However, osteoarthritis also involves inflammation and is not simply mechanical wear of cartilage. Changes affect the whole joint, including the synovial lining, joint capsule and bone beneath the cartilage. Distinguishing osteoarthritis from inflammatory joint disease therefore requires an overall assessment; the word inflammation alone does not mean a bacterial infection, for example.
When to see a vet urgently
Go to an emergency vet if your cat's mobility suddenly changes severely:
- your cat cannot rise or use a limb;
- a limb becomes cold and extremely painful;
- lameness follows a major accident or involves severe pain or rapidly deteriorating health;
- your cat has difficulty breathing or collapses.
Do not attribute such a change solely to an existing osteoarthritis diagnosis. You can find a vet near you.
Overview
Joint cartilage allows smooth movement, absorbs impact and protects bones. In osteoarthritis, cartilage thins, loses elasticity and degenerates. The body tries to compensate by forming bony outgrowths, called osteophytes, which restrict movement and increase pain. In cats, osteoarthritis often progresses unnoticed, and owners usually recognise it only at a late stage, when their cat stops jumping and becomes less active.
Pain may make your cat reduce loading on both hindlimbs without easily visible lameness. They may use an intermediate step to reach the sofa or choose a lower resting place. Changes can appear before jumping stops altogether. A new habit that has developed over time can therefore hide increasing movement difficulty.
Causes
Main causes of osteoarthritis in cats include:
- natural ageing of the joints;
- chronic minor injuries;
- excess weight, which increases joint loading;
- congenital skeletal abnormalities, such as dysplasia;
- injuries, including dislocations, fractures and bruising;
- inflammatory joint diseases that lead to degeneration over time.
A single original cause cannot always be found in cats. Some osteoarthritis is associated with previous injury or joint structure, but low activity alone does not establish that it caused the disease. Pain itself can reduce activity. Excess weight increases loading and can make movement harder, although it does not explain every joint lesion.
Risk factors
- age over 8–10 years;
- obesity and little exercise;
- previous joint injuries;
- chronic musculoskeletal diseases;
- inherited predisposition.
The age threshold is not absolute: a young cat can also develop osteoarthritis after a joint injury, for example. Ageing increases the likelihood, but symptoms must not be dismissed because of age. Inherited predisposition is assessed against diagnosed structural disease; an inherited cause cannot be established for every cat's osteoarthritis.
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis progresses slowly, and early signs can be subtle:
- reduced activity and reluctance to play;
- difficulty jumping onto furniture or a windowsill;
- stiffness after rest;
- lameness, particularly after exertion;
- pain when joints are touched;
- poorer grooming because pain makes licking difficult.
A lack of lameness does not rule out joint pain. You may first notice difficulty entering or turning in the litter tray. A matted coat can reflect an inability to reach the back or hindquarters for grooming. Some cats lick a painful area more than usual or become irritable when it is touched.
Reluctance to use a scratching post, slower stair climbing and shorter play sessions can also indicate pain. These symptoms have other possible causes too. Urinating outside the litter tray, for example, needs its own assessment and should not automatically be attributed to osteoarthritis or a behavioural problem.
Possible complications
Untreated osteoarthritis progresses, causing chronic pain and restricted movement. In advanced disease, a cat may almost completely lose the ability to move normally. Persistent pain also affects behaviour: your cat may become irritable, withdrawn and unwilling to play or interact socially.
Pain can make reaching food, water and the litter tray difficult. Home adaptations can ease these problems alongside pain treatment. Making daily activities easier is an important treatment goal, even when structural joint changes cannot be reversed.
Diagnosis at the vet
Diagnosis is based on several investigations:
- a clinical examination and gait assessment;
- feeling the joints to identify pain and restricted movement;
- X-rays to assess narrowing of the joint space, osteophytes and other changes;
- joint ultrasound or CT when needed.
Tell your vet specifically how your cat's daily life has changed. A home video of stair climbing or ordinary walking can show things not seen at the practice. However, do not deliberately provoke pain to make a video. Previous injuries, medicines and other illnesses are also considered.
As well as the joints, your vet assesses muscles, the back and, when needed, neurological function. Stress at the practice can affect movement and pain responses. Your observations and questionnaires measuring practical activities complement the examination. They can also be used later to assess whether treatment has made the same everyday tasks easier.
The severity of X-ray findings does not always match the degree of pain. A joint can hurt despite minor imaging changes, while obvious bone changes alone do not establish symptom severity. Images are interpreted alongside symptoms and examination findings. Additional imaging or a joint fluid sample may be needed if another type of joint disease is suspected, but not every cat requires these.
Treatment and living with osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but pain can be controlled well, and most cats over 12 years old have signs of osteoarthritis.
- Your vet prescribes pain treatment: anti-inflammatory painkillers licensed for cats, such as meloxicam or robenacoxib, with kidney monitoring, or injections of an antibody against nerve growth factor, frunevetmab, according to an individual veterinary plan.
- Human medicines, including paracetamol, ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid, are toxic to cats.
- Weight loss in an overweight cat reduces joint loading and pain.
- Adapt your home with ramps and steps to windowsills and the sofa, a low-sided litter tray, bowls and resting places accessible without jumping, and a soft, warm bed.
- Short play sessions every day are better than occasional strenuous ones.
Success in controlling pain and the appropriate treatment vary between individuals. Osteoarthritis changes found on imaging also do not mean that every cat has the same degree of pain. Goals are agreed around your cat's own difficulties: reaching a resting place, grooming or using the litter tray may become easier without complete freedom from symptoms.
Monitoring medication safely
Factors affecting the choice of anti-inflammatory painkiller include kidney and liver health, gastrointestinal disease and dehydration. Do not combine these medicines with each other or with corticosteroids yourself. Tell your vet about other medicines and supplements so interactions can be assessed. Follow-up visits and tests are agreed for the individual patient.
Frunevetmab reduces pain signalling associated with osteoarthritis, but does not restore damaged cartilage. Continued use depends on observed benefit and tolerability. There is insufficient information on the safety of concurrent anti-inflammatory painkiller use in cats, so do not add another pain medicine alongside the injections yourself. Severe kidney disease requires particular assessment of benefits and risks.
Report vomiting, diarrhoea, reduced appetite or a clear change in health during treatment. Antibody treatment can cause effects such as itching, skin changes or injection-site reactions. New unsteadiness or a marked increase in drinking and urination is also a reason to contact the practice. Ask for further instructions before the next administration; breathing difficulty or collapse requires emergency care.
Home, feeding and suitable movement
Place essential resources within reach without painful jumps. Assess access to food, water, the litter tray and rest along your cat's own routes. In a multi-cat home, make sure another animal does not block your painful cat's access to these places.
Weight management is planned individually. Do not suddenly withhold food from an overweight cat, as not eating can lead to fatty liver disease. Suitable complete food provides nutrients as weight changes. Alongside weight, monitor muscles and whether movement is becoming easier. Unplanned weight loss can also be a sign of disease.
Exercise should suit your cat's pain level and abilities. Adapt play if your cat starts avoiding movement or tires unusually. A rehabilitation professional can plan exercise with your vet if needed. Research evidence for supplements and various treatment methods differs; their possible benefit is assessed alongside other care, and they do not replace treatment of diagnosed pain.
Treatment response and prognosis
Choose a few activities important to your cat and record how they go. Comparing the same everyday situations helps more than a general impression of increased brightness. If the response is inadequate, the treatment plan is reassessed. Osteoarthritis is a long-term disease, but individual pain management and environmental changes can support good quality of life.
Prevention
Osteoarthritis cannot be completely prevented, but its risk and progression can be reduced:
- maintain a healthy weight;
- provide regular but moderate exercise;
- prevent injuries and excessive strain;
- monitor joint health in older cats;
- attend regular veterinary checks.
This text provides general information and does not replace veterinary care. Contact your vet if your cat develops symptoms.
Frequently asked questions
Can a cat have osteoarthritis without limping?
Yes. A cat can change jumping, grooming and resting places without obvious lameness. Joint pain on both sides may appear as general stiffness.
Do X-rays show how much pain a cat has?
Not alone. There is no direct correspondence between imaging findings and pain. Assessment combines changes observed at home with your vet's examination.
Can a supplement cure osteoarthritis?
A supplement cannot be promised to repair changes in a damaged joint. Some diets or supplements may be used for support, but evidence varies and pain needs its own treatment plan.
This article is for general information only and is not a guide to treatment. If you notice the first signs of illness, contact your vet.
Paw4care editorial team
Sources
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- Degenerative Joint Disease in Cats, Feline Veterinary Medical Association, accessed 2026-11-05.
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- Get the Facts about Pain Relievers for Pets, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, accessed 2026-11-05.
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