Grumpy or Painful? How Behaviour Professionals Can Recognize and Help Cats in Pain

1-hour webinar from the Chronic Pain Symposium 2026, presented by Dr. Mikel Delgado.
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1 hour cpd

12 months' access
to the recording

what's included...

  • 1-hour Presentation
  • Downloadable Lecture Notes
  • Multiple-choice Quiz
  • CPD Certificate

presentation overview

Cats have a reputation for hiding signs of pain, and their body language can be subtle and challenging for caregivers to read. This presentation will address the most common reasons that behavior professionals and veterinary technicians will see chronic pain in cats. I will give examples of how pain tends to present from a behavioural perspective including behavioural changes (e.g., litter box avoidance, biting/scratching) and body language that indicates discomfort. This talk will also address how to help clients advocate for their cats at the veterinary clinic and share information with their veterinarians. Finally, I will touch on management of pain through environmental adjustments as well as ensuring low-stress handling when caregivers need to administer medication.

meet the presenter

dr. mikel delgado

Dr. Mikel Delgado has been working professionally with cats for over 25 years, as a shelter worker, behavior consultant, and researcher. She is co-founder of Feline Minds, a cat behavior consultancy, which helps cat caregivers, rescues, and corporations understand the needs of cats. She received her PhD in Psychology/Animal Behavior from UC Berkeley and was a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. Her research has included the health and development of orphaned neonatal kittens, cat play and predatory behavior, and the feeding behavior of cats. Mikel currently works as a Senior Researcher of animal welfare at Purdue University.

In addition to publishing dozens of scientific manuscripts, Mikel is author of the 2024 book “Play With Your Cat!,” and co-author with Jackson Galaxy of the 2017 book “Total Cat Mojo.” Mikel lives in Sacramento, CA with her partner Scott, and their three cats, Coriander, Ruby, and Professor Scribbles.
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PhD, CAAB, CCBC

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