My overweight indoor cat growls when petted. Is she in pain?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It probably does not hurt but it is more uncomfortable which is a possible reason why Clover does not like that. However, the other possibility to consider is that he may be uncomfortable from another reason such as abdominal pain. If other signs such as crying out in pain, decreased appetite, nausea and/vomiting are seen, have him evaluated by your veterinarian to ensure that there is nothing else going on such as a pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, among others. Good luck!

If this is new behavior she may be painful, from an abscess or fight wound. When cats get sick their behavior changes and often with pain or a fever they do not want to eat much. Because the fur is thick and these are often puncture wounds they are hard to find. I recommend a veterinary exam to check her temperature and feel her all over to see the reason she is painful. Abscesses are pockets of puss and they need to be opened up and drained to get rid of the infection. It's often hard to know when cats are sick so when you do see changes in eating and comfort it's time to take them in for treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Nadia.

It is quite possible he has arthritis in the hips causing discomfort, which is aggravated by being overweight. Prescription pain relief would be recommended to relieve any discomfort and blood tests may be recommended to ensure he has no underlying health issues prior to starting these

Aww what a sweet face! I suspect that her weight may be contributing. She may also be developing some arthritis that just makes it more comfortable to lean to the side a bit. As long as she is getting around normally, and isn't "stumbly" or off balance when she walks, you don't need concerned. Get her on a weight loss regimen, and consider talking to your vet about whether they think she may have some arthritis. If you vet thinks thats part of the issue, she/he may recommend supplements for arthritis or occasional pain medication. Weight loss is also advisable in cases of arthritis. Here is an article with advice on cat weight loss: https://www.petcoach.co/article/weight-loss-programs-for-overweight-obese-cats/ Here is a site to help you calculate how much you should be feeding her: https://petnutritionalliance.org/cat.php I hope that helps you! Thank you for asking PetCoach!

If this is new behavior it is possible that this is a sign of pain. Being overweight can lead to problems like arthritis, but while I can tell from your pictures that Ali is beautiful I'm not sure if he seems overweight. I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to bring up your concerns. From an exam your veterinarian should be able to let you know whether or not Ali would benefit from weight loss and may be able to determine if he seems painful as well.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Most cats do not like to be touched past the head normally. But of this is a sudden behavioral change I would recommend a Vet exam since she is getting older. They can see of she is more painful than normal in her back and be sure she hasn't lost weight. There are glucosamines/chondriotins for cats like Dasuquin and Cosequin. In the mean time don't pet her where she doesn't like. Cats do get ramped up if we keep doing things they don't like. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3571 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=26149

I'm sorry Piglet is having this problem. There are a few things that come to mind with Piglet. Since he is overweight, we commonly see skin problems along the lower back of overweight cats that can't groom themselves normally. Your vet can do some simple tests to evaluate for yeast or bacterial infection that could be causing Piglet to be itchy. We also see something called Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome where cats are overly sensitive along their lower back. This condition may require medication to resolve. Here is more information on that. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3000 I would recommend taking Piglet to your vet and get their opinion. Hopefully this is something that can be treated and return Piglet to his normal self. Good luck! I hope that was helpful! Thank you for using PetCoach.