Back pain in older cats
As your cat gets older, it’s not uncommon for their behaviour to change. Perhaps your cat goes from spending several hours a day outside to just the occasional hour here and there. The previously active cat may begin to enjoy sleeping for hours on the couch instead of playing with toys around the house. This is natural, but it’s important to be aware of what might be seen as natural ageing for a senior cat, and what could be signs of pain or illness. Since it’s not uncommon for senior cats to develop back problems, it’s a good idea to visit the vet for a check-up to determine if the behavioural changes are due to back pain.
Cats are very good at hiding pain, so it’s important to pay attention to their behaviour. Even the slightest behavioural change is important to note, especially if it’s suspected to be related to pain. One way to detect pain in cats is to notice if their movement patterns change. For example, it’s not uncommon for older cats to experience pain in their back or other joints. Back pain might be noticed by cats no longer jumping up on things, sometimes not wanting to be patted on the back, or stopping walking up stairs.
Since both back and hip pain occur in senior cats, a good tip is to try to make things easier at home for them. This should, of course, be in combination with a vet's assessment of whether pain relief medication and other management of the cat's symptoms are necessary. An example of how you can make things easier for a cat diagnosed with back or hip pain might be to not keep the cat's litter box upstairs.
If the cat is experiencing significant back pain and discomfort with movement, they may avoid jumping up on furniture or window sills. Or they might start taking easier routes or detours to places they were walking or jumping to without problems before. Over time, cats that experience pain with activity may also lose muscle mass at the back and hind legs, partly because they don’t use the muscles in the same way anymore.
Another sign that something is wrong might be behavioural changes in the cat that weren't there before. This may mean the cat begins to withdraw completely, seems generally depressed, or lies still in one place for long periods of the day. Some cats experiencing pain do not like to be petted or handled and may suddenly become aggressive when touched.
It’s important to go to the vet if symptoms of pain are suspected in your cat. Some cats may need medication, so it’s important that the vet examines the cat so the correct diagnosis can be made and the cat can receive the treatment or medication it needs. It is also very important that cats with joint problems are not overweight, as this puts further strain on the joints.
