Do cats have pain - like headaches?

[wayne0214]

Last Saturday morning I noticed that Puma was in a bad mood. She would growl and lash out at any of the other cats who would come close to her, including Tiara, who befriends all of my new furkids relatively quickly. She even struck out at me when I began to pet her, even though she was laying next to me and this keyboard. I noticed also that her eyes were dialated, like she was feral. The thought struck me about when the shelter keeper warned me of her first foster home's 3-year old was apparently scratched by her lashing out. I often wonder if she had an internal pain somewhere. She has lashed out when she is unsure of the situation and I attempt to pick her up when I first brought her home. She hasn't behaved in this manner after Saturday morning. As many of you know she has been sick with URI but now she is getting over this. Her activities then reminded me of a person who had a bad headache or an ear-ache. After I got her to eat some salmon- cat food, she was much better in about 15 minutes. This behavior is in contrast when she is her normal self, with kitty kisses, cuddlies, and head bumpies. What do you think?:confused:

..........wayne

[jenluckenbach]

I must admit, that I never thought of that. I have know moody kitties, ones that want love only on their terms, but I always passed it off as being "cat-like". Sometimes people get a headache on an empty tummy, maybe that was her problem.

[Barbara]

I don't think they have headaches like we do but of course they can have pain e.g. because of bad teeth. The way they show it usually is being anti-social, retire etc.
But it is nothing like one day pain, gone the other day (like human headaches).

[NaplesLex]

Of COURSE they don't have headaches like us! What do they have to think about that could give them a headache like us? "Hmmmm, I wonder if mommy and daddy are going to be home on time tonight? Oh, I'll just go back to sleep until they get here..... Oh! They're home! Is it suppertime? Yay! Hey, where's my mousey? Oh there it is, I'm gonna GET you mousey!!! Wow I'm getting sleepy again!!"

See?

[jenluckenbach]

LOL

[BastetsMum]

Cats definately feel pain. Bastet had a bad ear infection and she did the same thing as your kitty did. She got cranky and lashed out. But unlike your kitty - food didn't placate her so I took her to the vet. I think kitty could have been having a bad day too. Cats, personality wise, I reckon anyway, are more closer to humans that we care to admit!