Here is the short version: arthritis is one of the most common conditions in older cats, and one of the most missed, because cats almost never limp to show it. Instead they quietly stop doing things, jumping onto the counter, climbing the stairs, grooming their back, and owners chalk it up to a cat slowing down with age. The pain is real and, importantly, very treatable. This guide covers how common arthritis actually is, the behavioral clues that reveal it, and the modern options for relief, including a treatment that did not exist a few years ago.

How common it really is

The numbers surprise even cat owners who think they know their pets. Studies looking at X-rays of older cats have found degenerative joint disease in around 90 percent of cats over 12, and large surveys put it in roughly 60 percent of cats over 6.13 A study sampling cats across a wide age range found radiographic disease in over 90 percent.2 In other words, if you have a senior cat, the base rate says it is more likely than not to have some arthritis.

~90%
of cats over 12 show radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease, yet very few are ever diagnosed

Hardie et al., JAVMA 2002; FDA

Why almost everyone misses it

Two things conspire to hide feline arthritis. Cats are built to conceal weakness, and unlike dogs they rarely show clear lameness even when their joints are badly affected. So the disease lives in plain sight, mislabeled as aging.

A 2025 study put hard numbers on the gap. When cats were assessed by a standard veterinary exam, chronic joint problems were flagged in only about 1 percent. When the same cats' owners completed a short behavior checklist, 39 percent showed signs consistent with arthritis pain.5 The everyday exam was missing the large majority of cases, not because vets are careless, but because the signs only show up in how a cat lives at home.

The signs are behavioral, not a limp

This is the most useful thing to take away. Look for changes in what your cat does, not for limping:4

  • Jumping less, or jumping to lower surfaces, and hesitating before a leap it used to make easily.
  • Trouble with stairs, or taking them one careful step at a time.
  • Grooming less, so the coat looks matted or scurfy, especially over the back and hindquarters.
  • Sleeping more, playing and hunting less, and a stiffer, less graceful gait.
  • Hiding, irritability, or reluctance to be picked up or handled.
  • Eliminating just outside a high-sided litter box that has become hard to climb into.

The most commonly affected joints are the hips, elbows, knees, and the spine. None of this looks like the dramatic limp people expect from arthritis, which is exactly why it slips by.

How it is diagnosed

Because the signs live at home, diagnosis leans on what you observe. Validated owner checklists, such as the feline musculoskeletal pain tools developed by veterinary researchers, ask about exactly the behaviors above and are surprisingly good at flagging affected cats.4 Your vet combines that history with a hands-on exam and, when useful, X-rays, while keeping in mind that X-rays and pain do not always match perfectly. The practical message: keep notes, even a few phone videos of your cat moving, and bring them to the visit.

What actually helps

Arthritis cannot be cured, but the pain can be managed well, and the change in a treated cat is often striking.

Start with the foundation: weight management, because every extra pound loads sore joints, and environmental changes that let a stiff cat live comfortably, including ramps or steps to favorite perches, a litter box with a low entry, warm and well-padded beds, and food and water that do not require a jump. These cost little and help a lot. Our guide on feline weight is a good companion here.

For pain itself, the landscape changed in 2022 when the FDA approved frunevetmab (Solensia), a monthly injection given at the vet that is the first monoclonal antibody approved for any animal species. It works by mopping up a specific signal (nerve growth factor) that drives joint pain.6 Vets may also use other medications such as gabapentin, and anti-inflammatories with care. That caution matters in cats, because many older arthritic cats also have kidney disease, and some pain drugs are hard on the kidneys, so treatment is tailored to the individual cat.

What it costs

The home modifications are cheap. Solensia is given as a monthly veterinary injection, commonly in the range of roughly $50 to $180 per dose depending on your cat's size and your clinic, plus the visit. These are US market estimates that vary by region. Set against a cat that is hiding and hurting, many owners find the trade worth it once they see their cat moving and engaging again.

What to do this week

  1. Watch your senior cat with fresh eyes for a few days: is it jumping, grooming, and moving the way it did a year ago?
  2. Make one easy change now, a step up to a favorite perch or a litter box with a low side, and see if your cat uses it.
  3. At the next vet visit, ask specifically about arthritis and whether a feline pain checklist is worth completing.
  4. If your cat is diagnosed, ask about Solensia and a plan that accounts for the kidneys, since the two so often travel together in older cats.

Feline arthritis is the rare disease where the main barrier is simply noticing it. The pain is widespread, quiet, and very treatable, and the cats whose owners learn to read the behavioral signs are the ones who get relief. A cat that seems to be "just getting old" may be a cat that is hurting, and that is a problem you can usually do something about.