Your Cat Isn't Just Getting Old

Your Cat Isn’t Just Getting Old

Recognizing Feline Arthritis — and What We Can Do About It

By Dan Gray, DVM  •  Gentle Vet Animal Hospital, Green Bay, WI

One of our clients described it like this: “She just stopped jumping up to her spot on the couch. I figured she was getting lazy.” That cat was 11 years old. After her exam and X-rays, we found arthritis in both hips and her lower spine. She hadn’t been getting lazy. She’d been in pain every time she tried.

This is one of the most common conversations we have with cat owners, and it almost never starts with the word “arthritis.” It starts with “she seems different lately” or “he’s just getting older.” Both of those things may be true. But “different” and “old” are often standing in for something we can actually treat.

Feline arthritis is one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated conditions in veterinary medicine — not because it’s rare, but because cats are exceptionally good at hiding pain, and the signs look nothing like what most people picture. Here’s what you need to know, what to watch for, and what your options look like if your cat is affected.

Why Feline Arthritis Flies Under the Radar

Osteoarthritis — the most common form of arthritis in cats — is a progressive joint disease in which cartilage gradually breaks down. As the cushioning between bones wears away, inflammation sets in, movement becomes painful, and the body begins compensating by forming new bone around the damaged joint. That compensation often worsens stiffness over time.

The prevalence numbers are striking. Studies consistently show that over 60% of cats older than six have X-ray evidence of joint disease. By age 12, that figure climbs above 90%. And yet a significant portion of those cats receive no treatment for pain.

The reason comes down to biology. Dogs limp when they hurt. Cats don’t. A dog with arthritis pain will often vocalize, shift weight, or refuse to put pressure on an affected leg. Cats go quiet. They adapt. They stop doing the things that cause discomfort — jumping, climbing, playing — and because those changes happen gradually, owners read them as normal aging.

They aren’t. Or at least, they don’t have to be someth

ing your cat simply endures.

And yes — this includes indoor cats. Arthritis isn’t caused by hard outdoor living. It develops through normal wear and tear over time, compounded by genetics, body weight, and any previous joint injuries. A cat who’s spent 12 years on a soft couch in a warm house is just as susceptible as any other once the cartilage starts going.

What Feline Arthritis Actually Looks Like

Because cats don’t show pain the way dogs do, recognizing arthritis means paying attention to behavior — specifically, what your cat has stopped doing as much as what they’re doing differently.

The most common things we hear from owners in the exam room:

• They’ve stopped jumping to a favorite spot — the windowsill, the back of the couch, the top of the cat tree
• They’re slower getting up after sleeping, especially in the morning or after long rest
• Their coat looks scruffier at the lower back and tail base, because grooming those areas has become uncomfortable
• They’ve started eliminating outside the litter box — often because stepping over a high-sided box is painful
• They’re more irritable or reactive when touched around the back, hips, or hind legs
• Less interest in play, more time just lying still
• Visible muscle loss over the hindquarters from reduced use

None of these signs shouts “arthritis” on its own. Together, especially in a cat over seven or eight, they tell a story worth investigating.

Recognizing pain in cats requires a different kind of attention than in dogs or humans. The AVMA has helpful guidance on recognizing chronic pain in companion animals that’s worth reviewing if you’re unsure what you’re seeing.

How We Figure Out What’s Going On

Diagnosing arthritis starts with a thorough physical and orthopedic exam. We’ll observe your cat’s movement and posture, assess range of motion in the major joints, and watch and feel their reactions during careful palpation. We’ll also ask a lot of questions about what you’ve noticed at home — because we’re seeing your cat for fifteen minutes while they’re tense and on high alert. You’re seeing them every day. Your observations matter.

X-rays are typically the next step. Through our diagnostics we can visualize joint space narrowing, bone remodeling, and new bone formation around affected joints. X-rays can’t measure how much pain your cat is in, but they tell us where the disease is and how advanced it is — both of which shape the treatment plan.

We’ll also run bloodwork as part of our general medicine workup before recommending any medications. Not because bloodwork diagnoses arthritis — it doesn’t — but because it helps rule out conditions with overlapping symptoms (hyperthyroidism and kidney disease are the big ones), and it gives us a baseline for monitoring organ health throughout treatment. For older cats especially, that baseline is non-negotiable.

The earlier we find it, the more options we have. Mild arthritis responds well to conservative management. Moderate-to-severe disease calls for more targeted approaches — and some of the most effective tools now available are genuinely new.

What Treatment Looks Like at Gentle Vet

Managing feline arthritis well almost always means combining more than one approach. There’s no single solution that covers every dimension of joint pain, but the right combination of therapies, built around your individual cat, can produce real and lasting improvement in comfort and mobility.

Solensia™ — The First FDA-Approved Arthritis Medication for Cats

In January 2022, the FDA approved Solensia (frunevetmab), a monthly injectable medication that represents a genuine advance for feline medicine. For context: safe, long-term pain management in cats has historically been a significant challenge. Cats metabolize many medications differently than dogs or humans, and the organ concerns associated with long-term anti-inflammatory use in cats have left a real gap in treatment options. Solensia was developed to fill that gap.

It works by targeting Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), a protein that directly activates and sustains the pain signal in arthritic joints. By blocking NGF, Solensia reduces pain at its source rather than broadly suppressing inflammation. It’s felinized — engineered specifically for a cat’s immune system. In clinical trials, 77% of cat owners reported visible improvements in their cat’s pain signs after three monthly treatments.

One detail that particularly matters for older cats: Solensia has a favorable safety profile for cats with early chronic kidney disease, a condition that frequently co-occurs in the senior patients most likely to have arthritis.

Solensia is given as a once-monthly injection here at the clinic. It’s not right for every cat — it’s not appropriate for pregnant queens, cats under 12 months, or those with certain health histories — but for candidates, the response has often been striking.

For a thorough, client-friendly breakdown of how Solensia works, VeterinaryPartner.com has an excellent overview worth bookmarking.

Therapeutic Laser

Therapeutic laser — formally called photobiomodulation — uses targeted wavelengths of light to reduce joint inflammation, improve circulation in affected tissues, and stimulate the body’s own healing processes, including the release of natural endorphins. Sessions are short (typically 15 to 30 minutes), painless, and require no sedation.

Most cats tolerate it extremely well. Some relax visibly during the session. A few fall asleep. It’s one of the treatments we reach for most readily, both as a standalone approach and alongside Solensia or oral medications, because it adds meaningful pain relief without adding systemic drug burden. That’s a valuable quality in a patient population that often has multiple concurrent health concerns.

We typically start with a more intensive induction phase — more frequent sessions while we establish a response — then taper to a maintenance schedule, often once weekly once a stable improvement is achieved. 

Oral Medications and Supplements

Several oral options can play a meaningful role depending on your cat’s situation. Gabapentin helps calm overactive pain signaling and is widely used in cats for chronic pain management. Buprenorphine, available as an oral transmucosal gel — applied to the gum, no pilling required — is useful for flare-ups or breakthrough pain. Select anti-inflammatory medications can be used in carefully chosen patients at the lowest effective dose with regular monitoring. VeterinaryPartner.com’s overview of arthritis medications in cats and dogs provides a thorough look at the options and their appropriate uses.

Omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources (EPA and DHA from fish oil) have well-documented anti-inflammatory properties and are safe, easy to add to food, and well-tolerated by most cats. The evidence in cats is less definitive than in humans, but the safety profile is favorable, and many cats appear to benefit.

Weight and Nutrition

If your cat is carrying extra weight, addressing that is the single most impactful thing we can do for their joints. Excess body weight doesn’t just stress joints mechanically — fat tissue actively produces inflammatory compounds that worsen joint disease. Even a 5 to 10% weight reduction can produce noticeable improvements in mobility and comfort.

Certain prescription diets are formulated specifically for joint support — higher in omega-3s, calibrated for calorie density, and in some cases designed to address concurrent conditions like kidney disease. Choosing the right diet for a cat with multiple health concerns requires weighing competing nutritional priorities. Our team can help navigate that as part of your cat’s overall wellness and preventive care plan.

Setting Up Their Home for Success

Medical treatment works best when paired with a home environment that doesn’t ask your cat to fight through pain to get through the day. A few practical changes:

• Low-entry litter boxes: Replace high-sided boxes, or cut an entry panel into the side. A painful step in is a common driver of litter box avoidance.
• Pet stairs or ramps: Access to favorite elevated spots without jumping. Even a few inches of height difference matters.
• Non-slip mats: Sliding on hardwood or tile is painful and frightening. Runners or mats in high-traffic areas make a difference.
• Heated or orthopedic bedding: Cushioned beds reduce joint pressure. Warmth helps with morning stiffness — especially during Wisconsin winters.
• Food and water placement: Keep bowls at an accessible height. Cats with neck or spine involvement may benefit from slightly elevated dishes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Feline Arthritis

Sources & Further Reading

•  AVMA Pain Management: avma.org — Pain Management in Companion Animals

•  VeterinaryPartner.com: Solensia™ (Frunevetmab Injection): An Arthritis Medication Just for Cats

•  VeterinaryPartner.com: Medications for Degenerative Arthritis in Dogs and Cats

•  AAHA Senior Care Guidelines: aaha.org — Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

Gentle Vet Animal Hospital

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(920) 435-5000

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