Can You Tell When Your Cat Is Hurting?

I have already written about dogs and how they (don’t) feel pain. So let’s look at cats. It is often not very simple to recognize. But the early recognition of the problem is important for their health and well-being.

As I have already written in the article about how dogs feel pain, the animals were in the past considered to be some third-rate creatures controlled by their instincts and therefore their pain was not taken into account. René Descartes took the view that the animals have been created on Earth for the benefit of man. That they do not have a soul and the people are not guilty in terms of morals when they kill animals. This proposition also got into biology and the scientists used it to entitle themselves to treat animals unethically and cruelly.

But animals are not machines, their nerve system has developed the same way ours has and regarding the evolution, the ability to feel pain increases prospects for survival of the individual and it helps to avoid the sources of danger.

Of course, today we already know (at least the majority of us) that animals can feel pain as well as we do and we usually care about that. The problem may be to notice the pain of the animal.

Cats, just like dogs, hide their pain. And they are supposed to be even better at this. So it is up to us to observe the changes in their behaviour. Every cat is different and has its own specific habits and therefore we need to be attentive to any minor deviations from its normal behaviour.

Here is a list of certain situations that normally indicate that a cat feels pain and perhaps there could be something wrong with her:

• peeing or defecation outside the cat litter box liner, especially if it is repeated and lasts for several days;
• diarrhea, vomiting, dyspnea;
• aggression in contact with painful places, later also reactions to any touch, no snuggling;
• nasal or eye discharge;
• excessive licking of some body part or exactly the opposite - no care for the fur;
• apathy, hiding, loss of interest in the game;
• loss of appetite;
• sudden loss of weight;
• poor coordination, limping;
• avoidance of movement or some kind of movement such as jumping or sleeping in a certain position;
• meowing or purring an unusual situation, see article The Mystery of the Cat’s Purring.

If you have observed any of the things above and you worry, it is certainly good to visit a vet. Prevention and check-up is always a better choice than to ignore it and do not think it’s important. You can not only help your cat not to suffer from pain but you can also avoid its early death or consequences for life.