How to Tell If Your Cat Is in Pain
Spotting when your cat is in pain is easy only in the most life-threatening of situations. Cats can be sneaky about hiding their pain. After thousands of years of practice cats have become experts at not letting anyone else know that they are in pain. In the end, they have learnt that it is best not to promote the fact that they are in pain when a potential predator may be just around the next corner. So how to tell if your cat is in pain can be a tricky business.
What Is Pain in Cats?
Pain involves much more than just the sensation of hurting, but it also entails the general suffering that it will cause overall to your cat’s wellbeing. It is tough to tell when your cat is suffering in pain for countless explanations. Owners might frequently miss the understated signs of pain in their cat or do not see that this is happening until their cats are displaying more clear signs, for example tiredness. Often, cats will only demonstrate more apparent symptoms after they have been sick for a lengthy amount of time or if they are extremely ill. When owners do finally notice that to some degree something is off beam with your cat, it may have been transpiring for longer than you may think.
Though nobody likes to contemplate about their cats living in pain, however it is vital to be able to pick upon all of the informative signs of pain in cats. Then you can take all of the crucial steps to deliver comfort and avert health problems from getting worse. You will need to depend on your cat’s behaviors in order to assess the pain that your cat might be in.
Signs of Pain
The minute cats are suffering in pain, like us, it can disturb their behavior. In actual fact, cats frequently show behavioral changes previous to any bodily symptoms showing themselves. It is central for you to distinguish between your cat’s usual disposition and any new changes in their behavior. Behavior changes can consist of your cat’s normal liveliness being less, changes in the way they walk, hungriness, sleep patterns, thirstiness, and other behaviors. The smallest change possibly will be a sign that your cat could be in pain and that they may be sick.
In the meantime, your cat will not be able to communicate about the pain it is in, so your when you visit your vet, they will be relying on you to tell them about any uncharacteristic behaviors that could be related to pain. Your cat when it is in pain might be more reserved and even start looking for somewhere to hide. Cats are attached to us and like to be around us usually so if your cat is unexpectedly not welcoming you at the door or doing other charming behaviors that are usual for them, this could be a sign that something is up.
When your cat is simply not acting like themselves, this could be the biggest sign of pain.
Warning Signals That Your Cat Is In Pain
- Unwillingness to move
- Trouble jumping
- Lameness
- Hiding
- Tail flicking
- Abnormal gait
- Playing much less
- Appetite decline
- Less rubbing toward people
- Avoiding bright areas
- Growling
- Eyes closed
- Temperament changes
- Poor posture
- Licking a part of their body
- Straining to urinate
- Absence of grooming
- Tired cats
You might see in your cat in times of pain, they seem to have less energy to engage in entertaining goings-on, like playing games. Your cat might be unenthusiastic to jump, run, walk upstairs, have trouble getting up from the floor, and have trouble discovering a relaxed place to sleep. Owners also usually spot changes in sleep routines with your cat either sleeping too much or not enough and they might start to sleep in unfamiliar locations.
- Changes in litter boxes
Cats will usually start to become wide of the mark when it comes to litter boxes due to the pain that they are feeling. Going in and out of their litter box, and squatting can all make pain worse. The squatting position may be really problematic for a cat suffering with pain for a sore back or knees. There are additional health issues can lead to cats to not being able to use their litter box owing to pain and also any urgency related with them. Head over to our reviews of cat litter mats and self-cleaning litter boxes for more alternatives.
- Increased tetchiness
When a cat is in pain, they may unexpectedly have incidents of aggression towards you. A cat might begin to snarl or hiss when it is approached, they may squirm as they are not happy with being held, and your cat might bear a grudge about being groomed. A cat in pain might bite or scratch, particularly when touched in the painful part of their body.
- Changes in their need to eat
Cats who are feeling pain might lose any desire to be eating food and drinking water. If you see any fluctuations in your cat’s dietary habits, ensure that you inform your vet. This is often one of the first changes that can be a sign of cat pain and numerous other serious health problems. It is important that your cat does not go without fresh drinking water.
- Changes in posture
A cat experiencing pain will look as if they are attempting to curl up or may sit bent over in a protected, squatted position with its head lowered. You might notice that as soon as your cat lays down, they keep their legs tucked up beneath themselves as an alternative to stretching out its legs. Your cat might avoid scratching behaviors that they usually take part in.
What to Do If You Think Your Cat Is in Pain?
Never give any pain medicines which are intended for humans to your cat. It is true to say that cats process medications in a different way from us. At all times consult your vet for a suitable course of action. Do turn to your veterinarian and as soon as you suspect something is up, report signs of possible pain instead of letting your cat ache. Your cat will be relying on you to speak up for them at your vets, so keep an eye on your cat closely and attentively as part of day to day care.
To first work out what is the actual cause your cat’s distress, your vet will try to focus on where the pain is being felt to narrow all of the conceivable causes down. They will need to conduct a physical exam to look for any noticeable causes such as an injury. As long as you give the vet a detailed history of your cat then this will also assist in this process of ending the pain. Liable on what is discovered in the physical examination, then your vet will probably go on to recommend carrying out additional investigative tests.
- Oral and eye examinations will spot if a dental or visual problem are causing your cat to be in pain
- Tests on the ears and hearing will help to rule out difficulties in those parts
- Your vet will do a complete blood count (CBC) on your cat to check for infections
- Your cat may need CT scans, X-rays, and MRIs of the body that is recognized as feeling pain
- Ultrasounds of the heart and the stomach will be given to your cat
- Dependent on what your vet thinks is causing your cats pain, they may need to take a biopsy from your cat
Treatment of Pain in Cats
As soon as your cat’s pain has been fully investigated, your vet can start appropriate treatment to stop your cat’s distress. Medications and therapy might be directed to treat basic conditions, which will range from dispensing tablets or by simply making nutritional changes or having dental surgery. Treating and determining the chief illness or injury will help to release your cat’s distress.
Your vet might endorse the use of numerous pain medications to help to lessen the suffering of your cat. These may include medications like morphine which are more normally prescribed to stop dire distress. They will naturally be given after any surgical process or for a cat who has chronic pain to help give them a better quality of life. Prescribed medication must be given exactly how your vet has stated. It is possible for a cat to receive too much painkiller and overdose or have damaging side effects, consequently, it is significant that you follow exactly the medication plan that your vet will provide you with. Ensure you continue to pay close attention to a sick cat’s behavior over the next few days after a visit to the vet. This consists of one-to-one care and paying attention to their activity level and their appetite.
Often pain is not to some degree a thing that will just go away overnight, so sustained love and attention to a cat in pain is important to keep them healthy and get them strong again. Remember nursing your cat is vital, just as important as having regular follow-ups with your cats’ vet.
