Ask most owners whether their cat has arthritis and they will say no, and most of them will be wrong. Sore joints are one of the most common yet most missed problems in cats, in part because cats are such masters at covering up discomfort, and in part because they show it in ways that look like nothing more than a quiet older cat slowing down. The result is a lot of cats living with pain that could be eased. Knowing what arthritis actually looks like in a cat is the first step to helping. Here is what to notice and what to do.
Why arthritis in cats slips under the radar
The big reason cats get away with it is that they rarely limp in the obvious way a dog might.
Instead of favouring a leg, a sore cat simply stops doing whatever hurts. It stops leaping onto the windowsill, or breaks the jump into a couple of smaller hops via a chair. It sleeps more and roams less. Owners read this as a cat mellowing with age, when it is often a cat quietly working around painful joints. Because there is no dramatic sign to trigger a vet visit, the arthritis carries on unnoticed, which is exactly why it helps to know the subtler picture.
The signs to watch for
Once you know cats show arthritis through behaviour, the clues start to stand out.
Look for a cat that no longer gets up to its old high perches, or hesitates and gathers itself before a jump it used to make in one go. Stiffness after sleeping, a reluctance with stairs, and a general drop in activity are common. Grooming often suffers, because twisting to reach the back and hindquarters hurts, so the coat can look scruffy, greasy, or matted, especially over the spine and rear. Some cats become short-tempered about being stroked or lifted, particularly over the lower back and hips. And accidents just outside the litter tray can appear when climbing over a high side has become too sore. These overlap with the wider signs your cat is in pain, which is worth reading alongside this.
See your vet before anything else
If the signs fit, the right next step is a vet appointment, not a home remedy.
Your vet can examine the joints, watch how your cat moves, and often diagnose arthritis on handling, sometimes with x-rays. Just as importantly, they can rule out other conditions that mimic it and prescribe pain relief that is safe for cats, which is not something you can safely improvise at home.
The changes at home that help most
Much of what keeps an arthritic cat comfortable is about making its world easier to get around.
Provide a litter tray with at least one low side, or cut a lower entrance into a covered one, so a stiff cat can step in without a painful climb. Add steps, a stool, or a small ramp to the places it likes to reach, such as a favourite windowsill or the bed, and move some resting spots down to floor level. Give soft, warm, well-padded beds away from draughts, since cold stiffens sore joints, and raise the food and water bowls slightly so your cat is not crouching down to eat. Keeping your cat lean matters a great deal, because extra weight burdens painful joints, and our overweight guide helps you judge its condition, with any weight loss done slowly under your vet. Gentle play keeps muscle and mobility, and a helping hand with grooming spares your cat the twisting it can no longer manage comfortably.
What your vet can offer
On top of the home changes, your vet has real tools for cat arthritis, and they make a genuine difference.
Cat-safe anti-inflammatory pain relief is the foundation, and there is now a monthly antibody injection developed specifically to control arthritis pain in cats that many respond well to. Your vet may also recommend a joint-support diet or omega-3 supplements, and will help you manage weight safely. None of this reverses the worn joint, but together it can bring a stiff, withdrawn cat back to something much closer to its old self. For the fuller picture of looking after an older cat, our guide to caring for a senior cat covers the rest.
Common questions
- How common is arthritis in cats?
- Much more common than most owners think. Studies suggest the large majority of cats over about twelve have arthritis in at least one joint, and it is far from rare in middle age either. The reason it stays hidden is that cats almost never limp in an obvious way. Instead they quietly stop doing the things that hurt, such as jumping to high spots, so the problem is widespread but badly under-recognised.
- What are the first signs of arthritis in a cat?
- Usually a change in what your cat does rather than an obvious limp. Watch for a cat that stops jumping to its favourite high places or does it in stages, hesitates at stairs, sleeps more, grooms less so the coat looks scruffy or matted, or becomes grumpy when stroked over the back or hips. Accidents outside the litter tray can appear too, if climbing into it has become painful. These small shifts are the early clues.
- Can I give my cat pain relief at home?
- No, never give a cat human painkillers. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is deadly to cats even in a tiny dose, and ibuprofen and aspirin are also dangerous, so a cat in pain must only ever have medication prescribed by a vet. Cats are far more sensitive to these drugs than dogs or people. If your cat seems sore, the safe and effective route is a vet, who has cat-specific options that genuinely help.
- Does my cat need to lose weight to help its joints?
- If your cat is overweight, then yes, because extra weight loads already sore joints and adds to the inflammation that drives arthritis. Slimming an overweight cat down to a healthy shape is one of the most useful things you can do, though it must be done slowly and carefully, since crash weight loss is dangerous for cats. Our overweight guide helps you judge your cat's condition, and your vet can set a safe plan.
