How do you know if your cat is in pain?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra – how do you know if your cat is in pain?

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Pugsey Dad

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote asking how do you know if your cat is in pain? That is an excellent question. It can be difficult to determine in some pets. Every cat responds differently to pain and may show different signs.

Some cats will act lethargic or withdrawn, other won’t eat, will sleep more, move around less, or play less. Others may cry and be more vocal. The only signs that some cats may have an elevated heart rate or respiratory rate. Cats are very good at hiding their illness by their nature of survival. So it can be very difficult to tell if some cats are in pain.

An article that might be helpful to you is Pain in Cats. This article goes through some of the common causes of pain in cats and symptoms. I hope Pugsey is okay.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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