Arthritis in Cats: Subtle Signs, Diagnosis, and Pain Relief

Arthritis in cats is a painful, progressive wearing of the joints that is extremely common in older cats yet very often missed, because cats hide it by quietly doing less rather than by limping. It cannot be cured, but with a vet’s diagnosis it can be managed well: the right pain relief, a healthy weight, and a few changes at home let most cats stay comfortable and active for years.

This guide sits within our senior cat care guide and pairs closely with the wider signs of ageing in cats. Here is what arthritis is, how to spot it, and what to do about it.

What arthritis is and how common it is

Arthritis, or degenerative joint disease, is the gradual breakdown of the smooth cartilage that cushions a joint, leaving bone rubbing on bone and causing inflammation and pain. It most often affects the hips, knees, elbows, and spine, and it tends to get slowly worse over time.

It is far more common than most owners think. Studies that X-ray older cats find degenerative joint changes in the large majority of cats over about 12 years old, and in a substantial share of cats over 6, yet only a tiny fraction of these cats are ever diagnosed. That gap exists because cats are masters at hiding pain: in the wild, showing weakness is dangerous, so a sore cat simply withdraws. Cats are classed as senior from around 11 years, so arthritis is something to actively look for in any older cat.

The subtle signs owners miss

The signs of feline arthritis are almost always about a cat doing less, not a cat limping. Unlike a dog, an arthritic cat rarely cries out or hobbles obviously; instead the changes are quiet and easy to write off as “just getting old.” International Cat Care notes that a reduced ability or willingness to jump, and jumping to lower heights than before, are among the earliest and most reliable signs, which is why owner observation matters so much: only a tiny fraction of the large majority of cats over about 12 years old with joint changes on X-ray are ever brought in and diagnosed.

Watch for these:

• Reluctance to jump: hesitating before leaping up to the windowsill, or jumping down in stages rather than in one go.
• Reduced grooming: a scruffy, matted, or greasy coat, especially over the back and hindquarters, because twisting to groom now hurts.
• Sleeping more and playing less: a drop in activity and a preference for lower, easier resting spots.
• Litter-tray accidents: struggling to climb into a high-sided tray, so going just beside it.
• A change in mood: more irritable, grumpier when stroked over the back or picked up, or hiding away.
• Stiffness after rest: moving awkwardly when first getting up, then loosening off.

I first realised my own cat, Marmalade, was struggling not because he limped but because he stopped sleeping on the bed. For weeks I thought he just preferred the sofa, until I noticed he was taking the stairs one careful step at a time and that the fur along his lower back had gone matted because he could no longer twist round to groom it. None of it looked like pain. It looked like an old cat slowing down. That, it turns out, is exactly how cat arthritis hides. For the bigger picture of normal versus worrying changes, our guide to signs of ageing in cats is a good companion read.

How a vet diagnoses it

A vet diagnoses arthritis through a hands-on examination, your description of the changes at home, and usually X-rays. Because cats are tense and guarded in the clinic and rarely show the stiffness there, what you have noticed at home is genuinely valuable evidence; a short phone video of your cat moving around the house can help a great deal.

During the exam the vet gently feels and flexes the joints for swelling, thickening, reduced range of movement, and a pain response. X-rays confirm the joint changes and rule out other problems, and blood and urine tests are often run too, since older cats commonly have more than one condition at once. Senior cats are recommended to have a vet check every 6 months rather than annually, and these visits are the natural moment to raise mobility concerns; our senior cat care guide explains what those checkups cover.

Pain relief and treatment

Treatment cannot reverse the joint damage but can control the pain very effectively, and the foundation is safe, vet-prescribed pain relief. A vet may prescribe a licensed feline anti-inflammatory or one of the newer once-monthly injectable treatments developed specifically for cat arthritis, alongside joint supplements and sometimes physiotherapy-style options.

One rule matters above all: never give a cat human painkillers. Ibuprofen, aspirin, and paracetamol (acetaminophen) are highly toxic to cats and can be fatal even in tiny doses. Only ever use medicine prescribed by your vet at the dose they set, and go back for the recheck appointments so the plan can be adjusted as your cat ages. Keeping your cat at a healthy weight is part of the treatment too: excess weight loads sore joints, and obesity is one of the leading preventable problems in cats, so a sensible weight-loss plan often noticeably eases the pain.

Home adaptations that help

Small changes at home are some of the most powerful tools you have, because they remove the movements that hurt. The goal is simple: let your cat reach everything it needs without having to jump, climb, or stretch.

• Litter trays: swap to a tray with at least one low side, around 5 to 6 cm high, that the cat can step into rather than climb over, and add an extra tray so there is always one nearby.
• Steps and ramps: put a low stool, a sturdy box, or a pet ramp beside favourite high spots like the windowsill or the bed.
• Warm, soft beds: arthritic joints ease in warmth, so offer thick, supportive bedding in quiet, draught-free, easy-to-reach places at floor level.
• Food and water at floor level: raise bowls slightly off the ground but keep them accessible without crouching or climbing, and put resources on the floor the cat already lives on rather than up high.
• Gentle play: short, low-impact play keeps muscles strong and joints mobile without forcing big leaps.

After we lowered Marmalade’s litter tray and put a padded box at the foot of the bed so he could step up in two easy stages, he was back to sleeping next to us within a week. The pain relief was doing its job, but the box mattered just as much.

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. If you think your cat may be stiff, sore, or simply slowing down, talk to your own vet, who can examine your cat, knows its history, and can prescribe treatment that is safe for cats.