Is Your Cat Suffering From Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common age-related diseases that affect our feline friends. Just what are the signs and symptoms to look out for and the treatment options available?

- Melissa Especkerman

As we all have witnessed in the last year, technology has changed how we live, work and even experience new things. Needless to say, technology has also paved the way for advances in veterinary medicine and treatment, which means our pets are now living much longer lives.

While we get to cuddle our furry friends for longer, this has also led to an increase in the number of pets living with chronic diseases, one of them being osteoarthritis.

What Is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat’s joints, and until recent years this condition in cats has sadly fallen under the radar.

It used to be thought that osteoarthritis only affected dogs, but according to the US Food and Drug Administration’s Animal Health Literacy centre, this degenerative condition is a far more common disease than most cat owners realise.

The centre states that this condition causes the normal cartilage cushion of the joints to break down, eventually leading to pain and decreased joint movement, and sometimes even the formation of bone spurs.

Unfortunately, while osteoarthritis will most often affect cats in their geriatric years, it can also affect cats of all ages due to trauma.

Signs To Look For

So how exactly do you know if your cat has osteoarthritis? The truth is, the signs aren’t all that obvious, making it all that more difficult to identify. Furthermore, due to their small size and agility, cats are good at tolerating and hiding pain caused by the condition.