For Cat Owners |
DIAGNOSING CATS IN PAIN
Pain is an adversive experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in such terms. Humans can describe it as a feeling. Cats, unfortunately, cannot describe the quality and intensity of their pain for us.
However, the effects of pain can be measured through measuring behavior. A cat without
osteoarthritis moves in a very fluid and (usually) graceful fashion. Pain associated with joint disease results in reduced or altered mobility, uneven or jerky movement, impaired ability to perform activities, and altered behavior. It is thought to disrupt sleep and impair cognitive function (thinking). All these multidimensional effects of pain appear similar to the effects in humans, and anything that pain affects can potentially be measured in order to measure the level of pain.
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 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.