It can be easy to miss the signs your cat is sick; they don't all resemble the colds that people contract from time to time. Cats have a tendency to hide their pain, making it difficult to properly care for them when they need it the most. But if you know what to look for, you can recognise cat pain symptoms early and get your kitty the help she needs.
Why Cats Hide Their Pain
The tendency cats have to disguise their discomfort is believed to be an evolutionary holdover from their days in the wild, where illness or injury paints a target on their back to nearby predators. Not only would the appearance of weakness make a wild cat more vulnerable, but it would also put her in danger of being bullied or abandoned by her group.
Although today's domestic cats generally don't have to worry about becoming prey, they may view other pets in the house–or even other people–as competition for resources like food and water. Whether driven by a deeply ingrained instinct or by overprotective kitty logic, cats worry that showing signs of pain will cause them to lose out to a more deserving animal, encouraging them to mask their symptoms.
Common Cat Pain Symptoms
A cat experiencing pain will often display behavioural changes that can serve to tip off an astute pet parent to the fact that something's wrong. According to Vetstreet, common signs your cat is sick or in pain include:
- Hiding
- Sitting still and hunched up
- Loss of interest in people, other pets, or activities
- Neglecting to groom themselves, or over-grooming in one spot
- Purring, excessive meowing, or unusual vocalisations
- Restlessness or aggression toward friendly surroundings
- Doing her business outside the litter box
Kitties in pain might also show a loss of appetite, unusual vomiting, clingy behaviour, or other noticeable changes in personality and demeanour. A cat experiencing chronic pain, such as arthritis, might stop using the litter box altogether because it's too difficult to climb into. For this reason, she may also stop climbing or jumping onto the high perches of her cat tree.
How your Vet Can Help
Any abnormal behaviour from your cat should prompt a visit to her veterinarian, who can help determine whether these changes are due to pain or illness and then work with you to treat the underlying cause. The vet can also help with pain management–this might include prescription pain medication, heat therapy, physical rehabilitation, or even massage.
Tasty Tips
If your kitty is overweight, your vet might also place her on a weight-management food, especially if she's experiencing chronic joint pain. Certain joint supplements can help maintain her mobility too, but you may ultimately want to explore a therapeutic food to help manage an underlying condition.
One thing you should never do for your kitty is to administer over-the-counter pain medications, which could be very toxic to feline digestive systems. You should also check with your vet regarding any supplements you plan to give her to make sure they're safe. The vet might also prescribe mood-stabilising drugs to help your sick cat cope with both the pain and accompanying changes in her lifestyle.
How You Can Help
Back at home, consider relocating her bed, food dishes, water bowls, and litter box so they're easier for her to get to. Make sure the litter box is simple enough to climb in and out of as well. If you have a model with a lid or deep sides, for instance, you might need to replace it with an open, shallower structure, and keep it scooped clean more frequently to accommodate for her disadvantage. Big family? Prevent other pets or children from trying to play or roughhouse with her. She may escape it herself, but you don't want her to lose trust in people while she's recovering.
Of course, the best medicine is preventive. Annual vet check-ups and a well-balanced food will go a long way toward preventing your cat from developing a painful condition. As a pet parent, you no doubt want your kitty to be healthy for her entire life. Learning to recognise when she's in pain will go a long way to improving your furry companion's quality of life.
Contributor Bio
Jean Marie Bauhaus
Jean Marie Bauhaus is fiction author and freelance writer and editor living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She writes frequently about pets and pet health in her home office, where she is assisted by a lapful of fur babies.
Related products
Adult Cat Food
Hill's Science Plan Adult Cat Food with Chicken is a complete pet food, specially formulated with ActivBiome+ Multi-Benefit Technology.
This food is specially formulated to fuel the energy needs of cats during the prime of their life.
Hairball & Perfect Coat Adult Cat Food
Hill's Science Plan HAIRBALL & PERFECT COAT Adult cat food with Chicken is specially formulated to effectively help avoid hairball formation in adult cats while promoting a beautiful coat. Thanks to its mix of essential Omega-6 fatty acids, this food benefits the cat's skin and fur keeping them healthy and shiny. Our Advanced Fibre Technology helps reduce hairballs by naturally promoting their passage through the gut. This food is formulated with high-quality protein for a perfectly balanced, great-tasting recipe.
Kitten Food
Tender chicken chunks in gravy for kittens, with omega-3s for healthy eye & brain development and high-quality protein to support muscle growth. With balanced minerals to promote strong bones & teeth.
Hypoallergenic Dry Cat Food
HILL'S SCIENCE PLAN Hypoallergenic Adult cat food with egg & insect protein is a complete pet food for adult cat 1–6 years old. It's formulated for cats with delicate skin and stomach, with limited high quality novel protein sources & no grain.
Related articles
Fun Games for Exercising Your Cat
Discover which cat toys games your feline friend might like, and how they are great sources of exercise. Explore our library of articles to learn more.
How To Feed a Cat With a Sensitive Stomach
Discover what you can do to spot and support a sensitive cat stomach. See what routines and food you can implement to help your cat be happy and healthy.
How To Support Your Cat’s Digestion
Find out about how you can support your cat's digestion to boost overall health. Diet is key to a long and happy life for your cat, so discover what you can do.
Cat Training: How to Train Your Cat the Easy Way
When learning how to train your cat, you'll start with very basic first steps that both reward good behavior and discourage the bad.
Put your cat on a diet without them knowing
Our low calorie formula helps you control your cat's weight. It's packed with high-quality protein for building lean muscles, and made with purposeful ingredients for a flavorful, nutritious meal. Clinically proven antioxidants, Vitamin C+E, help promote a healthy immune system.
Put your cat on a diet without them knowing
Our low calorie formula helps you control your cat's weight. It's packed with high-quality protein for building lean muscles, and made with purposeful ingredients for a flavorful, nutritious meal. Clinically proven antioxidants, Vitamin C+E, help promote a healthy immune system.