Pets: How to know if your cat is in pain or sick?

THE cats I am one of man’s best friends. However, they may not be as demonstrative as dogs and so it’s often difficult to predict how they will feel.

Furthermore, several analyzes show that the use of analgesics in dogs is more frequent than in cats, while cats tend to make fewer visits to the vet. On the other hand, the a new study conducted by a Canadian university managed to develop a method recognize the pain in a cat through his facial expressions.

How to detect pain or discomfort in a cat?

THE University of Montreal, Canada, has created a scale that can measure and rate a certain amount of pain in a cat by following its facial expressions. According to this study, there are five factors to consider: ears, jawline, eyes, head and mustache.

In case of feeling severe pain, usually cats squint hard; therefore, their eye opening is an important factor to measure. According to the medical instrument, it should be measured with a 0 if the cat’s eyes are wide open, a 1 if they are partially open and a 2 if they are almost closed.

With the ears something similar happens. If they are forward and straight, that means that it has no pain. But if they are slightly apart, it could be a sign of annoyance. The worst case is if they appear rotated outwards and flattened, which could indicate pain harder.

And the other factors?

First the snout it should have a round, relaxed shape, as that is its normal state. Hurried tenseit can be an indication of pain, and the more it is, the more discomfort you are experiencing.

Instead the sideburns They have to be hunched over and relaxed to know that your cat is not in pain. The problem appears if they are straight and at an angle, which could be a sign of a problem. In this respect it happens as with the muzzle: the more they are, the greater the pain he feels.

Finally the tilt your head of the cat should always be above the shoulders. If it is in the same line or below, it is a sign that the cat is not feeling well enough.