If you stroke your cat and he turns around to bite or scratch you, or if he hisses at you when touched, or even if he just starts to twitch his tail in an agitated manner when there doesn’t seem to be any reason for it, get him checked out by the vet. AggressionĪs previously mentioned, a painful cat won’t want to be touched and this often leads to aggression.

Some cats just don’t like being touched, but if yours normally does and then suddenly doesn’t, consider pain as a possible cause.

Their muscles may be quite tense, and they will flinch or pull away when touched. Now consider the opposite – a painful cat will often sit in a hunched, guarded position. If you picture a happy cat in your mind, you may think of one who is relaxed and playfully rolling around in response to a good petting session. But if you do notice a strange look in their eyes, it’s probably best to have them checked out by a vet. Now there are lots of reasons why a cat will show one or more of these things, so don’t be too quick to diagnose your cat as painful if you don’t notice any other signs. Or they may seem to ‘zone out’ and just stare blankly ahead. They may also have dilated pupils (the blacks of their eyes look very large or ‘wide eyed’), and a generally strange expression on their face. A painful cat may sometimes have slanted eyes that are squinting or partially closed. This one is much more subtle, and unless you are very observant you may not pick up on it at all. Hiding isn’t the only behaviour that can indicate pain, any change in their normal routine may be a clue no matter how subtle, so try to take notice and figure out why the change occurred. To you, it may just seem like odd behaviour but to them, it can be a cry for help. Or, you may notice that they are quite restless and have a hard time settling in any one place. You may notice them spending more and more time under the bed or in the back of the cupboard. But not every cat will respond this way because in the wild, a cat that doesn’t eat will die so if they are able to eat despite even very significant pain, they often will.Ī cat in pain will often hide from you. Speaking of food, it’s true that some cats in pain will either stop eating, or not eat as much as normal. But it’s not always a howl that they make sometimes it’s just a more insistent meow, or even a lack of sounds such as normal greetings or cries for food. If you see this, take them to the vet immediately to have them checked out, even if you can’t see anything else wrong with them. Yes, as previously mentioned, some cats in pain (particularly severe, sudden pain) will cry out or howl. If you do notice something unusual with your cat’s behaviour, please speak up as sometimes vets don’t think to ask these kinds of questions. Arthritis is hugely underdiagnosed in cats because many owners either don’t observe or don’t think to mention these changes. Even if your cat doesn’t have a limp, check for other signs like difficulty jumping up or down from the bed or finding that it’s not worth their effort to climb the stairs anymore. If your cat is limping, he’s doing it for a reason. But you’d be surprised how many people come to me with a limping cat who insist that they are not in pain. Besides, cats cry out for many reasons, so even if you do see this, how can you tell if it is due to pain or some other form of stress? Next time you think your cat may be in pain, try to remember some of the following signs of feline discomfort. Sure, some cats in pain will cry out, but if you see a cat crying out in pain, the problem is likely very severe indeed. In the feline world, complaining gets you nowhere, in fact showing signs of weakness can get you killed. Because when it comes to showing signs of pain (or any illness for that matter), cats are masters of disguise. Even those of us who have studied these creatures for years still frequently miss signs of feline pain. It sounds like such a simple question, but the answer is actually far more complicated than we think.

Red tabby cat hissing