Cats are one of man’s best friends. However, they may not be as demonstrative as dogs and that is why it is often difficult to predict how they feel.
What’s more, different analyzes show that the use of painkillers is more common in dogs than in cats, while cats tend to make fewer visits to a veterinarian. On the other hand, a new study carried out by a Canadian university managed to develop a method to recognize pain in a cat through its facial expressions.
The University of Montreal, in Canada, created a scale that can measure and evaluate a certain pain in a cat by following its facial expressions. According to this study, there are five factors to take into account: the ears, jaw, eyes, head and whiskers.
If they feel severe pain, cats usually squint their eyes tightly; Therefore, your eye opening is an important factor to measure. According to the medical tool, it should be measured with a 0 if the cat has its eyes wide open, a 1 if they are partially open and a 2 if it has them almost closed.
Something similar happens with ears. If they are forward and straight, it means you are not in any pain. But if they are slightly separated, it may be a sign of discomfort. The worst case is if they appear rotated outward and flattened, which could indicate stronger pain.
First of all, the muzzle should have a round and relaxed shape, as that is its normal state. If it is tense, it may be an indication of pain, and the more it is tense, the more discomfort you are experiencing.
On the other hand, the whiskers have to be curved and relaxed to know that your cat is not in pain. The problem appears if they are straight and inclined, which may be a sign of discomfort. In this aspect, it happens like with the snout: the more so, the greater the pain it feels.
Finally, the inclination of the feline’s head should always be above the shoulders. If it is on the same line or below, it is a sign that the cat is not feeling completely well.
