Ways you can help a cat with arthritis at home
Arthritis can be just as common in cats and dogs as it is in humans. With dogs, it’s fairly easy to recognise signs of arthritis, as we spend so much of our time walking them. But cats are a different story – so much of their exercise is happening away from humans, meaning we often don’t spot the signs until they’re quite severe.
Causing stiff, painful joints, osteoarthritis can affect cats of all ages, but particularly seniors, with 90% of cats over the age of 12 having some degree of detectable arthritis.1
While it can’t be cured, there are many ways to manage clinical signs, support joint health and keep your cat mobile and comfortable for as long as possible – from lifestyle changes and supplements to medical treatments.
What is feline arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a painful, progressive joint condition in cats, similar to what humans experience. It starts when the protective cartilage in the joints wears down, causing bones to rub together. This leads to friction, inflammation and stiffness.
Arthritis can’t be cured, but early detection greatly improves quality of life. Recognising the signs and starting treatment sooner can ease pain, slow progression and help your cat stay active and comfortable. With the right care, many cats with arthritis continue to enjoy long, happy lives.
How can I tell if a cat is in pain due to arthritis?
Arthritis develops slowly as changes occur within the joints. Over time, the cartilage that cushions and protects bones begins to break down. This causes the bones to rub together, leading to inflammation, swelling and pain.
The spine, hips, knees and elbows are the joints most commonly affected by osteoarthritis in cats. Keeping a close eye on how your cat moves can reveal early signs that something isn’t quite right.
Changes in jumping and climbing behaviour – you may notice your cat hesitating before jumping, climbing more gingerly or avoiding higher surfaces altogether.
Change in movement – your cat may be walking or running differently, keeping their weight on one side of their body or moving less freely.
Reduced energy – cats who aren’t feeling their best often seem less sociable and less willing to play.
Toileting issues – if movement is painful, getting in and out of a litter tray can be tricky, leading to accidents or irregular bathroom habits.
Over- or under-grooming – excessive licking of painful joints is a red flag, as is matted or scruffy fur in areas like the lower back that arthritic cats struggle to reach.
More frequent meows – vocalisation may become louder or more frequent if a cat’s discomfort has become too much to hide.
Home remedies to ease arthritis pain
Provide a warm, supportive bed
One great way to help an arthritic cat is to ensure they have a soft and comfy bed that’s easy to get in and out of, and allows them to stretch and move without hitting any hard surfaces. It should also be well insulated from the floor and away from any draughts.
Heat therapy and warming pads
Heating pads designed for pets can ease your cat’s arthritic joints, or you can warm a towel or blanket in a tumble dryer to make your cat’s bedding warm and snuggly. But avoid hot water bottles, as these are liable to burn your cat or even burst.
Joint supplements
Vet-approved supplements can help support your cat’s joint health thanks to ingredients such as chondroitin, which is a main building block of joint cartilage, glucosamine, which helps with joint cartilage repair, and turmeric, which counteracts the breakdown of cartilage. All have been shown to support the development and maintenance of cartilage in cats – this means better absorption of impact, resulting in improved mobility and less inflammation.
Gentle massage techniques
If your cat’s amenable to them, regular massages can really help with their pain. The best way to start is with slow, gentle strokes along the back, sides and legs, like normal stroking but with a little extra pressure to reduce muscle tension and encourage blood flow.
Next, apply gentle pressure around – but never on – the joint areas. Move your fingertips in small circular motions around shoulders, hips or knees, being sure to stop immediately if your cat appears annoyed. Finally, you could try moving your cat’s back legs in a gentle bicycle motion to exercise those muscles.
Lifestyle adjustments for arthritic cats
Make the home safer and easier to navigate
If you have slippery floors in the house, you could cover them with a rug to stop your cat sliding or falling. Joint pain in cats is made worse by leaping, so any steps you can take to reduce the impact of jumps will be appreciated by your cat – ramps or strategic positioning of furniture that makes accessing their preferred sleeping spots easier will help ease their discomfort.
Maintain a healthy weight
It can be tempting to treat our pets when we know they’re in pain or not feeling their best, but maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important ways we can avoid any extra strain on a cat’s joints. Your vet will be able to recommend any food or lifestyle choices that can help your cat if they need to lose weight. You also need to account for the fact that arthritic cats will exercise less, so you may need to reduce their servings accordingly.
Litter box accessibility
Toileting outside may become difficult for arthritic cats as they find cold weather more painful on their joints and struggle to navigate cat flaps and outdoor obstacles. As such, it may be an idea to give your cat the option of indoor toilet facilities.
When choosing a litter tray for arthritic cats, it’s important to make sure it’s easy to access with plenty of space to manoeuvre, and by having a low rim that they can climb over without undue stress.
Raised food and water bowls
If it appears painful for your cat to bend down over their bowls, you could put something under them to raise the bowls a few centimetres. The less your cat has to dip their head to reach food and drink, the better.
When should the vet be involved?
Your vet should be involved from the start of your cat’s arthritis journey. They’ll be able to confirm a diagnosis and determine how advanced the arthritis has become.
As part of the assessment, your vet will physically examine your pet to check for stiffness, pain or swelling. Sometimes X-rays are used to check for arthritis in cats and assess whether surgery is necessary, but it depends on your cat’s condition.
Key takeaways
There are many ways to help a cat with arthritis at home – it can take trial and error to find the solutions that are best suited to your pet and their needs.
- Chat to your vet as soon as you notice any signs so they can get to the root cause and advise on the best way to manage the condition
- Small adjustments to your cat’s living environment and lifestyle can be an effective way to keep them comfortable and prevent inflammation
- Think where they like to nap, eat and toilet, and then consider what steps you can take to make each experience warmer, more accessible and more comfortable for them
- A healthy diet and joint-specific supplements can work together to help your cat maintain a healthy weight, while reducing inflammation and pressure on the joints
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[1] EM Hardie et al. (2002) Radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease in geriatric cats.