Signs Your Senior Cat Is in Pain (and What to Do)

The signs your senior cat is in pain are almost never the obvious ones. Senior cat pain symptoms are subtle, because a cat in pain rarely cries or limps in a way you cannot miss; far more often she just goes a little quieter, grooms a little less, stops making a jump she used to make without thinking. Cats are built to hide discomfort, which means the job of noticing falls to you, and the clues are small changes in how she moves, grooms, and behaves. Once pain is spotted, how to help a cat in pain is usually the manageable part, and an old cat freed of it often comes back to herself.

This is a guide to reading those signs, not a diagnosis of your particular cat, whose pain and its cause belong to your vet.

The short version: cats hide pain by instinct, so watch for behavior and posture changes rather than crying. Reduced grooming, reluctance to jump, hiding, a hunched or tucked posture, lashing out when touched, and trouble with the litter box are common signs. Arthritis is the most common source, and joint supplements are among the things worth asking your vet about. Never give her human painkillers, which are toxic to cats. And see your vet, because pain is treatable.

Do cats hide pain?

Yes, and it is the single biggest reason pain goes unnoticed in cats. VCA puts it plainly: cats have an instinct to hide or mask pain, making pain difficult to diagnose. A cat will not tell you she hurts the way a dog might. She adapts around it quietly, which is why the people who live with her matter so much. As VCA notes, a cat's family members are in the best position to identify subtle changes in behavior that signal pain. You know her normal better than any exam does.

The signs of pain in a senior cat

Because she will not announce it, you are watching for a shift from her usual self. Any one of these is worth noting, and several together make a strong case:

• She grooms less, or looks unkempt. This is one of the most reliable signs in an older cat. VCA notes that most cats with osteoarthritis stop grooming themselves as well as they used to. They develop a messy hair coat and may become matted over their painful body parts.
• She stops jumping, or hesitates. A cat weighing up whether to make a leap she used to take easily is often weighing up pain. VCA lists reluctance to go up or down stairs or to jump onto furniture, cat trees, or windowsills.
• Her posture changes. Watch how she stands and rests. VCA describes standing with front legs back under the chest to take some weight off painful hips or rear legs, and tucking her legs underneath her body when lying down, instead of stretching out on her side.
• She does less. A drop in play or energy is easy to write off as age. VCA counts less energy or decreased endurance for previously enjoyable activities among the signs.
• She reacts to being touched or handled. A gentle cat who now objects is often sore. VCA lists lashing out if handled and avoiding or resenting being brushed or combed.
• Her face looks different. Pain shows in the eyes. VCA mentions a facial expression that could be described as a grimace, and squinting or appearing half asleep.
• She misses the litter box. A sore cat may struggle to climb in. VCA notes that some cats in pain start having house-soiling problems because it is uncomfortable to get in and out, which can look like a litter box problem when it is really a pain problem. What is in the box matters here too, since a coarse or pelleted litter is harder to stand on for sore feet than a soft, fine-grained one.

Several of these overlap with the broader changes in behavior that mark aging, and with hiding and a coat that has gone unkempt. Pain is one of the most common threads running through all of them.

Arthritis: the most common source of pain

If your old cat is in pain, the odds are it is her joints. Arthritis is extremely common in senior cats and, being invisible, is easy to miss until you learn to read the signs above, most of which VCA describes specifically in arthritic cats. A cat who has stopped jumping to the windowsill, grooms poorly over her back and hips, and sits tucked and stiff is showing a fairly classic picture. The full story, and what genuinely helps, is in the guide to arthritis in cats, but the first step is simply recognizing that "slowing down" may be pain, not age.

Pain, or just getting old?

The difficulty is that pain and aging look so alike from the outside: both make a cat slower, quieter, and less playful. The difference is that aging alone does not usually change her posture, make her flinch at a touch, or stop her grooming a specific area. When the slowdown comes with those physical signs, lean toward pain, and remember that "she's just old" is a conclusion to reach with your vet, after treatable causes are ruled out, not an assumption to make at home. A cat who sleeps more and does less deserves the question asked properly.

What to do if you think she's in pain

Two things, and one firm warning. First, the warning: never give your cat human painkillers. Acetaminophen, the drug in paracetamol and Tylenol, is especially dangerous: VCA notes that cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen and as a result, are more vulnerable to poisoning and develop symptoms at much lower doses than dogs. Ibuprofen is toxic to cats too. There is no safe human pain reliever to reach for at home. Second, write down what you have noticed, the specific changes and when they started, and take that to your vet, since your account of her daily life is exactly what points them to the source. And do it sooner rather than later: as VCA puts it, the sooner pain is recognized and managed, the better you will maintain your cat's quality of life. Raise it at her regular check-up even if you are unsure, because there is real, safe, cat-specific pain relief your vet can offer, and no reason for her to go without it.

Frequently asked questions

Do cats hide their pain? Yes. VCA explains that cats have an instinct to hide or mask pain, making pain difficult to diagnose. This is why pain in cats is spotted through subtle changes in behavior and posture rather than obvious signs like crying or limping.

How can I tell if my senior cat is in pain? Watch for shifts from her normal: grooming less, reluctance to jump, hiding, a hunched or tucked posture, reacting when touched, and litter box trouble. VCA notes her human family members are in the best position to identify subtle changes in behavior, so trust what you notice and mention it to your vet.

Can I give my cat human pain medication? No, never. Human painkillers are toxic to cats: VCA warns that cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen, the drug in paracetamol, and ibuprofen is dangerous too. Only your veterinarian can safely provide cat-specific pain relief.

What are the signs of arthritis pain in cats? Often a cat who has stopped jumping, grooms poorly over her back and hips, moves stiffly, and sits with her legs tucked. Arthritis is the most common cause of pain in older cats, covered in detail in arthritis in cats.

Is my cat slowing down from pain or just old age? It can be either, and they look similar. Aging alone does not usually change her posture, make her flinch when touched, or stop her grooming a spot, so those physical signs point toward pain. Let your vet make the call rather than assuming age.

The bottom line

Pain in a cat is a quiet thing, written in the jumps she no longer makes and the fur she no longer keeps tidy, and reading it is mostly a matter of knowing her well and taking the small changes seriously. Biscuit told me about her hips long before any vet did, in the single fact that she started asking to be lifted onto the bed she used to clear in one jump. I almost filed it under old age. I am glad I did not, because a little help for the pain gave her back more of her evenings than I expected. That is the whole reason to learn the signs your senior cat is in pain: not to worry, but to catch the thing that can be fixed.

Sources

• VCA Animal Hospitals, How Do I Know if My Cat is in Pain?
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Arthritis in Cats
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Acetaminophen Toxicity in Cats