Arthritis in Cats: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

Arthritis in cats is one of the most under-spotted health problems in older pets. Cats are experts at hiding pain, so instead of an obvious limp you tend to get a slow fade: a cat that stops leaping onto the windowsill, sleeps a little more, and grooms a little less. Most owners put it down to "just getting old" — but it's usually a treatable joint problem, and catching it early makes a real difference.

What arthritis actually is

Arthritis (properly called osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease) is wear and damage to the joints. Healthy joints have smooth cartilage that lets the bones glide past each other. In an arthritic joint that cartilage roughens and thins, the bone underneath thickens, and the joint becomes inflamed and painful. It tends to affect the hips, knees, elbows and spine, and it's progressive — it slowly gets worse over months and years rather than flaring up and vanishing.

It's far more common than most people realise. In studies where older cats were X-rayed, around 90% of cats over 12 showed signs of arthritis in at least one joint. Broader reviews put radiographic degenerative joint disease at anywhere from 61% to over 90% of cats depending on age and which joints are checked. The catch is that not every cat with joint changes on an X-ray is obviously sore — roughly 40% of cats with radiographic joint disease show clear pain-related signs — which is exactly why it slips past so many households.

It isn't only a problem of old age, either. Younger cats can develop arthritis after a joint injury, a road accident, an infection, or because of how their joints are built. Some pedigree breeds are more prone to hip and kneecap problems, so a middle-aged cat that seems stiff is still worth a look.

The signs owners miss

Because cats mask discomfort, the signs are behavioural far more than they are dramatic. A dog with a sore leg limps; a cat with sore joints just quietly does less. Here's what to actually watch for.

Changes in how they move around the house - No longer jumping up to favourite high spots, or getting up in two hops instead of one clean leap - Hesitating at the bottom of the stairs, or taking them one step at a time - Struggling with the cat flap, or waiting to be let in and out instead - Stiffness after a nap that eases once they've warmed up and got moving

Changes in grooming and appearance - A scruffy, matted or greasy coat, especially over the lower back and the base of the tail — the exact spots an arthritic cat can't twist round to reach - Overgrown, thick claws, because they're using the scratching post less - Occasionally, over-grooming and bald patches directly over a painful joint

Changes in mood and habits - Sleeping and resting more, playing and exploring less - Being grumpy or flinching when stroked or picked up, when they used to enjoy it - Toileting outside the litter tray — often because climbing into a high-sided tray hurts, or the tray is up a flight of stairs they'd rather not tackle - Hiding away, or simply being less sociable than they were

The honest truth is that any one of these on its own is easy to explain away. It's the pattern — several small changes appearing together in a cat over about seven — that should prompt a vet visit. If you want a simple way to track it, jot down what your cat can do this month: how high they'll jump, whether they use the stairs, how tidy their coat is. Reviewing that in six months is often more revealing than trying to remember.

A quick at-home check: watch your cat approach a jump they used to make easily. A cat that gathers itself, hesitates, or picks a lower staging point (the sofa arm before the windowsill) is telling you something about its joints.

Getting a diagnosis

There's no single blood test that says "arthritis", so vets diagnose it from the whole picture. A typical appointment involves a hands-on examination — gently flexing and extending each joint to feel for stiffness, thickening, grating or a pain response — combined with your description of what's changed at home. That home history matters enormously, because cats famously refuse to limp on cue in a stressful consulting room. A short video on your phone of your cat moving normally at home can be genuinely useful.

Your vet may suggest X-rays to see the joint changes and rule out other problems, though imaging isn't always necessary to start treatment. In some cases blood tests or joint fluid samples are used to exclude infection or immune-related joint disease, and blood work is sensible before starting long-term medication anyway, to check kidney and liver function. Sometimes the clearest evidence is a treatment trial: if a cat brightens up noticeably on pain relief, that in itself confirms it was sore.

Treatment: what actually helps

Arthritis can't be cured — the joint damage doesn't reverse — but it can be managed very well, and a comfortable arthritic cat can have years of good life ahead. Treatment works best as a combination rather than a single magic fix.

Pain relief and medication

Proper pain control is the foundation. The mainstay for many cats is a licensed anti-inflammatory painkiller (an NSAID), usually a small daily dose of a palatable liquid. Used properly and monitored by your vet, these are effective and widely used long-term in cats, though kidney health needs keeping an eye on.

The bigger recent change is a monthly injection given at the vet. Solensia (frunevetmab) is a felinised monoclonal antibody — a lab-made version of a natural antibody — that targets nerve growth factor, a protein central to arthritis pain signalling. In the clinical trials that supported its approval, roughly three-quarters of treated cats showed a meaningful improvement, and the manufacturer reports around 76% of owners saw their cat improve. It's given as a small subcutaneous injection once a month by your vet, and it suits cats who won't take daily tablets or who can't have NSAIDs. It's been available to European vets since 2021.

A word of warning that can't be repeated often enough: never give your cat human painkillers. Ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol are all toxic to cats, and paracetamol in particular can be fatal even in tiny amounts. Cat pain relief must be prescribed by a vet.

Weight, diet and supplements

Keeping your cat slim is arguably the single most effective thing you can do, and it's free. Every extra gram loads already-painful joints and worsens inflammation, so trimming a chunky cat back to a healthy weight can noticeably ease their discomfort. If you're not sure where your cat sits, your vet or vet nurse can body-condition score them and set a sensible target.

Many vets also recommend a joint-support diet or supplements — typically omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), glucosamine and chondroitin. The evidence for supplements is more modest than for weight control and prescription medication, so treat them as a helpful extra rather than a replacement for proper treatment. Prescription joint diets that combine omega-3s with the right calorie balance can do double duty.

Other options

For some cats, veterinary acupuncture, physiotherapy or hydrotherapy can help, and surgery is occasionally appropriate for specific injuries. These are worth discussing with your vet if standard treatment isn't giving enough relief.

Home changes that make the biggest difference

This is where owners genuinely move the needle, and it costs very little. The aim is to remove the daily hurdles a stiff cat has to climb over, jump up to, or squeeze into.

| Problem area | Simple fix | | --- | --- | | Can't reach favourite high perch | Add a low stool, pet steps or a ramp so they can get up in stages | | Struggles to climb into the litter tray | Swap to a tray with one low side, or cut a lower entry into a spare tray | | Food and water up high or awkward | Move bowls to floor level in an easy-to-reach spot; slightly raised bowls can help neck comfort | | Cold, hard sleeping spots | A soft, well-padded or gently heated bed in a warm, draught-free corner | | Stairs between them and essentials | Put a litter tray, food, water and a bed on every floor they use | | Can't groom their back | Gently brush the areas they can't reach; ask your vet nurse to clip overgrown claws | | Slippery laminate or tile floors | Lay down runners or rugs so they aren't skating on painful legs |

A warm, supportive bed matters more than people think — arthritic joints stiffen in the cold, and cats naturally seek out heat. Placing beds in sunny spots or using a pet-safe heated pad can genuinely take the edge off. If you're kitting out a senior cat's space, the same thinking behind our guide to the best dog beds for arthritis applies to cats: firm, supportive, easy to get into, and warm.

Common mistakes

• Assuming slowing down is just old age. It's the commonest reason feline arthritis goes untreated. Old cats slow down partly *because* they're sore, not simply because they're old.
• Waiting for a limp. Most arthritic cats never limp. By the time one does, they're usually very sore.
• Reaching for the human medicine cabinet. Covered above, but it bears repeating — it can kill.
• Stopping treatment once the cat seems better. Arthritis is lifelong. Feeling better means the treatment is working, not that it's finished.
• Changing everything at once. Cats dislike sudden change. Introduce ramps, new beds and low-sided trays gradually so they're accepted rather than avoided.

When to see the vet

Book an appointment if your cat is over about seven and you've noticed a cluster of the changes above, or sooner if any single sign is marked — obvious stiffness, reluctance to move, crying out when touched, or toileting problems that have appeared out of nowhere. For senior cats, a check-up every 6 to 12 months is a sensible routine, because arthritis and other age-related problems are so much easier to manage when they're caught early. Breeds that tend to live into their late teens — see our notes on how long Persian cats live and how long Siamese cats live — spend many years in the age bracket where joint care really counts.

Arthritis is one of those conditions where a bit of observation at home and a good working relationship with your vet transforms the outcome. You can't stop your cat getting older, but you can absolutely keep them comfortable while they do.

Sources

• PDSA – Arthritis in cats
• Cats Protection – Arthritis in cats: signs, treatment and care
• Zoetis UK – Solensia (frunevetmab) for cats
• Gruen et al., Frunevetmab, a felinised anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody, for osteoarthritis pain in cats (Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, via PMC)