A cat can live beside you for years and still keep secrets. They can be playful in the morning and withdrawn by afternoon, and itâs easy to chalk it up to âcats being cats.â But when a cat is hurting, that privacy can become a problemâbecause one of the most difficult truths about feline pain is how often it looks like nothing at all.
If youâre searching for signs of pain in cats, youâre probably already noticing something small: a favorite jump they no longer attempt, a grooming routine that suddenly feels unfinished, a cat who disappears into a closet and stays there longer than usual. Those quiet changes matter. They are often the earliest feline pain symptoms families can see from the outsideâespecially because cats are wired to protect themselves by hiding vulnerability.
Why cats hide painâand why it can look like ânormalâ behavior
In the wild, showing weakness can make an animal a target. Domestic cats donât live in that world anymore, but the instincts remain. A painful cat may not cry out; instead, they conserve energy, reduce movement, or choose a safer, quieter space. This is why cat hiding behavior pain is so commonly linked: hiding can be a comfort strategy, a way to avoid interaction, or simply a way to rest without being touched in a sore spot.
Thatâs also why pain is often mistaken for mood. Families sometimes describe it as a âpersonality change,â but what theyâre seeing is a cat adjusting their entire day to avoid discomfort. And because the changes are gradual, you might adapt alongside them without realizing itâuntil the difference becomes too obvious to ignore.
The subtle signs families notice first
Most people expect pain to be dramatic. In cats, itâs usually understated. The most useful approach is to compare your cat to their own baseline rather than to another cat. Whatâs ânormalâ for your catâs appetite, grooming, social interest, and litter box habits? When those patterns shift, it can be a clue.
Here are some of the quiet behaviors families often describe when theyâre trying to figure out how to tell if a cat is in pain:
- Hiding more than usual, or choosing a new hiding spot thatâs harder to reach
- Less grooming or uneven grooming, especially around the back or hips (cat not grooming pain can be linked to arthritis or abdominal discomfort)
- Changes in litter box habits, including going outside the box, straining, or vocalizing (changes in litter box habits pain can be a red flag)
- Stiffness, hesitation before jumping, slower stairs, or âcrouchedâ posture
- Being touched less willingly, moving away, or reacting defensively
- Sudden irritability or aggressionâespecially in a cat who is usually tolerant (cat aggression pain is common when a cat anticipates discomfort)
These signs donât diagnose the cause, but they do tell you something important: your catâs comfort has changed. If youâre seeing urinary changes, straining, or repeated trips to the litter box with little output, treat it as urgentâthose patterns can signal serious issues that need prompt veterinary help.
The feline grimace scale: when pain shows up on the face
Sometimes the clearest signs of pain arenât in movement or routinesâtheyâre in expression. Researchers developed the feline grimace scale, a tool that helps identify pain by looking at subtle facial cues such as ear position, orbital tightening (squinting), muzzle tension, whisker changes, and head position. The original validation work was published in Scientific Reports, showing that facial expression can be a meaningful part of acute pain assessment in cats.
The grimace scale is not meant to replace a veterinarian, but it can help you notice what you may have been dismissing as âsleepy,â âgrumpy,â or ânot in the mood today.â If youâre taking a photo or short video to show your vet, try capturing your cat at rest, undisturbed, in good lighting. That âquiet faceâ can sometimes communicate what a cat wonât show in a busy exam room.
How to observe without stressing your cat
When you suspect pain, the instinct is to check everything at onceâtouching, lifting, turning them to look at paws, teeth, belly. But if your cat is already uncomfortable, a full-body âinspectionâ can trigger fear or defensiveness. A calmer approach is often more revealing.
Start with gentle observation across a normal day. Notice where they sleep, how they rise, whether they stretch fully, and how they land after a jump. Watch the litter box quietly rather than hovering. If theyâre eating less, note whether they approach food and then walk away (nausea or dental pain can look like âpicky eatingâ). If theyâre grooming less, pay attention to where the coat looks dull or clumpedâcats often avoid reaching painful areas.
If you do need to check something physical, do it slowly. Keep your voice low. Approach from the side. Let your cat choose distance. And if youâre worried about being bitten or scratched, prioritize your safety and move the assessment to your veterinary team.
Never give human pain medicine without veterinary direction
When a cat is clearly suffering, itâs heartbreakingâand some families consider reaching for what they have at home. But this is one of the most important safety messages in feline care: do not give human pain medications to a cat unless your veterinarian specifically tells you to. Many common human pain relievers can be toxic to cats, even in small amounts, and dosing is not straightforward. If youâre seeing feline pain symptoms, the safest path is veterinary guidance and a cat-specific plan.
When pain becomes a turning point: planning, not rushing
Sometimes a pain conversation is also an end-of-life conversation. Not alwaysâbut sometimes. A chronic condition progresses. A mass appears. Kidney disease worsens. Arthritis steals small joys one by one. In those moments, families often find themselves doing two things at once: trying to improve comfort right now, and quietly preparing for what might come next.
This is where funeral planning can be surprisingly gentleânot because it makes loss easier, but because it removes uncertainty. Planning doesnât mean youâve given up. It means you love your cat enough to want the next steps to be steady and respectful, even if grief makes thinking difficult later.
For many families, that planning includes questions like: Will we choose cremation? Will we keep ashes at home? Do we want to share ashes among family members? Do we want a memorial that feels private, or something we can display?
Pet cremation urns and the comfort of having a place for love to land
If your cat is cremated, you may receive ashes in a temporary container. Some families keep that container for a while, waiting until the heart catches up. Others feel an immediate need to choose something lastingâsomething that feels like âhomeâ for a relationship that mattered every day.
When youâre ready, Funeral.comâs Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is designed for exactly this momentâwhen you want options that honor a beloved companion with dignity. Youâll find pet urns and pet urns for ashes in different materials and styles, including designs that incorporate photo frames, subtle paw prints, or clean, minimalist shapes that suit a quiet space.
Some families prefer a sculptural tribute that captures personalityâa curled-up pose, a figurine that looks like a familiar silhouette. For that kind of memorial, the Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes collection can feel especially personal, because it blends remembrance with art in a way that doesnât require words.
Keepsakes, small urns, and the gentle logic of sharing
One of the most common surprises families experience after cremation is how often more than one person wants a physical connection. A partner wants an urn at home. An adult child wants something small for their apartment. Someone wants to scatter a portion while keeping a portion close. These arenât competing desiresâtheyâre different ways of loving.
This is where keepsake urns and small cremation urns can make life easier. A keepsake urn is designed to hold a small portion of ashes, often so family members can share. Funeral.comâs Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is built around that reality: one loss, many relationships, and the need for more than one place of remembrance.
If youâre looking for something compact but not tinyâsomething that still feels like a true urnâexploring Small Cremation Urns for Ashes can help. These are often chosen when a family plans to keep ashes at home in a smaller space, create a second memorial location, or divide ashes more substantially.
For pet-specific sharing, the Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes collection can be a gentle solutionâespecially if siblings or family members each want a small portion without turning the process into a stressful negotiation.
If you want deeper guidance as you decide what fits your family, Funeral.comâs Journal includes practical, compassionate reading: Pet Urns for Ashes: A Complete Guide for Dog and Cat Owners and Keepsake Urns Explained, both written to help you choose with clarity rather than pressure.
Cremation jewelry: a small way to carry a big bond
Not everyone wants an urn in a visible place. Some people need something privateâespecially when grief comes in waves during ordinary days. Thatâs why cremation jewelry has become so meaningful for many families. A small pendant can hold a tiny amount of ashes and become something you carry through grocery trips, work meetings, anniversaries, and the quiet moments when you miss your cat most.
On Funeral.com, you can browse Cremation Jewelry and specifically Cremation Necklacesâincluding cremation necklaces designed to be worn daily and sealed securely. The Journal also offers a clear starting point if youâre unsure how jewelry works, what âwater-resistantâ claims really mean, and how to fill a piece safely: Cremation Jewelry Guide.
Keeping ashes at home, water burial, and other âwhat do we do now?â questions
After cremation, families often realize the hardest decisions werenât the legal onesâthey were the emotional ones. Where will the ashes go? What will feel comforting? What will feel right six months from now, when grief looks different?
Many families choose keeping ashes at home, at least for a time. Done thoughtfully, a home memorial can be safe, respectful, and grounding. Funeral.comâs guide Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally walks through practical considerations like placement, sealing, children and pets, and how to create a space that feels like comfort rather than clutter.
Others feel called to nature. If water was part of your catâs storyâwatching birds at a pond, sunlight through rain, a love of windows during stormsâyou might consider scattering or a water burial ceremony with a biodegradable urn. Funeral.comâs Biodegradable Ocean & Water Burial Urns guide explains how different urn designs float, sink, and dissolve, and what planning details matter most for ceremonies on open water.
And for families who are still deciding what to do with ashes, sometimes the best next step is learning how other families approach itâwithout feeling like thereâs one âcorrectâ choice. Reading Scattering Ashes Ideas can help you imagine possibilities, from private rituals to shared ceremonies.
How common cremation isâand why so many families are searching these questions
If it feels like everyone is talking about cremation now, youâre not imagining it. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the projected U.S. cremation rate for 2025 is 63.4%, more than double the projected burial rate of 31.6%. The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) also tracks cremation statistics year over year, reflecting how cremation has become a mainstream choice across the United States and Canada.
As cremation becomes more common, the questions that follow it become more common too: how to choose cremation urns, how to decide between cremation urns for ashes and keepsakes, how to share ashes, and how to create a memorial that fits real life.
How much does cremation costâand how to plan without getting overwhelmed
Whether youâre planning for a pet or a person, cost questions are not shallow questions. Theyâre practical questions. Families deserve straightforward information about what they might pay and why prices vary so widely. If youâre asking how much does cremation cost, Funeral.comâs cost guide is designed to help you understand typical fees, common add-ons, and ways to keep things meaningful without spending more than you intend: How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.?
Planning ahead can also help families avoid rushed decisions. If youâre choosing an urn in advanceâor trying to choose quickly after a lossâFuneral.comâs guide How to Choose a Cremation Urn walks you through the practical details (size, materials, sealing) in a way that respects the emotional weight of the moment.
What you can do today if you think your cat is hurting
If your search started with worry about your catâs comfort, let that worry become action. Take a short video. Write down what changed and when. Pay attention to litter box patterns. Use calm observation rather than constant checking. And reach out to your veterinarianâbecause pain, when treated, can sometimes give a cat their personality back.
At the same time, if youâre standing at the edge of bigger decisions, itâs okay to prepare gently. Learning about pet cremation urns, keepsake urns, and cremation jewelry isnât morbidâitâs a way to protect your future self from making choices under the heaviest part of grief.
When your cat has spent years bringing quiet comfort into your life, it makes sense to want the next stepsâwhether thatâs treatment, hospice-style support, or memorial planningâto be quiet and steady too. Thatâs not giving up. Thatâs love, translated into care.
If youâre ready to explore options at your own pace, you can start with Funeral.comâs Cremation Urns for Ashes collection for broader memorial choices, and the pet-focused collections for cat-specific tributes. No rushing. Just one gentle step at a time.
