opposite way and repeatedly lick or groom a painful area. A change in grooming does not automatically mean your cat is in pain, but it is valuable information to share with your veterinarian.

Behavior Changes Can Be Signs of Pain

A cat who suddenly becomes “grumpy” may not simply be developing an attitude. Pain can change how safe and tolerant a cat feels during normal interaction.

A painful cat may:

• Growl or hiss

• Swat or bite when touched

• Flatten their ears

• Move away when petted

• Avoid being picked up

• Hide more frequently

• Stop sleeping near family members

• Become less tolerant of other pets

Other cats respond very differently. They may become unusually quiet, withdrawn, or even more clingy than before. There is no single “pain personality.” What matters is whether your cat's behavior has changed.

What if My Cat Is Still Purring?

Purring does not mean a cat is pain-free.

Cats certainly purr when they are happy and relaxed, but they may also purr when they are frightened, stressed, ill, or uncomfortable. The same principle applies to many other reassuring behaviors.

A cat may still:

• Eat

• Purr

• Seek affection

• Sleep beside you

• Ask for treats

• Use the litter box

…and still be experiencing pain.

Those behaviors are useful pieces of information, but none of them alone can tell us whether a cat is comfortable. We have to look at the whole picture.

Is My Senior Cat in Pain—or Just Getting Old?

One of the easiest mistakes to make is assuming that slowing down is simply part of aging.

Age itself is not a disease.

However, medical conditions that become more common as cats get older can cause pain or make everyday activities more difficult.

These can include:

• Osteoarthritis and joint disease

• Dental disease

• Cancer

• Pancreatitis

• Urinary disease

• Injuries

• Spinal or neurologic disease

• Other chronic illnesses

If your senior cat no longer jumps, plays, grooms, climbs stairs, or comfortably uses the litter box, it is worth discussing those changes with your veterinarian. Sometimes pain treatment and relatively simple changes to the home can restore activities a family thought their cat had simply “outgrown.” Veterinary guidance specifically cautions against assuming changes in an older cat's behavior or mobility are simply an inevitable part of aging.

Make Everyday Life Easier for a Cat With Chronic Pain

If your cat has arthritis, chronic pain, or mobility limitations, changing their environment can make a meaningful difference.

Consider:

• Low-entry litter boxes that do not require a high step

• Stable steps or ramps to beds, couches, and favorite furniture

• Food and water nearby so your cat does not have to cross the house

• Warm, supportive bedding

• Non-slip surfaces on slick floors

• Accessible hiding places

• Lower resting perches

• Intermediate steps leading to favorite windows

• Multiple litter boxes if your cat spends time on different floors

The goal is not necessarily to make an elderly cat move more.

It is to make the things they want to do easier and more comfortable.

If the sunny window still matters, help them reach the sunny window.

How Can I Tell if Pain Treatment Is Working?

One helpful approach is to identify several activities that matter to your cat before beginning or changing a pain-management plan.

For example:

• Jumping onto the couch

• Using the litter box comfortably

• Grooming their back

• Sleeping in a favorite location

• Playing with a particular toy

• Coming upstairs at night

• Seeking affection

Then watch what happens.

• Does your cat begin doing something again that they had stopped doing?

• Do they move more comfortably?

• Do they groom more?

• Do they return to an old sleeping place?

• Do they seem more relaxed when touched?

These everyday changes can provide valuable information about whether pain treatment is improving your cat's life. Because chronic feline pain is often identified through changes in normal behavior and activity, observations made at home are especially valuable to your veterinary team.

Never Give Your Cat Human Pain Medication Without Veterinary Guidance

If you believe your cat is hurting, contact a veterinarian before giving medication.

Do not assume that an over-the-counter pain reliever that is safe for you—or even a medication prescribed to another pet—is safe for your cat. Cats process many medications differently from people and dogs, and some commonly available medications can be dangerous or toxic. Pain management should be individualized by your veterinary team.

When Should I Contact a Veterinarian About My Cat's Pain?

You do not have to wait until your cat is obviously suffering.

Contact your veterinarian if you notice persistent changes in your cat's:

• Movement

• Jumping

• Grooming

• Appetite

• Litter-box habits

• Sleep or resting posture

• Interaction with family

• Response to touch

• Facial expression

• Normal routines

Seek more urgent veterinary guidance for sudden or severe pain, significant injury, difficulty breathing, repeated crying or distress, collapse, inability to urinate, sudden inability to walk, or other major changes in your cat's condition.

If something about your cat simply seems different, it is reasonable to ask whether pain could be part of the explanation.

When Pain Becomes Part of a Quality-of-Life Decision

For cats living with progressive or terminal illness, there may eventually come a point when the question changes.

Instead of only asking:

“Is my cat in pain?”

You may begin asking:

“Can we still keep my cat comfortable enough?”

That assessment is individual.

A cat with significant physical limitations may still have a very good quality of life if pain is controlled and they can comfortably eat, rest, interact, use the litter box, enjoy familiar places, and participate in the parts of life that matter to them.

Another cat may appear relatively functional while experiencing discomfort that has become increasingly difficult to control.

Quality of life is not determined by one behavior, one meal, or one laboratory value.

It is the whole experience of living in that body.

If You're Wondering Whether Your Cat Hurts, It's Worth Asking

You know your cat's normal behavior better than anyone.

If something has changed, you do not have to wait for your cat to cry or stop eating before asking for help.

At Pallium Animal Hospice, we provide in-home pain and symptom assessment, palliative care, hospice care, and quality-of-life consultations for cats throughout Metro Atlanta.

We can help you identify subtle signs of discomfort, determine which symptoms may be treatable, adapt your cat's environment, and develop a care plan centered on comfort and the things your cat still values.

Related Resources

My Senior Cat Stopped Eating: When Should I Worry?

How Can I Keep My Dying Cat Comfortable at Home?

Caring for a Cat With Chronic Kidney Disease: Comfort

Pet Hospice & Palliative Care: Managing Pain and Symptoms at Home