Definitive Glasgow acute pain scale for cats: validation and intervention level

In order to improve the performance of the tool, a simple three-point facial scale, which in preliminary testing had performed very well in classifying cats in pain, was developed ( Holden and others 2014 ) with the intention of embedding it within the behaviour-based cat tool, an approach adopted previously in paediatric medicine (CRIES ( Krechel and others 1995 ); Premature Infant Pain Profile ( Stevens and others 1996 )). In summary, the CMPS-Feline with its embedded facial image component has been shown to be a valid scale for the measurement of acute pain in cats in general veterinary practice with a recommended intervention level of 5 and above (out of a total possible score of 20).