Signs your cat is in pain
Cats evolved to hide weakness. By the time it is obvious, it has usually been going on a while.
Dogs limp and whine. Cats withdraw, sit still, and carry on eating just enough to avoid concern. As a small predator that is also prey, showing weakness is dangerous, and that instinct is still fully intact in a cat on a sofa.
The changes worth noticing
- Hiding or sleeping somewhere new, especially somewhere enclosed
- Reduced grooming — a scruffy or greasy coat, particularly along the back and hips
- Overgrooming one area — bald patches over a specific joint or the belly
- Hunched posture, tucked limbs, sitting rather than lying stretched out
- Not jumping onto surfaces they used to use without thinking
- Litter box changes — going beside the tray, or straining
- Irritability when picked up or touched in one place
- Eating less, or chewing on one side
Arthritis is far more common than people think
A large proportion of cats over ten have degenerative joint disease on X-ray, yet very few are brought in for it, because cats do not limp in the way dogs do. They simply stop jumping onto the worktop, take the sofa in two stages instead of one, and sleep downstairs. Owners describe this as slowing down with age. It is usually treatable pain.
Dental pain
Another quiet one. Signs include dropping food, chewing on one side, pawing at the mouth, sudden preference for wet food, and bad breath. Cats with severe dental disease usually keep eating, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed.
Same-day emergencies
A cat straining in the litter tray and producing nothing — particularly a male — may have a urinary blockage, which can be fatal within a day. Open-mouthed breathing, collapse, and a cat that has not eaten for more than 24 hours also need immediate veterinary attention.
What to do
Never give human painkillers. Paracetamol is lethal to cats and ibuprofen is dangerous — cats lack the liver enzymes to process them. Take a short video of the behaviour if you can, since cats often present as perfectly fine at the clinic, and note when the change started.
The grimace scale: reading a cat's face
Researchers have validated a facial scoring system for feline pain, and the components are things any owner can learn to see. Compare against a photo of your cat when they were comfortable.
- Ears — rotated outward and flattened slightly, rather than forward and upright
- Eyes — narrowed or squinted when awake and undisturbed
- Muzzle — tense and more elliptical rather than rounded
- Whiskers — pushed forward or clumped together instead of relaxed and fanned
- Head position — held level with or below the shoulders
A cat sitting hunched with squinted eyes and slightly flattened ears is not resting. That combination is one of the more reliable indicators of pain in a species that gives you almost nothing else.
Pain by cause, and what each looks like
| Cause | Distinctive signs |
|---|---|
| Arthritis | Stops jumping to high places, takes furniture in stages, sleeps downstairs, matted fur over the spine and hips because grooming hurts |
| Dental disease | Dropping food, chewing one side, sudden preference for wet food, pawing at the mouth, bad breath |
| Urinary (FLUTD) | Frequent tray trips, straining, crying in the tray, licking the genital area, blood |
| Abdominal pain | Hunched with tucked limbs, resents being picked up around the middle, "meatloaf" posture with feet tucked |
| Ear pain | Head shaking, tilting, scratching, resenting being touched near the head |
| Wound or abscess | Localised heat and swelling, sudden aggression when a specific spot is touched, often 3–5 days after a fight |
Grooming tells you a lot
Cats groom compulsively when well. Two opposite changes both signal problems. Under-grooming — a scruffy, greasy or matted coat, especially along the spine and over the hips — usually means it hurts to twist, which points to arthritis or abdominal pain. Over-grooming — a bald patch over one joint, the belly or one flank — often marks the spot that hurts, because licking is self-soothing.
Building a record your vet can use
Cats notoriously present as perfectly healthy in a consulting room, adrenaline masking everything you came in about. Arriving with evidence changes the appointment.
- Video the behaviour at home — jumping, walking, eating, using the tray
- Weigh weekly on kitchen scales in a carrier, and write it down. Weight loss in cats is significant long before it is visible
- Note water intake and litter clump size
- Date the change. "Stopped jumping onto the windowsill about six weeks ago" is far more useful than "seems a bit off"
Painkillers that will kill a cat
Cats lack the liver enzyme pathways to process several common human drugs. These are not "risky in large doses" — they are lethal in ordinary ones.
- Paracetamol / acetaminophen — a single tablet can kill a cat
- Ibuprofen and other human anti-inflammatories — cause kidney failure and stomach ulceration
- Aspirin — cats clear it extremely slowly; doses safe in dogs are not safe here
- Dog medication — never share between species, including topical products
There are effective, licensed pain medications for cats, including long-acting options for arthritis. The reason to see a vet is not only diagnosis — it is that treatable pain in cats is very often left untreated for years.
Convert your pet's age
Human-year equivalent, life stage, and when senior care should begin.
Open the age calculator →Age changes what is likely: the same subtle signs point in different directions in a three-year-old and a fourteen-year-old cat. Open the cat age calculator →
Common questions
How can I tell if my cat is in pain?
Look for behaviour change rather than obvious signs: hiding, reduced grooming, hunched posture, not jumping onto usual surfaces, litter box changes, and irritability when handled. Cats rarely vocalise pain.
Can I give my cat human painkillers?
Never. Paracetamol is lethal to cats and ibuprofen is highly toxic, because cats lack the enzymes needed to process them. Only give medication prescribed for that specific cat.
Is my old cat just slowing down?
Often it is arthritis rather than age. Degenerative joint disease is very common in older cats and is treatable. Cats seldom limp, so hesitating before jumping or taking furniture in stages is the usual sign.
Do cats cry or meow when in pain?
Rarely. Most cats become quieter rather than louder. Hiding, reduced grooming, hunched posture and reluctance to jump are far more common signs than vocalising.
What can I give my cat for pain at home?
Nothing from a human medicine cabinet. Paracetamol can kill a cat with a single tablet, and ibuprofen and aspirin are also dangerous. There are licensed feline pain medications, including long-acting treatments for arthritis, available from a vet.
How do I know if my old cat has arthritis?
Look for behaviour rather than limping. Cats with arthritis stop jumping to high surfaces, take furniture in stages, may sleep downstairs, and often develop matted fur over the spine and hips because grooming has become painful.