From jumping into and out of bed to tearing up tapestries on the floor, cats have done it all. They are what happens the most in your house and they keep you busy all the time.
If you own a cat, you will probably relate to what I just mentioned about them, but what you would like to ignore the most is the disease of cats. I don’t judge your relationship with the cat, but this is the most common scenario. Since it is in the nature of a cat to hide pain, it becomes difficult or impossible to understand when a cat needs care. However, before you start drawing conclusions about your cat, you need to understand these points mentioned below.
# 1. Why do cats hide their pain?
Cats are hunters by nature, and their tendency to disguise discomfort is an evolutionary holdover from their days in the wild, where injury or illness paint a target on their back for nearby predators. The appearance of weakness would make a cat vulnerable or put it in danger of being bullied or abandoned by its group. Although house cats have nothing to worry about becoming prey, they may see other pets in the house or even other people as their competition. Even if you are extremely overprotective of them, there is a chance that you still cannot detect when your kitty is masking her pain symptoms.
# 2. Recognizing the symptoms of pain in cats
A cat experiencing pain will often show behavioral changes that are accompanied by mood swings. As a cat parent, you need to detect when your cat is not in the mood to mix with someone in the family and does not show any signs of being right or wrong. Here are the few behavioral changes among cats when they are in pain:
- Concealment
- Sitting still and hunched over
- Loss of interest in people, other pets, or even activities.
- Neglecting to groom themselves, or even overdressing in one place
- Purring, excessive meowing, or unusual vocalizations
- Restlessness or aggression towards a friendly environment
Aside from these behavioral changes, a cat in pain will suddenly lose its appetite. You could also witness unusual vomiting. When cats suffer from chronic pain, such as arthritis, they may stop using the litter box or stop climbing objects in the house because it is too difficult for them to do so.
# 3. How Your Veterinarian Can Help
Any abnormal behavior from a cat should mean an immediate visit to your vet. Instead of experimenting with her supplements and medications, it is best to take her to the vet, who can determine if these changes are due to pain or illness. Depending on the reason for the behavior change, your vet will treat the underlying cause. The vet will help with pain management, which includes prescribing pain relievers, heat therapy, physical rehabilitation, and even massage. If the cat suffers from chronic joint pain, the vet will prescribe food for weight control and sometimes recommend changes to its diet.
You may need to visit the vet several times a month until your cat shows normal behavior once again. Feel free to take time out of your busy schedule to bring her to the visit, remember that each visit will help your cat live longer and healthier.
# 4. How can you help
The only thing your vet can do is prescribe the proper medication and see her from time to time, but she still has a greater responsibility to handle. Remember to spend a lot of time with her; He may not ask for it, or even sometimes avoid the love you give him, but it is what he needs the most. You may consider relocating her bed, food plates, water bowls, and litter box, to make it easier for her to locate them. Make sure the litter box is simple enough for you to climb effortlessly. In case you live in a large family, remember to keep children away from it. While she might escape herself, you don’t want her to lose trust in people while she recovers.
Without a doubt, your cat is an important part of your life and even if you are concerned about her health, remember that she is a fighter. Don’t forget to give her all the love and attention she’s been avoiding for a while. And once it’s okay, it’ll be the same old purring ball, the one that smashed things on the floor and jumped from one corner of the house to another.
I’m already waiting for her to be okay!