Many middle aged and older cats may be suffering from chronic pain in various degrees. Many cats will actually begin to exhibit osteoarthritis at a relatively early age, some as young as 2 yrs of age.

Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal condition in cats.  

It may well be difficult to identify pain in cats but there are behaviour changes to look out for.

Signs of osteoarthritis

A knotty hair coat and reduction in grooming because of a reduction in flexibility.

Reduced ability to jump (onto furniture or window sills for instance).

Slower to climb or descend stairs.

Toileting outside the litter box.

Change in temperament and unwillingness to be handled

Limping.

Thickening of the joints.

Causes

The causes of osteoarthritis in cats is not fully understood but it progresses slowly and so the changes are often missed and simply put down to “normal ageing”. 

Treatment

Cats showing signs of osteoarthritis may benefit from a trial on pain relief. This includes cats where signs have not been noted but there is a suspicion that the condition may be present. 

A short “trial” on pain relief may show an improvement in the cat’s mobility and quality of life and it may then be beneficial to continue the treatment long term. 

There are many drugs that can help alleviate chronic pain, of which osteoarthritis is the most common cause. Sometimes the presence of other conditions, for instance kidney disease, may need to be taken into consideration when choosing any therapy but even very elderly cats can often be treated safely and their quality of life significantly improved.

There are several modifications in a cat's environment that may help.

Thick comfortable bedding may increase comfort and aid sleep.

There is evidence that cats cope better with steps to help then attain higher resting places rather than ramps.

Raising food and water bowls can make accessing them much easier and less uncomfortable.

Providing large “shallow” litter trays or litter trays with one lowered end may encourage stiff cats to use them with greater comfort.

There are other causes of chronic musculoskeletal pain in cats but it may not be necessary to know exactly what is causing the signs, just that it responds to appropriate treatment and environmental modifications.

Chronic pain in older cats has probably been one of the most commonly overlooked causes of poor welfare in the past. Well managed treatment and a few simple adjustments at home can make an older cat's life much more enjoyable. The great thing for owners is that it is usually really easy to see when a cat is responding to pain relief and its quality of life has been improved.