Signs of Pain in Cats: A Pet Owner’s Checklist

Your cat’s usual routine is the best place to start. One cat may spend most afternoons asleep, while another follows you from room to room. What matters is a change from their normal behavior, especially when it continues or appears alongside other changes.

When your cat is well, take note of how much they typically eat and drink, how they groom, how often they use the litter box, where they sleep, and whether they welcome being picked up or petted. Notice the jumps and climbs they make without hesitation, too. Pain has many possible causes, and these observations cannot identify one on their own. They can, however, help you recognize a meaningful difference and describe it accurately when you call your veterinarian.

Notice whether your cat hesitates before a familiar jump, avoids stairs, limps, moves stiffly after resting, or holds a hunched posture. Also watch for hiding, withdrawal, irritability, or a new reluctance to be picked up or stroked. Do not repeatedly touch an area that seems sore.

Eating less, walking up to food and turning away, grooming less, or grooming one area repeatedly can also matter. A cat may still eat or purr while in pain. Record when a change began, how often you see it, and whether it is getting more noticeable.

Check the listed dimensions for changes worth writing down against the available vehicle space before use.

Our printable cat pain checklist is for keeping observations together, not diagnosing a cause. A note such as “hesitated before jumping onto the chair three times this morning” is more useful than “seems off.” Include what your cat has eaten and drunk and whether they have passed urine and stool.

Bring your notes to your veterinary appointment. If you can safely capture unusual movement in a short video without upsetting your cat or delaying care, that may help your veterinarian understand what happens at home.

Contact your veterinarian promptly about new or persistent signs of pain, reduced eating, limping, or a marked behavior change. Tell their team what changed and when it began so they can advise you on how soon your cat needs to be seen.

Seek emergency veterinary care now if your cat repeatedly visits the litter box, strains, or produces little to no urine. A urinary blockage is life-threatening, particularly in male cats. Trouble breathing, collapse, serious injury, and severe distress also call for emergency care.

Never give your cat human pain medicine or leftover medicine prescribed for another pet unless your veterinarian specifically directs you to do so.

Check the listed dimensions for know when not to wait against the available vehicle space before use.

While you arrange veterinary advice, offer a quiet place to rest, keep food and water easy to reach, and provide a litter box your cat can access without a difficult jump or climb. Handle them gently. Avoid forcing them to move for a better look or repeatedly pressing an area that seems sore.

Trust a meaningful change in your cat’s routine, even if the signs seem subtle. Your dated notes can turn “something is different” into a useful description for your veterinarian. If a litter-box accident also needs cleaning up, our reusable cleaning cloths can help with the household cleanup—but a change in urination still deserves veterinary attention.