Osteoarthritis (OA) in Cats
Understanding one of the most common causes of chronic pain.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a long-term condition that affects the entire joint—not just the cartilage. Healthy joints allow bones to move smoothly and comfortably during everyday activities like walking, climbing, jumping, and grooming.
In cats with osteoarthritis, the tissues within the joint gradually change over time. The protective cartilage begins to wear down, the bone beneath it can remodel, and inflammation develops within the joint. As these changes progress, movement becomes less comfortable, leading to stiffness, reduced mobility, and chronic pain.
OA develops slowly and cannot currently be reversed, but early recognition and appropriate management can help improve your cat’s comfort and support their quality of life.
What Happens Inside the Joint?
Healthy Joints…
- Smooth cartilage cushions the ends of the bones.
- Joint fluid allows the bones to glide smoothly.
- Movement is comfortable and pain-free.
Joint with Osteoarthritis…
- Movement becomes stiff, uncomfortable, and painful.
- Cartilage gradually wears away.
- Inflammation develops inside the joint.
- Bones become less protected and may change over time.
As OA progresses, even normal daily activities—such as jumping onto a favorite chair or climbing the stairs—may become difficult.
Did You Know?🐾
Why Arthritis Is Often Missed
Cats rarely show pain in obvious ways.
Unlike people or even dogs, cats often adapt to pain instead of drawing attention to it. Rather than limping or vocalizing, they may simply begin changing how they move or interact with their environment.
These changes usually happen gradually over weeks or months, making them easy to mistake for normal aging. Because cats are so skilled at hiding discomfort, many owners don’t realize their cat is living with chronic pain until the disease has progressed.
Recognizing these subtle changes is one of the most important steps in identifying osteoarthritis early.
Common Signs of Osteoarthritis
Cats rarely show obvious limping.
Instead, they often adapt by changing how they move and perform everyday activities. These changes usually develop gradually and are often mistaken for normal aging.
Common changes you may notice:
- Jump onto furniture less often
- Hesitate before jumping or climbing
- Use lower surfaces instead of high places
- Sleep or rest more than usual
- Groom less, especially around the back or hindquarters
- Play less or become less active
- Avoid stairs or climbing
- Become more sensitive when handled
- Have difficulty using the litter box
- Hide more often or interact less with family members
Every cat is different. Some cats show only one or two of these changes, while others experience several. Because these signs often develop slowly, they’re easy to mistake for normal aging—but they may be early indicators of osteoarthritis. If you notice persistent changes in your cat’s normal routine, speak with your veterinarian.
How Osteoarthritis Progresses…
Osteoarthritis develops gradually over months to years.
In the early stages, cats may show only small changes in their daily routines, such as hesitating before jumping or sleeping slightly more than usual. As the joint continues to change, movement becomes increasingly uncomfortable, leading many cats to avoid climbing, running, or other activities they once enjoyed.
Without appropriate management, OA can continue to affect mobility, independence, and overall quality of life. Fortunately, many cats can continue to live active, comfortable lives when the condition is recognized and managed early.
Diagnosing Osteoarthritis
Diagnosing OA involves combining information from both the veterinarian and the people who know the cat best—you.
Your veterinarian will ask about changes you’ve noticed at home, perform a physical and orthopedic examination, and may recommend X-rays or other imaging to evaluate the joints. Because cats often hide pain during veterinary visits, your observations about changes in your cat’s daily activities are an essential part of the diagnostic process.
Chronic joint pain affects a cat’s behavior. It affects mobility and the ability to perform activities of daily living. People living with cats are best at assessing these changes. These changes can be captured using the FMPI (short form) questionnaire. It often takes a little time to “tune in” to what to look for, and a few trial uses of the FMPI can help.
Managing Osteoarthritis
Although osteoarthritis cannot be cured, many treatment options can help reduce pain, improve mobility, and support long-term quality of life.
Management is usually multimodal, meaning it combines several approaches that work together.
Treatment may include:
- Pain-relieving medications
- Weight management
- Therapeutic diets or omega-3 fatty acids
- Physical rehabilitation and gentle exercise
- Environmental modifications at home
- Additional therapies recommended by your veterinarian
Every cat is different, so treatment plans should always be tailored to the individual cat’s needs.
Supporting Your Cat at Home 🏡
Small changes around the home can make everyday activities easier for cats living with OA.
You can help by:
- Providing steps or ramps to favorite resting places
- Using low-entry litter boxes
- Keeping food, water, and litter boxes easily accessible
- Offering soft, supportive bedding
- Reducing the need for frequent jumping
- Encouraging gentle daily activity
These simple adjustments can help your cat stay comfortable while maintaining independence.
Research at NC State 🧪
For more than 25 years, researchers at NC State’s Comparative Pain Research and Education Center (CPREC) have worked to improve the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoarthritis in cats.
Our research has helped demonstrate the effectiveness of pain-relieving medications, contributed to the development of new therapies, and advanced methods for measuring pain in cats. These discoveries continue to improve veterinary care and support better quality of life for cats living with osteoarthritis around the world.
Concerned Your Cat May Have Arthritis?
Small changes in your cat’s daily routine may be early signs of osteoarthritis. If you’ve noticed changes in mobility, grooming, activity, or behavior, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Early recognition and appropriate management can make a meaningful difference in your cat’s comfort and quality of life.
Sources
1. Hardje E M, Roe S C, Martin F R Radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease in geriatric cats: 100 cases 1994-1997; J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002; 220; 628-32
2. Lascelles BDX, Thomson Sumrell A, Henry III JB, Brown J, Simpson W, Wheeler S, Hansen BD, Robertson I, Zamprogno H, Freire M, Pease A. Cross-sectional study evaluating the prevalence of radiographic degenerative joint disease in domesticated cat