feline
The “Ouch” You’ll Never Hear Andrea Carne discusses arthritic pain in older cats, the effects it may have on behavior,
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and how owners can recognize and manage it hen was the last time you struggled to get up from the floor or spent a bit too much time bent over in the garden and complained about getting old, with muscles aching, back pain, and feeling like you’re 104? The process of getting older brings with it aches and pains that we vocalize frequently and may also deal with via pain relief medication or therapeutic measures, or by modifying how we do things to alleviate the stress on our aging bodies. Why, then, do cat owners sometimes fail to recognize and manage the same aging bodies of their older feline family members? As a cat behavior consultant, my best educated guess is it’s because cats are stoic animals who are very well versed in masking pain and discomfort. I have lost count of the number of owners who, when faced with the suggestion that their cat may be in pain, immediately respond with, “But he doesn’t cry out!” No, of course he doesn’t. Cats don’t. Being in pain, needing to move slower, and not being as agile are all things that make a cat more vulnerable and there is no way they want that to become common knowledge. It is a survival instinct and one to be respected. In fact, however, according to Bahr (2017), up until recently “it was thought cats did not experience pain at all, based purely on the fact that they tend not to show it.” In my opinion, it is safe to assume this is a major factor behind why chronic pain caused by conditions like arthritis go undiagnosed and, therefore, untreated in many older cats. This is despite several studies showing that arthritis is the number one cause of chronic pain in cats and that 90 percent of cats over the age of 12 have some form of degenerative joint disease (Hardie, Roe & Martin, 2002). By expecting to hear their cats cry out in pain before admitting there’s something wrong, owners are inadvertently doing their aging cats something of a disservice. If only they knew, if their cat does vocalize pain, his discomfort has reached such a high level that something is seriously wrong and he has quite possibly been suffering in silence for quite some time. Imagine being in pain and not being able to vocalize it to the one person who can help alleviate it. It is worth noting here the difference between acute and chronic pain. Bahr (2017) defines acute pain as a sudden onset, most often
© Can Stock Photo/okssi68
Cats tend to be stoic in the face of pain rather than show any vulnerability, and owners may be completely unaware of their silent suffering
caused by a specific injury and which usually resolves itself with the healing of that injury (think muscle strain or postoperative discomfort). In contrast, chronic pain – caused by conditions such as arthritis – remains in the nervous system for a long period of time (sometimes years) and is affected by physical, environmental and psychological factors. “The consensus remains that assessing acute pain in cats is difficult, subjective and extremely underutilized. Recognizing chronic pain is even more elusive, and assessing it in cats is virtually nonexistent amongst most veterinary professionals.” (Bahr, 2017). It would seem, then, that it is crucial, for the wellbeing of cats worldwide, that, as professionals, we educate owners in how to recognize the subtle signs of chronic pain in their cats and encourage them to seek veterinary help when noted. It is the owners, after all, who spend the most time with their cats, who know what’s “normal” for them and are in the best position to note changes over time.
Subtle Signs
If vocalizing pain is at the extreme end of the spectrum, what should owners be looking for instead? The simple answer is behavioral change – but recognizing it isn’t always easy. This is where behavior consultants
© Can Stock Photo/Hofmeester
When in pain or struggling with stiff joints, a cat may become less flexible and therefore less able to groom himself
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BARKS from the Guild/May 2019
“The consensus remains that assessing acute pain in cats is difficult, subjective and extremely underutilized. Recognizing chronic pain is even more elusive, and assessing it in cats is virtually nonexistent amongst most veterinary professionals.” (Bahr, 2017).