Journal watch1 April 2026
Author(s): B.P. Monteiro, S. Taylor, N. Dowgray, K. Eyre and M. Gruen
Published in: Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery
Date: November 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X251374161
Type of access: Open access (click for full article)
Our summary
The aim of this review article was to explore a team approach to feline chronic pain management by overviewing the existing literature on the management of chronic pain in cats, as well as exploring the role of the different stakeholders and the importance of collaboration among them.
The first section discusses sources of feline chronic pain, including pictures to illustrate different conditions which can cause chronic pain in cats. It also includes statistics on the prevalence of these associated conditions, inferring that degenerative joint disease (DJD) / osteoarthritis, dental disease, neoplasia, and mass-lesion disorders would be common causes of feline chronic pain.
The article then explores feline chronic pain in regard to each stakeholder, starting with the experience of the cat. The authors provide a table covering possible consequences of chronic pain on the cat’s welfare according to the Five Domains Model, covering nutrition, environment, health, behavioural interactions and mental state. They also discuss behavioural changes due to pain, as well as stress caused by veterinary visits, providing examples of stress-reducing techniques which can be implemented by veterinary teams.
The next stakeholder addressed by the article is the caregiver. The article highlights the importance of contextualised care which considers the individual needs of caregiver and cat, and how home environments can make a difference in the cat’s experience with chronic pain. It discusses care giver burden and common challenges for caregivers such as learning to observe and report gradual changes in the cat’s behaviour or administering medication, providing tips for increasing medication compliance.
The article then explores feline chronic pain from the perspective of the veterinary team. It covers methods of recognising and diagnosing chronic pain, including examples of physical and behavioural changes illustrated with pictures, and ways in which clinical signs of chronic pain can be affected by the stress of a veterinary visit. Different tools for screening and assessing chronic pain and quality of life in cats are listed although it is noted that no validated scale for assessing feline chronic pain apart from pain linked to DJD. There are also tips for creating cat-friendly environments and interactions within the veterinary practice. including techniques for effective communication with caregivers, as well as the benefits to incorporating telemedicine into the management plans of feline chronic pain cases. Finally, information is also provided on facilitating end-of-life care, including hospice and palliative care as well as end-of-life decisions.
Limitations of the article include a lack of explicit methodology or explicit ranking of the evidence. One of the authors discloses an affiliation to Zoetis.
Take home
The article provides an overview of feline chronic pain as it pertains to patients, caregivers, and the veterinary team. It encourages an empathetic, collaborative approach to care, focusing on improving the quality of life of the cat and empowering caregivers.
The following may also be of interest
Evidence collection: Quality of life assessment tools. [RCVS Knowledge] [Online] Available from: https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/resource/quality-of-life-assessment-tools/#pain-assessment-tools [Accessed 1 April 2026]
Guidelines: Pain. [WSAVA] [Online] Available from: https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/pain-guidelines/ [Accessed 1 April 2026]
Journal watch: Chronic pain in cats: Recent advances in clinical assessment [RCVS Knowledge] [Online] Available from: https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/resource/chronic-pain-in-cats-recent-advances-in-clinical-assessment/ [Accessed 1 April 2026]
Journal watch: Pain scoring systems for cats [RCVS Knowledge] [Online] Available from: https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/resource/pain-scoring-systems-for-cats/ [Accessed 1 April 2026]
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