Descended from solitary hunters, cats tend to hide weakness; overt crying is rare, and pain more often leaks out as quiet behavior change.
Watch for fewer jumps, reduced grooming or obsessive licking of one spot, a stiff crouched posture, more hiding, and sudden resistance to being touched.
The face gives clues too: squinted eyes, lowered outward ears, drawn-back whiskers, and a tense muzzle, captured by feline grimace scales used in clinics.
Persistent changes warrant a vet workup for joint, dental, or internal pain; never give human painkillers, as many common ones are toxic to cats.
