How do I know if my cat is in pain? - The Waggin' Train Veterinary Clinic
Thankfully, that's not as grim of a question to answer. So pain can be as simple as vocalization. It can be carrying their body posture differently. If it's arthritic type pain, they will be carrying themselves differently. Maybe they're hunched back. Maybe they're walking with real short steps because it hurts to walk. Maybe it's that you go to pick them up or you touch them in a certain area, and they either vocalize or they try to bite you or something like that. If they have a tender or painful spot, they’re going to lick or bite at that area a lot because it hurts and they can't figure out why, and they don't understand it. So they just want to lick and lick and lick or bite at that area.
Contributed by Scott J. Broussard DVM
from The Waggin' Train Veterinary Clinic