Feline Grimace Scale
The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) is a tool for recognizing pain in cats based on facial expressions. It helps veterinarians with clinical decisions and improves feline health and welfare.
Learn how to use the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) to assess pain in cats. The FGS has 5 action units that can be scored from 0 to 2, and a total score of 4 or above suggests the need for analgesics.
PDF FELINE GRIMACE SCALE FACT SHEET
The Feline Grimace Scale © (FGS) is a quick and reliable tool for acute pain assessment based on changes in facial expressions
Cats are masters at hiding pain. Learn more about the Feline Grimace Scale , a great tool that can help assess pain in cats. Our vet approved guide explains you need to know.
Practice your skills
Practice your skills in evaluating feline pain using the Feline Grimace Scale , a method based on cats' facial expressions.
When a cat is assigned a point scale of greater than four then pain medication must be considered or the patient evaluated every 10-15 minutes to look for changes in the facial markers. The Feline Grimace Scale is a fast and accurate tool that uses data to help the veterinary team drive decisions for better pain management in cats.
PDF Feline Grimace Scale
Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale Marina C Evangelista, Ryota Watanabe, Vivian SY Leung, Beatriz Monteiro, Elizabeth O'Toole, Daniel SJ Pang, Paulo V Steagall
The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) is a facial expression-based scoring system for acute pain assessment in cats. This study aimed to investigate the dimensionality, importance of each action unit (AU), and variables affecting pain assessment using the FGS.
Using the Feline Grimace Scale
Using the Feline Grimace Scale January 29, 2026 Ellen Vogel, CFMG, CFVP, Elite FFCP (Veterinary) The purpose of the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) is to assist owners, veterinary professionals, and other cat service providers in determining if a cat may be in pain. For veterinary professionals, it also allows them to score the pain to determine the cat's needs for pain medication. Cats are ...
Learn how to use the FGS, a tool that assesses pain in cats based on facial expressions, from the website developed by WSAVA experts. The website offers education, resources, videos and a practice feature.