Cats and dogs are both descended from animals that needed to hide weakness to survive — a visibly injured or ill animal is a target for predators or rivals in the wild. That evolutionary habit hasn’t gone away just because your pet sleeps on the sofa, and it’s the main reason so many owners miss the early signs that something is wrong. Here’s what actually to look for.
Why “eating normally” doesn’t rule out pain
One of the most common misconceptions is that a pet with a healthy appetite can’t be in real pain. In practice, many dogs and cats keep eating even with painful conditions like dental disease, a broken tooth, or inflamed gums, because eating is such a strong drive. Appetite is a useful signal, but it’s not a reliable one on its own — you need to look at the wider picture of behaviour and movement, not just whether food gets eaten.
Subtle signs in dogs
- Changes in how they get comfortable. A dog with joint or hip pain often struggles to settle, shifts position repeatedly through the night, or takes longer and more carefully to lie down or stand up.
- Slower or altered walking — not just obvious limping, but a shortened stride, reluctance on stairs, or hesitating before jumping into a car.
- Guarding a body part, including reluctance to be touched or brushed in a specific area they’d normally tolerate.
- Behaviour changes such as increased irritability, unusual vocalisation, restlessness, or withdrawing from interaction they’d normally seek out.
Subtle signs in cats, specifically
Cats are, by most veterinary accounts, even better than dogs at masking illness, which is exactly why owners miss it so often. Signs worth watching for include:
- Reluctance to jump onto surfaces they’d normally use easily, or noticeably reduced jumping height
- Sleeping curled tightly rather than in their usual relaxed, stretched-out posture, which can suggest abdominal discomfort
- Hiding more than usual, or conversely seeking unusually more affection or contact than normal
- Excessive grooming of one particular area, or reduced grooming overall leading to a scruffier, less well-kept coat
- Changes in litter tray habits — straining, going more or less often, or vocalising while using the tray
PDSA guidance identifies clearer signs of more severe or acute pain to watch for, including crying out, hissing or growling, and actively protecting or guarding a part of the body from being touched — these are less ambiguous and warrant prompt veterinary attention rather than a wait-and-see approach.
Behaviour changes that apply to both species
- Withdrawn or unusually quiet behaviour, especially in a normally sociable pet
- Changes in eating or drinking habits, even subtle ones (eating more slowly, drinking noticeably more or less)
- Sleeping significantly more than usual
- Increased irritability or aggression, particularly if out of character
- Panting, faster breathing, or a raised heart rate at rest, without an obvious cause like heat or exercise
When to call the vet, not just watch and wait
A single subtle sign on its own isn’t necessarily an emergency, but it’s worth tracking rather than dismissing — write down what you’ve noticed and when. Contact your vet promptly (same day, or as an emergency if severe) for any of the following:
- Crying, yelping, hissing or growling associated with movement or touch
- Obvious guarding of a body part, or a pet that won’t bear weight on a limb
- Loss of appetite lasting more than a day (less for very young, old, or already unwell pets)
- Repeated vomiting, diarrhoea, or straining without producing anything in the litter tray or garden
- Any sudden, marked change in behaviour that doesn’t have an obvious explanation
The underlying message from veterinary guidance is consistent: don’t wait for dramatic symptoms before acting, because by the time pain is obvious and constant, it’s often been present, quietly, for a while. Trusting a “something seems slightly off” instinct and getting it checked costs little and catches problems earlier, when they’re usually easier and cheaper to treat.