Feline Arthritis: The Cat Who Stopped Jumping

Feline osteoarthritis affects the majority of cats over the age of ten, yet it remains dramatically under-diagnosed because cats rarely limp the way dogs do. Instead, the tell-tale sign is quieter: a cat who used to leap onto the kitchen counter now hesitates, takes the stairs instead, or simply stops jumping altogether.

Cartilage Loss Without an Obvious Limp

Osteoarthritis develops as protective cartilage within joints gradually thins and roughens, reducing the smooth, cushioned movement of joint surfaces against one another. Bone can respond by forming small bony spurs called osteophytes around the joint margin, further restricting comfortable range of motion, particularly in the hips, elbows, and spine.

Unlike dogs, cats rarely bear weight unevenly enough to produce an obvious visible limp, because arthritis in cats is more commonly bilateral and symmetrical, affecting both hips or both elbows similarly. Instead, cats adapt their entire movement pattern, reducing jumping height, taking smoother routes and avoiding activities that stress the affected joints.

Why Cats Compensate Rather Than Favour a Leg

• Reduced willingness or height when jumping onto furniture
• Stiffness noticeably worse after resting, especially first thing in the morning
• Reduced grooming, particularly over the lower back and hindquarters
• Missed litter tray attempts if the tray has high sides
• Increased irritability or reluctance to be picked up or handled

Because these changes develop gradually over months, owners frequently attribute them to normal ageing rather than pain; asking specifically whether a cat's jumping height or frequency has changed over the past year is a more sensitive screening question than asking about limping.

Spotting Arthritis Through Changed Habits, Not Gait

Diagnosis combines a thorough orthopaedic exam assessing joint range of motion and pain response with radiographs of commonly affected joints, particularly hips, elbows and the lower spine. Radiographic severity does not always match observed pain level closely, so clinical signs and owner-reported behaviour change carry significant diagnostic weight alongside imaging.

Validated owner questionnaires assessing changes in jumping, grooming and activity, completed at home before the consultation, have become a genuinely useful tool for catching arthritis earlier than physical examination alone typically achieves.

Multimodal Pain Management Options

Feline arthritis management is multimodal, combining medication with environmental changes rather than relying on any single intervention.

• Meloxicam, licensed for long-term use in cats at a carefully calculated low daily dose
• Frunevetmab (Solensia), a monthly injectable monoclonal antibody targeting arthritis pain specifically
• Joint supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine for adjunct support
• Weight management to reduce mechanical load on already compromised joints

Adapting the Home for a Stiffer Cat

Providing ramps or low steps to frequently used elevated spots, along with a low-sided litter tray, allows an arthritic cat to maintain normal habits without the physical strain that would otherwise limit them. Soft, supportive bedding placed away from draughts helps reduce morning stiffness.

Regular, gentle activity through short, low-impact play sessions using a wand toy kept at floor level helps maintain muscle mass around affected joints, which itself provides better joint support and can slow the functional decline associated with disuse.

When to seek help urgently

• Sudden, complete inability to jump or move that develops overnight
• Marked vocalisation or aggression when a specific limb or the spine is touched
• Complete loss of appetite alongside reduced mobility
• Dragging of a limb or sudden paralysis, which suggests a different, urgent problem

Because feline arthritis pain is so easily missed on a standard walk-in exam, a detailed history of changed habits at home is often what leads to diagnosis, so share those observations with your vet even if no limp is visible.