Behavioural Signs of Pain in Cats Experts Agreed On
A recent scientific study collected and classified veterinarians' opinions on the possible behavioural signs in cats that denoted pain in general. It aimed to find consensus among the experts on what signs are reliable indicators of a cat in pain.
Table #1 shows core signs, what the experts agreed are behavioural signs that the cat is in pain
Table #2 are the behavioural signs not considered reliable indicators of pain (i.e. the experts cannot reach a consensus) but possibly present in a low or high level of pain
Behaviours considered by experts as sufficient (reliable) for pain and their presence in high and/or low level pain.
| Behaviour sufficient for pain | Presence in LOW level pain | Presence in HIGH level pain |
| Abnormal Gait | Frequent | Frequent |
| Absence/reduction of grooming | Frequent | Frequent |
| Appetite/food intake decrease | Frequent | Frequent |
| Avoiding bright areas | Rare | Frequent |
| Blepharospasm (squint or blink spasmodically) |
Frequent | Frequent |
| Change in form of feeding behaviour | Rare | Frequent |
| Difficulty to jump (up and down) | Frequent | Frequent |
| Eyes closed | Rare | Frequent |
| General mood state * | Frequent | Frequent |
| Groaning | Rare | Frequent |
| Growling | Rare | Frequent |
| Hunched up posture | Frequent | Frequent |
| Lameness | Frequent | Frequent |
| Less rubbing toward people | Frequent | Frequent |
| Licking biting a particular body region | Frequent | Frequent |
| Lowered head posture | Frequent | Frequent |
| Overall activity/movement decrease | Frequent | Frequent |
| Playing/hunting less | Frequent | Frequent |
| Reaction to palpation/restrain | Frequent | Frequent |
| Reluctance to move | Frequent | Frequent |
| Shifting of weight | Frequent | Frequent |
| Temperament ** | Frequent | Frequent |
| Withdrawn/hiding | Frequent | Frequent |
* For example: tendency to be irritable from time to time due to pain
**Indicates that pain is persistent or relief is only temporary. For example, a cat in chronic pain might be described as jumpy the whole time
Behaviours considered by experts as not sufficient (unreliable) to infer pain, but shown by cats in high and low level pain.
| Behaviour NOT sufficient for pain | Presence in LOW level pain |
Presence in HIGH level pain |
| Appetite increase | Rare | Rare |
| Body tense | Frequent | Frequent |
| Crouching | Rare | Frequent |
| Crying | Rare | Frequent |
| Ear downward | Rare | Frequent |
| Ear flattener | Frequent | Frequent |
| Ear rotated | Rare | Frequent |
| Escaping when owner tries to catch it | Rare | Frequent |
| Half blinks | Rare | Frequent |
| Hiding/lying down in the litter box | Rare | Frequent |
| Hissing | Frequent | Frequent |
| House soiling | Rare | Frequent |
| Less rubbing on objects | Rare | Frequent |
| Lying on its side | Rare | Frequent |
| Lying ventrally | Frequent | Frequent |
| Meowing | Rare | Frequent |
| Mouth semi open | Rare | Frequent |
| Over Grooming | Frequent | Frequent |
| Panting ^ | Rare | Frequent |
| Pupil dilation ^ | Rare | Frequent |
| Purring | Rare | Rare |
| Reduced urination and defecation | Rare | Frequent |
| Rolled up | Rare | Frequent |
| Scratching less | Rare | Frequent |
| Seeking contact with a person more often | Frequent | Frequent |
| Sitting more often | Rare | Frequent |
| Sleeping less | Rare | Frequent |
| Sleeping more | Frequent | Rare |
| Spitting | Rare | Frequent |
| Standing longer than usual | Rare | Rare |
| Teeth grinding | Rare | Frequent |
| Tongue showing | Rare | Frequent |
| Trembling or shivering | Rare | Frequent |
| Trying to bite someone | Rare | Frequent |
| Trying to scratch someone | Rare | Frequent |
^ More related to acute conditions but were not reliable indicators of pain
Source: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150040#sec011