Osteoarthritis in Cats

This page is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or emergency care. Always consult your primary veterinarian or a rehabilitation veterinarian before starting treatment. If your pet cannot walk, has sudden paralysis, severe pain, or breathing difficulty, seek urgent veterinary attention.

Also known as: feline degenerative joint disease; arthritis in cats; feline OA; DJD in cats.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is extremely common in ageing cats — studies suggest radiographic or clinical evidence in well over 90% of cats aged 12 and older — yet it remains heavily under-diagnosed. Cats rarely “limp” the way dogs do. Instead they quietly drop high-effort behaviours: jumping onto counters, climbing cat trees, or using stairs. Elbows, hips, stifles, and the spine are frequently involved.

Radiographs can confirm bony change, but clinical signs and owner-reported behaviour often matter more for day-to-day comfort. Some cats have marked X-ray changes with subtle lifestyle impact; others show clear pain with milder imaging. A feline-focused orthopaedic exam plus history of jumping, grooming, litter-tray use, and temperament change is essential.

Pain may show as irritability when stroked over the back or limbs, reduced grooming with a scruffy coat, house-soiling if the litter tray has high sides, or sleeping in more accessible locations. Owners often assume these changes are “just ageing.”

Management is multimodal: veterinary analgesia appropriate for cats (including options such as Solensia / frunevetmab when prescribed by a vet), weight optimisation, environmental modification, and gentle rehabilitation adapted to feline stress thresholds. NSAIDs have a narrower safety margin in cats than in dogs and are not a casual long-term default — your primary vet decides what is safe. Forcing water therapy or prolonged handling is counterproductive for many cats. Cat owners seeking broader neurological mobility concerns may also find our guide to neurological conditions in cats useful.

Signs vary by severity and by whether your pet is a dog or cat. Owners of cats often notice:

Feline rehab prioritises low-stress handling, short sessions, and home-centric programmes. Passive range of motion, assisted standing, and gentle play-based movement can maintain mobility when the cat tolerates them. See our cat physiotherapy and cat rehabilitation services for how sessions are structured.

Environmental modification is often as powerful as clinic work: low-entry litter trays, ramps or steps to favourite perches, warm soft beds, and non-slip surfaces reduce daily pain load without forcing the cat to jump.

Weight management lowers mechanical stress on painful joints. Even modest loss in an overweight cat can meaningfully improve comfort when paired with pain care and movement therapy.

When appropriate, acupuncture or other comfort modalities may be used alongside medical pain control. Solensia (frunevetmab) — a once-monthly monoclonal antibody injection prescribed by veterinarians — is increasingly part of multimodal feline OA plans; rehab complements it by preserving muscle, range, and home function rather than replacing medical care.

NSAID limitations in cats mean multimodal strategies matter more, not less. Coordination with the primary vet ensures medicines safe for cats are optimised while rehab and home setup do the daily work.

Rehabilitation plans at RehabVet are individualised after a veterinary assessment. We coordinate with your primary vet when imaging, medication, or surgery is part of the overall plan.

Depending on your pet’s examination findings, comfort, and goals, a plan may include one or more of the following:

Goals are set for the individual patient. Typical aims may include (not guarantees — outcomes vary):

We do not publish invented success percentages. Progress is tracked clinically (gait, strength, range of motion, pain behaviours, and home function) and plans are adjusted over time.

Educational content only — not a diagnosis. For emergencies, contact your nearest veterinary hospital.