Recognizing pet pain: the subtle signs owners miss

Quick answer: Watch for changes in posture, sleep, grooming, jumping/climbing, appetite, hiding, irritability, and litter box habits. Two or three subtle changes in a few days warrants a vet call. Never give human pain medications — many are toxic to pets. Pain is managed by your vet, not the owner.

Pets hide pain because their wild ancestors did. The mask is convincing — many owners discover serious issues only at the annual exam, when bloodwork or palpation reveals what behavior was hinting at all along. Catching subtle signs at home gives your vet a head start.

Posture changes

• Hunched back, especially in cats.
• Tucked belly.
• Reluctance to lie down on a particular side.
• Difficulty settling into a comfortable position.
• Standing with weight shifted off one leg.

Movement changes

• Slower or hesitant climbing of stairs.
• Stopping at the bottom of stairs before going up.
• No longer jumping onto a favorite spot.
• Limping (obvious) or subtle gait differences (intermittent).
• Stiffness after rest, especially first thing in the morning.

Grooming changes

• Decreased overall grooming, especially in cats.
• Over-grooming or licking a single area (often the painful spot).
• Matting in places previously well-kept.
• Hair loss from over-licking.

Behavior changes

• Increased hiding.
• Becoming clingy when previously independent.
• Irritability when touched in a particular spot.
• Snapping or hissing where the pet previously did not.
• Loss of interest in favorite activities.
• Sleeping more or less than usual.
• Vocalizing more, especially at night.

Eating and drinking changes

• Decreased appetite or refusal of favorite foods.
• Dropping food from the mouth (possible dental pain).
• Approaching the food bowl and walking away.
• Increased water consumption (sometimes a pain signal indirectly).

Litter box and bathroom changes

Painful conditions often show up as bathroom habit changes. A cat urinating outside the box may be telling you a urinary tract issue or arthritis (cannot climb in) is happening. See litterbox changes as a vet-visit signal.

Cat-specific pain signs

Per the Feline Grimace Scale (a validated tool), facial signals of cat pain include:

• Ears flattened or rotated outward.
• Squinting or partial eye closure.
• Tense muzzle, pulled-back whiskers.
• Head held lower than normal.

What NOT to do

• Do not give human pain medications — acetaminophen is potentially fatal in cats; ibuprofen and naproxen are dangerous in both species.
• Do not assume the pet will “walk it off.”
• Do not push or palpate a suspected painful area without vet guidance.
• Do not punish behavior changes (snapping, hiding) that are pain responses.

When to call the vet

• Two or three subtle changes over a few days.
• A single significant change (refusing meals, sudden lameness, hiding all day).
• Any vocalizing when touched.
• Visible swelling or wound.
• Trouble breathing — emergency.

Where Driyu fits, honestly

A Driyu profile gives you a place to note the date you started seeing a behavior change, alongside your pet’s photo and weight. “He started slow on the stairs around March 10th” is a more useful sentence at the vet visit than “he’s been weird lately.”