Cats evolved as both predator and prey. Showing weakness made them a target, so they hide pain well — often until they're seriously unwell. A cat in pain rarely cries out. What you see instead are small shifts in behaviour, posture, and routine. The job is to notice them.
Changes in behaviour
The first signs are almost always behavioural and easy to miss.
- Hiding. A cat that suddenly spends the day under the bed, or chooses a closet over its usual spots, is often hurting. Sociable cats withdraw; already-shy cats become invisible.
- Reduced grooming. A coat that looks dull or unkempt, especially along the back or hind end, often means the cat is sore and can't twist comfortably.
- Over-grooming one area. The opposite signal. Cats lick at painful joints, abdomens, or wounds. A bald patch on one leg or the belly warrants a look.
- Irritability. A previously affectionate cat that swats, hisses, or bites when you touch a specific area is telling you it hurts there.
- Reluctance to be picked up. Especially if the cat tenses or yowls when lifted.
Changes in posture and movement
How a cat holds itself and moves is one of the more reliable tells.
- Hunched, tucked-in sitting posture. Sides drawn in, head low, feet under the body, eyes half-closed. This is the classic "sick cat" pose. Take it seriously.
- Reluctance to jump. Cats with sore joints, back pain, or abdominal pain stop jumping to their favourite spots, or they pause longer before doing it. Older cats with arthritis often show this first.
- Stiffness on standing or walking. Watch the first few steps after the cat has been lying down. A slight wobble or limp that warms out is still worth noting.
- A change in gait or limping at any age, even if intermittent.
- Sitting in unusual places. Cats with abdominal pain sometimes press their belly against cool surfaces.
Facial expressions
Subtle but real. Vets use a scoring system called the Feline Grimace Scale, and you can use the same cues at home:
- Ears flattened or rotated outward when there's no obvious noise or threat.
- Squinting or half-closed eyes outside of a relaxed dozing context.
- Whiskers pushed forward or held tight to the face instead of fanned out.
- Tension in the muzzle — a tight, slightly bunched mouth.
A relaxed cat's face is loose. A painful cat's face is tight.
Eating, drinking, and the litter box
Routine changes are some of the clearest signals because they're easy to measure.
- Reduced appetite. A cat that walks up to the bowl, sniffs, and walks away is often nauseous or in pain. Skipping more than one meal in a row warrants attention.
- Eating on one side of the mouth, dropping food, or pawing at the face. Dental pain.
- Increased or decreased water intake. Both can indicate pain or systemic illness.
- Straining in the litter box, or going outside the box. See litter box problems for working through this.
Vocalisation
Most cats in pain go quieter, not louder. But there are exceptions:
- A new, persistent meow, especially at night or when entering or leaving the litter box.
- Yowling when picked up or touched.
- Purring in unusual contexts. Cats purr to self-soothe as well as to communicate contentment. A cat purring while hunched in a corner is not a happy cat.
When to act
You don't need certainty to call the vet. If two or more of the signs above appear together, or if any single sign is severe (collapse, non-stop vocalising, refusing food for more than 24 hours), book a same-day appointment. For emergencies — sudden inability to use a leg, suspected trauma, signs of a urinary blockage — go straight to the emergency vet.
Trust the small signals. By the time a cat is obviously in pain, it's usually been hurting for a while.