Your cat takes a pause before getting onto the sofa, but walks around the consulting room without showing the same hesitation. A short video from home can help you explain that difference. Record an ordinary activity your cat chooses to do, keeping the whole body and the surrounding space visible.

The purpose is to share an observation with the veterinary team. A video does not diagnose arthritis, locate the source of pain or replace a physical examination.

Choose an everyday activity, not a test

AAHA’s chronic pain assessment guidance describes home video as a way to see behaviours that may be difficult to observe in the clinic. Useful footage shows the whole cat, the complete activity and enough light to assess movement.

Start with a familiar moment: getting up from a resting place, walking to the usual food area or approaching a favourite low seat. If your cat already uses stairs, a normal passage may be relevant. Do not introduce steps, a high jump or an unfamiliar route simply to produce footage.

Let the clinic know if the activity you are concerned about no longer happens. “She now waits beside this chair instead of getting onto it” is useful information even without a clip of a failed attempt.

Set up the phone before your cat moves

Pick a position where you can see the cat without following closely. Clear the camera’s view while leaving the cat’s usual route and footing unchanged. Use available room light; avoid a bright window directly behind the cat, which can make the body appear as a silhouette.

  • Keep the whole body visible: include paws, back, head and tail rather than zooming into one leg.
  • Leave room ahead: allow space for the cat to enter, move and stop without disappearing out of frame.
  • Keep the phone steady: rest your elbows or support the phone if that helps.
  • Record at normal speed: retain an original-speed copy so the clinic can see the sequence as it occurred.
  • Allow a lead-in and finish: capture the approach and what happens afterwards, not only the instant you noticed.

A side view can show the whole body during a walk. If the practice requests another view, take it during a separate comfortable opportunity. You do not need repeated attempts to make every angle available.

Stop if your cat is uncomfortable

Do not chase, restrain, repeatedly pick up or lure your cat onto a surface they are avoiding. Avoid slippery floors and never press a joint or manipulate a leg for the camera. If the cat walks away from the situation, let the recording end.

The Feline Veterinary Medical Association’s degenerative joint disease information highlights changes in jumping, activity, grooming and daily behaviour as reasons to contact a veterinarian. Those changes are a reason to arrange care, rather than to increase a home “test”. Our cat mobility signs guide gives additional context for the conversation.

Add a few notes that the footage cannot show

Attach a short description to each useful clip:

  • When it was recorded and what the cat was doing beforehand.
  • The activity and location, including the usual surface or seat.
  • What differs from your cat’s previous routine and when you first noticed it.
  • Any related change in grooming, appetite, litter-box use or willingness to be handled.
  • Current medicines or supplements and any recent change to the care plan.

For example: “Saturday morning, after a nap. Walked from the bedroom to breakfast. Usually comes straight down this corridor; recently pauses at the doorway.” It is a description, not a diagnosis or an invented pain score.

Do not leave out an ordinary-looking clip because it seems to contradict your concern. Tell the clinic that the problem is intermittent and describe the moments you could not capture.

Agree on how to share and repeat the recording

Ask the practice which upload or messaging method it accepts before sending large files. Keep the original and label the clip with the date and activity. Choose a small number of clear recordings rather than a long montage with music, filters or repeated slow motion.

If the veterinary team asks you to monitor progress, use the same familiar activity and camera position where possible. Note any changes to the room, surface or care plan. A quieter day or a different activity is not, by itself, proof that a treatment has succeeded or failed.

If nutritional joint support becomes part of the agreed plan, record the exact product and presentation. Our 4CYTE cat 50 mL listing, for example, distinguishes the cat liquid from dog granules and other bottle sizes. This identifies a formulation; it does not diagnose the reason for a movement change or replace prescribed pain management.

When filming should wait

Do not postpone veterinary contact to obtain a better video if your cat suddenly cannot stand or walk, appears severely painful, collapses or has trouble breathing. AAHA’s emergency guidance covers serious signs requiring prompt care. For a gradual change, contact your usual practice and ask how soon your cat should be examined.

Take the clips and notes into that appointment. For further reading, explore our joint care hub and senior wellness appointment questions.

Common questions

What if my cat will not repeat the movement?

Do not force it. Explain what you noticed, when it happens and which activity your cat now avoids. The veterinary assessment can proceed without a perfect recording.

Can a normal-looking clip rule out pain?

No. A clip records one moment. The veterinary team considers the history and examination alongside what the video shows.