Over the years, natural selection has given cats the ability to mask their pain extremely well. Pain is a sign of weakness, and weakness is sign of an easy prey. Often, illnesses in cats go undetected due to the fact that they show minimal signs of pain. Therefore, it is important to look for subtle behavioral changes in our furry family members.
For example, certain behavioral changes include:
-Lameness
-Difficulty moving
-Hiding
-Decrease in overall activity
-Lack of grooming
-Inappetence
-Growling
-Coughing
-Sneezing
-Incontinence
-Straining to urinate or defecate
Similar to humans, pets also have routines and any irregular behavior is generally a sign of stress. If your cat is displaying any of these symptoms please consider having them examined by your veterinarian.
Behavioural Signs of Pain in Cats: An Expert Consensus. Merola I, Mills DS. PLoS One. 2016 Feb 24;11(2):e0150040.