This archive report was first published on 21 August 2021.
Published on August 21, 2021, a new animal health technology company, Sylvester.ai, has developed an app called Tably that uses a smartphone's camera to detect whether a cat is in pain.
The app, which was trained using machine learning and a series of images, looks at ear and head position, eye-narrowing, muzzle tension, and how whiskers change to detect distress.
According to a 2019 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports, the 'feline grimace scale,' or FGS, is a valid and reliable tool for acute pain assessment in cats.
"It helps human cat owners know if their cat is in pain or not," said Miche Priest, Sylvester.ai's venture lead.
Dr. Liz Ruelle of the Wild Rose Cat Clinic in Calgary, where developers trained the algorithm, noted that the app could be particularly helpful for young veterinarians who may not have as much experience in assessing feline pain.
However, Alice Potter from the British animal charity the RSPCA cautioned that while the app can be a useful tool, cat owners should also look at their pet's whole body, including the tail, for clues about their well-being.
"Cats that are worried or scared will hold that tail really tight and tense to them. And then aside from that, there's also just thinking about their behavior in terms of are they eating, drinking, toileting, sleeping like they usually do?"
