Table 2. Behaviours considered by participants as not sufficient (unreliable) to infer pain, but shown by cats in high and/or low level pain.
Behaviour not sufficient for pain | Presence in low level pain | Presence in high level pain | Participant comments |
---|---|---|---|
Sitting more often | Rare | Rare | Difficult to evaluate |
Rolled up | Rare | Frequent | Associated with fear and stress |
Standing longer than usual | Rare | Rare | |
Lying on its side | Rare | Frequent | |
Crouching | Rare | Frequent | |
Body tense | Frequent | Frequent | |
Hissing | Frequent | Frequent | More related to cat temperament |
Meowing | Rare | Frequent | |
Crying | Rare | Frequent | |
Half blink | Rare | Frequent | |
Pupil dilation* | Rare | Frequent | |
Ear rotated | Rare | Frequent | |
Ear downward | Rare | Frequent | |
Ear flattener | Frequent | Frequent | Sign of fear |
Panting* | Rare | Frequent | |
Seeking contact with a person | Frequent | Frequent | Depends on personality |
Less rubbing on objects | Rare | Frequent | Sign of distress |
Over grooming | Frequent | Frequent | |
Teeth grinding | Rare | Rare | Could be related to altered chewing pattern. Rare sign in cats |
Trembling or shivering | Rare | Frequent | Could be associated with fear and stress. Rare sign in cats |
House soiling | Rare | Frequent | Maybe indicative of change in mobility |
Spitting | Rare | Frequent | |
Purring | Rare | Rare | |
Tongue showing** | Rare | Frequent | |
Mouth semi open | Rare | Frequent | More a respiratory cardiac sign |
Hiding down in the litter box | Rare | Frequent | General sign for systemic illness in cats |
Escaping when trying to catch | Rare | Frequent | Important if is a change in the normal behaviour |
Trying to scratch someone | Rare | Frequent | |
Trying to bite someone | Rare | Frequent | |
Reduction urination | Rare | Frequent | |
Appetite increase | Rare | Rare | Is not a sign of pain |
Scratching less | Rare | Frequent | |
Sleeping more | Frequent | Frequent | |
Sleeping less | Rare | Frequent | |
Lying ventrally | Frequent | Frequent | Is not a sign of pain |
* the consensus was that these behaviours were related more to acute conditions, but that they were not reliable indicators of pain.
** this behaviour was not related to either acute or chronic pain, but considered as present in high level pain, all the others were related to both (acute and chronic) situations.