It’s getting more attention, but it’s still up to you to be your cat’s best advocate.

By Deborah Nason

Would we want to endure surgery without anesthesia or pain relievers? Would we expect any different response from the cat? Obviously not,” says Dr. Charles Short, emeritus professor of anesthesiology and pain management at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and advisor to the University of Tennessee’s Center for the Management of Animal Pain.

Pain results from the presence of tissue damage. “A wide range of diseases and conditions contribute to tissue responses from sites throughout the body,” explains Dr. Short. “As tissues are stretched, cut, torn or invaded by cancer, nerve endings are stimulated. Thus begins the process of a painful response. In some cases, it is mild and…

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