Cats are very good at letting you know when dinner is late.
They are considerably less helpful when something hurts.
That is part of what makes feline joint health so difficult. Cats can live with changes in their joints for a long time without giving us the obvious signs we might expect to see in a dog.
They may not limp. They may not cry. They may not suddenly stop moving.
Instead, the signs can be small.
A favourite windowsill that gets visited less often. A little hesitation before jumping onto the sofa. More time sleeping. Less enthusiasm for play. A coat that is not being groomed quite as thoroughly as it used to be.
And sometimes, what looks like a cat simply “getting older” can be something worth paying closer attention to.
The first problem is spotting it.
Arthritis and degenerative joint disease are extremely common in older cats.
Around 90% of cats over the age of 12 show some degree of arthritic change on X-ray. But because cats instinctively hide pain and weakness, those changes can be surprisingly easy to miss.
Speaking about feline joint health on the Two Crazy Cat Ladies podcast, Dr Katie Kangas puts it rather neatly:
“The first sign that you will get that your cat is developing arthritis is nothing.”
That does not mean there are no signs.
It means the signs are often behavioural rather than dramatic.
Things to look out for can include:
- hesitating before jumping up or down
- choosing lower sleeping or resting places
- becoming stiffer after rest
- playing or hunting less
- spending more time sleeping
- struggling with stairs or a cat flap
- difficulty getting into a high-sided litter tray
- grooming less effectively, particularly around the back and hindquarters
- becoming less tolerant of being handled or stroked
Cats are also less likely than dogs to make discomfort obvious through limping or lameness.
That is why changes in routine can matter just as much as changes in movement.
“Slowing down” is not always just ageing.
There is an understandable tendency to look at an older cat sleeping more or jumping less and think: well, they are getting on a bit.
Sometimes they are.
But ageing itself should not automatically mean discomfort.
A cat suddenly avoiding somewhere they used to jump onto, becoming reluctant to use stairs, grooming differently or losing interest in play is worth paying attention to.
And if you are concerned about a change in your cat’s mobility or behaviour, the first conversation should always be with your vet.
There are established veterinary approaches to managing feline arthritis, including environmental changes, weight management and veterinary pain-relief options where appropriate.
Joint and mobility support should sit within that bigger picture, not replace it.
Then comes the second problem: cats are cats.
Spotting that your cat could use a little extra support is one thing.
Actually getting that support into them can be another.
Anyone who has attempted to hide a tablet inside a carefully prepared bowl of food, only to return five minutes later and discover one surgically isolated tablet sitting in the middle of an otherwise spotless bowl, will understand the problem.
Powders change the smell.
Liquids change the texture.
Tablets somehow reappear.
And if you already have medications, supplements or special food in the routine, adding one more thing can quickly start to feel like hard work.
It is something Dr Katie sees regularly, as she discussed when she joined Sean from Tvati on the Two Crazy Cat Ladies podcast:
“There’s one more thing I’ve got to put in the food... there’s so much I feel like there’s hardly food anymore, it’s all supplements.”
Her answer when talking about Tvati is much simpler:
“No, you don’t have to put it in the food.”
In the full conversation, Dr Katie, Sean and the Two Crazy Cat Ladies explore feline joint health, why mobility changes in cats can be so easy to miss, and why a topical approach can offer a simpler alternative to adding yet another tablet, powder or supplement to the bowl.
Watch the full conversation
And that is where topical support starts to become interesting.
What if joint support didn’t have to go in the bowl?
Tvati Pet takes a different approach to cat joint and mobility support.
Instead of a tablet, chew or powder, it is a two-ingredient natural topical formula applied directly to the skin.
Nothing to swallow.
Nothing to disguise in dinner.
Nothing to persuade your cat to eat.
Tvati is applied topically and designed for transdermal delivery beyond the application site, providing broader mobility support without relying on the gastrointestinal route.
For cats, the current application guidance is simple: apply directly to clean, intact skin on the inside of the legs, rotating application sites as part of the routine.
A routine designed with cats in mind.
Cats have always been able to use Tvati Pet.
But as we have listened to more cat owners, veterinarians and the wider feline community, it became clear that the way we presented the product needed to reflect them better.
That is one reason we introduced the new 12-vial Tvati Pet pack.
It gives cat owners and people with smaller dogs a pack format better suited to a lower-frequency routine.
For cats and smaller pets under 10kg, the current starting guidance is two applications per week.
Each Tvati Pet vial is pre-measured, so there is no weighing, scooping or mixing.
Apply. Massage gently into the skin. Done.
And then get back to the important business of being ignored by your cat.
Mobility is about more than movement.
When we talk about joint health, it is easy to picture running, jumping and climbing.
But mobility affects far more than that.
It can affect whether a cat feels comfortable grooming themselves.
Whether they still choose the top level of the cat tree.
Whether getting into the litter tray feels straightforward.
Whether they play.
Whether they explore.
Whether they continue doing the seemingly insignificant things that have always made them themselves.
That is why supporting mobility is ultimately about more than the joints.
It is about the everyday life built around them.
More jumps. More play. More good days.
There is no single answer to feline ageing or joint health.
Good veterinary care matters. Healthy body weight matters. Appropriate exercise, nutrition and an environment that makes everyday movement easier all matter too.
But the routine matters as well.
And when the animal you are trying to support happens to be a cat, making that routine simple can be particularly valuable.
Tvati Pet was designed to offer another way.
Two natural ingredients.
A pre-measured topical application.
No tablets. No powders. No mixing with food.
And with the new 12-vial pack and clearer cat-specific guidance, we hope it can become an easier part of helping even more cats stay comfortable, curious and mobile.
Because they might not tell us when their joints are bothering them.
But they certainly show us when they are feeling like themselves.
More movement. More comfort. More good days.
Tvati Pet is a topical wellness product intended to support everyday movement, joint comfort and physical wellbeing in cats and dogs. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent arthritis or any other disease or medical condition. If you notice changes in your cat’s mobility, behaviour or overall health, speak with your veterinarian.
