Is my cat in pain?
Is my cat in pain, or just tired? Cats hide pain well, but it shows in their face. Score five features with the Feline Grimace Scale, a tool vets use, and see whether your cat should be checked for pain relief.
Free health check · Based on vet sources
Behavior signs of pain in cats
The face is only part of the picture. Tick any changes you’ve noticed in the last few days.
Behavior changes like these are a common way pain shows up in cats. Even with a low face score, book a vet visit to find the cause.
How the feline grimace scale works
Researchers at the Université de Montréal filmed cats before and after pain relief and found five facial changes that reliably track pain. Each one scores 0 if absent, 1 if moderately present and 2 if clearly present. A total of 4 out of 10 or more suggests the cat is in pain and would benefit from pain relief. If you can’t see one feature, the tool scores the rest and applies the same cut-off to the smaller total.
| Total | What it suggests | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | Pain less likely | Keep watching. Rescore if you notice behavior changes |
| 4–10 | Pain likely | Call your vet about an exam and pain relief |
What happens at the vet
Your vet will examine your cat to find the source of pain, which might be arthritis, dental disease, a urinary problem, an injury or something inside the belly. Cats need medicines made and dosed for cats. Many common human painkillers are toxic to them. Arthritis in older cats is very common and often missed, and treatment can make a big difference to comfort and mobility.
How can I tell if my cat is in pain?
Cats hide pain, so look for changes: hiding, not grooming, a hunched posture, not jumping, litter box accidents or eating less. The face also changes, with flattened ears, squinting eyes and a tense muzzle.
What is the Feline Grimace Scale?
It is a pain scoring tool developed at the Université de Montréal and published in 2019. It scores five parts of a cat’s face from 0 to 2, and a total of 4 out of 10 or more suggests the cat needs pain relief.
Can I give my cat human pain relief?
No. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can kill a cat, and ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin can cause kidney failure or stomach bleeding. Only give pain medicine your vet has prescribed for your cat.
Do cats purr when they are in pain?
Yes, they can. Cats sometimes purr when hurt or stressed, so purring alone doesn’t mean a cat is comfortable.
This check is general information, not a diagnosis, and doesn’t replace an exam by your vet. The scale was designed for use by trained observers, so treat your score as a reason to call, not a final answer. Source: Evangelista et al., Scientific Reports 2019; Université de Montréal; AAFP.
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