We’re here to talk about something very near and dear to your heart. Rather, someone — a particular someone that is likely either curled up next to you right now or hunkered down in a crevice of the house plotting her world domination. You love your cat, and you want her to be healthy and active for as close to that 16-year mark as possible.

With age, however, comes health issues. Cats are mammals, with joints functioning much like ours. Needless to say, repetitive motion and a lifetime of wear and tear can do a number on a cat’s joints, and can even lead to osteoarthritis much like it does in humans. Osteoarthritis can begin to slow down even the feistiest of felines. 

But the good news is that there are steps you can take to minimize any pain that your cat experiences as a result of osteoarthritis. All it takes is a bit of intuition — is Mittens’ ankle hurting when she goes up the stairs? She definitely looks like she’s struggling — followed by a case of home-diagnosis, then confirmed by a veterinarian.  

This article covers how you can be on the lookout for osteoarthritis in your cat, and why New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel Oil might be the answer you didn’t know you needed to a problem you likely didn’t even know existed.

How to tell if your cat has osteoarthritis

Arthritis can be tricky with pets. It’s not always a fast onset, easily recognizable condition that is solved by a quick trip to the vet. Arthritis develops over time, and stems from what scientists now believe is a ‘disease’ of the joint. Wear and tear are certainly factors in making the condition worse.

Osteoarthritis in cats is a condition that can develop slowly over the course of years, and if yours is a mellow purrer that isn’t known to bounce around too much, you might not even notice until somebody else points it out to you. The US National Library of Medicine noted that osteoarthritis is particularly tough to detect in cats because they seem to have an uncanny ability to hide the pain, even leading researchers to question whether or not they feel it.

The same study found that a high percentage of osteoarthritis cases in cats are only detectable by the owner, making your attention and judgment even more critical as your cat gets older.

Two things need to happen when you discover your cat has osteoarthritis — you need to take action promptly, and you need to think outside the box. Some reports have shown that up to 84% of cats will show signs of osteoarthritis by age 10. It’s painful, and only gets more so the further it develops. 

Look for signs that your cat is experiencing pain during regular movement, and note whether or not you notice this taking place over time. If the cat doesn’t seem to be in pain routinely, but you have noticed consistencies in where they seem to experience the pain, you’re likely in early-onset and can take steps to minimize the pain right away.

These steps include finding a medicine or supplement to minimize pain, and bringing the cat into a vet clinic for a full diagnosis. Always take your veterinarian’s opinion and recommendation on how to treat your cat’s condition — and we encourage you to ask about New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel Oil – also referred to by the brand name GLX3.

Green Lipped Mussel Oil for osteoarthritis in cats

Fortunately, there have been studies showing that treatment of osteoarthritis in cats can in some ways be similar to that in humans. The goal is a reduction in joint pain and inflammation, as this is what causes arthritis flare-ups. Often a simple, over-the-counter treatment such as Green Lipped Mussel Oil can be effective in reducing inflammation and joint pain.

Similar to the same condition in dogs, the effect of the mussels comes from the fact that they contain eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA), a compound not found in other sealive-derived supplements.

GLX3 is an all-natural Green Lipped Mussel Oil supplement that combines mussel oil with New Zealand Olive Oil and Vitamin E oil to optimize anti-inflammatory benefits. Because it’s all-natural, there’s no need to worry that you’re putting a harmful chemical into your cat’s body — there have been no reports of negative side effects when our product is used on cats.

Green Lipped Mussels feed on phytoplankton in the waters off of New Zealand, among the cleanest habitats on the world. Beyond the cleanliness, their feed is high in antioxidants and ensures that they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Because cats generally weigh between seven and ten pounds, one pill of GLX3 is sufficient for a daily dose of Green Lipped Mussel Oil. Some of you undoubtedly are pet-training masterminds and will be able to get your cat to swallow a pill — for the rest of us, the best way to serve GLX3 to a cat is generally to open the capsule and mix the ingredients in with their food.

You should see results within 4-6 weeks of consistent use.