Hi, I’m Taylor Morgan, the pet care expert behind Paw Print Advice. This guide draws on veterinary sources to help you spot the subtle signs of pain pets work so hard to hide.
Pets can’t tell you where it hurts — and instinct tells them to hide it. Cats in particular mask pain so well that owners often miss it until a problem is advanced. The good news: pain almost always leaks out through behavior. Here’s what to watch for, and when a vet call becomes urgent.
Signs of pain in dogs
According to the American Animal Hospital Association and Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center, common signals include:
- Restlessness, reluctance to move, or difficulty getting up
- Limping, favoring a leg, or stiffness after rest — classic joint-pain signs
- Avoiding stairs or refusing to jump onto furniture they used to love
- Whining, whimpering, or yelping — especially when touched
- Excessive panting while at rest
- Changes in appetite, sleep, or bathroom habits, including accidents indoors
- Uncharacteristic aggression, hiding, or suddenly clingy behavior
Signs of pain in cats
Cats are masters of concealment, notes the Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Watch for reduced jumping, reluctance to climb, hiding more than usual, unusual meowing or growling, ears pinned back, changes in grooming (over-grooming one spot, or a scruffy coat from grooming less), altered eating or sleeping, and litter box accidents or frequent urination.
A useful rule for both species: any sustained change from normal is information. You know your pet’s baseline better than anyone — trust it.
When to call the vet
Call promptly when symptoms appear suddenly, worsen quickly, interfere with eating or mobility, or come with vomiting, diarrhea, or breathing changes. A day or two of “wait and see” is reasonable for mild stiffness in an otherwise normal pet — it is not reasonable when your pet stops eating or can’t get comfortable.
Go to emergency care immediately if you see
- Inability to stand or walk normally, or collapse
- Crying out sharply when touched or moved
- Visible trauma — wounds or suspected fractures
- Rapid breathing at rest, especially with a tucked abdomen
- A cat straining but unable to urinate — in male cats this is life-threatening within hours
- Seizures or pale/white gums
The one mistake never to make
Never give human pain medication to a pet. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen (Tylenol), naproxen, and aspirin are all toxic to dogs and cats and can cause life-threatening organ damage — acetaminophen can kill a cat in a single dose. Pain relief for pets is a prescription decision, full stop.
What to do today
Note your pet’s normals this week — how they climb stairs, jump, eat, sleep, and greet you. A 30-second phone video of any odd movement is worth a thousand words at the vet’s office. And if something on the emergency list above ever appears, don’t wait for morning.
This article is general guidance, not veterinary advice. When in doubt, call your veterinarian — describing what you see is free, and it’s never a wasted call.
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