Your cat’s name

Your name

Cats hide almost everything, especially pain. That’s why it can be a serious health problem for your cat. You know your cat’s playful ways better than anyone, and changes in these behaviors could be signs of pain. Your veterinarian relies on you to report changes in your cat’s behavior for accurate diagnoses of problems. If your cat is showing signs of pain, talk to us as soon as possible.

COULD MY CAT BE SUFFERING FROM OSTEOARTHRITIS OR CHRONIC PAIN?

This checklist will help us identify your cat’s activities and behaviors that might be signs of chronic pain or osteoarthritis (OA), a painful degenerative joint disease. .

IS YOUR CAT SHOWING SIGNS OF PAIN?

Climbing stairs: ‘bunny-hops’ with both back legs hopping at same time, and/or stops for a break.

Going down stairs: angles body to the side, descends one stair at a time, and/or stops for a break

Chasing moving objects: slows down or takes breaks during play and/or may have thinner frame near the tail

Jumping up: hesitates before jumping up, doesn’t clear jumps in one leap, and/or uses front legs to pull back legs up

Jumping down: hesitates before jumping down, makes smaller jumps vs. one big one and/or reaches down towards the ground instead of leaping

Running: moves at a slower speed and alternates between jogging & walking, and/or back feet angle together

Think about your cat’s activity in the past week. Check all the signs that you’ve observed in your cat.

If you checked any of these changes in behavior, your cat may have chronic or OA-associated pain.1 Share these with your veterinary healthcare team. They will fully evaluate your cat to confirm the diagnosis. This questionnaire is not a medical diagnostic tool and is not intended to replace discussions with an animal healthcare professional. Discuss medical concerns with your veterinarian.

CHRONIC PAIN HAS BOTH PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ASPECTS.

Chronic pain negatively impacts your cat’s quality of life, both physically and emotionally. The good news is by identifying your cat’s condition, you and your veterinarian can develop a treatment plan for your cat.

A recent peer-reviewed published study demonstrated the initial validity and reliability of a quality-of-life assessment for chronic diseases in cats.2 Using these questions, you can help your veterinarian assess and monitor how well your cat’s chronic pain management treatment is working.

Think about your cat’s behavior in the past week and help us determine a starting point by completing the following table. For each statement, circle the number you think most accurately describes your cat.

Is your cat…

For each statement, choose a number.
0 = My dog couldn’t be less
6 = My dog couldn’t be more

Energetic & enthusiastic

Happy & content

Active & comfortable

SHARING ADDITIONAL HISTORY CAN HELP YOUR VETERINARY TEAM HELP YOUR CAT.

Has your cat’s personality and sociability changed?

Yes

Has your cat’s urination or defecation habit changed?

Yes

Is your cat hiding more or seem to be “slowing down”?

Yes