I have always admired Max. Through the years I have found him to be a vibrant, vivacious character who would stand his ground against any dog, but succumb gracefully to the nurses holding him to have his nails clipped.

Once the job in hand was completed, he would slide against you, purring softly, maximising his chance of receiving a stroke along his long, muscular back.

As cats go, he was amongst the coolest; nothing that could happen in the waiting room would faze him. He would sit upright in his carrier, trying to fix his eyes on a neighbouring patient, just so he could quietly terrorise them, before smiling to himself and disdainfully turning his back on them.

But then, inexorably, time passes. The last time I saw Max, he looked languid and lugubrious, though he had maintained a certain dignity. His owner had smiled and pointed out that the ‘old boy’ now spent much of his day curled up in the hammock she had purchased, so that he could be close to a radiator.

He was grumpy when she tried to groom him, and his once sleek coat was dishevelled and matted, despite her valiant attempts to help him. The scratches were evident on her hands and that was sad to see. "Some days," she said, "he can hardly be bothered to go out."

We all grow old, if we are lucky. But there was more to Max than just advanced years. I cajoled him out his carrier and felt his creaking joints carefully. Contrary to popular belief, cats suffer from arthritis; they just tend not to show it in the same way that dogs or humans do. Indeed 60-90 per cent of elderly felines will show X-ray changes consistent with degenerative joint disease.

Often, the clinical signs are simply dismissed as ‘old age’. Decreased activity, frequently expressed as lying around more, coupled with decreased mobility, so that cats no longer jump onto work tops or beds and are reluctant to run, play and chase, are indicators of joint pain. Grumpiness and decreased grooming in previously happy felines also suggest discomfort. And then there are the cats that vocalise at odd times of the day.

All should get you thinking about arthritis.

Happily, there are good non-steroid anti-inflammatories that are very safe to use in cats and can control discomfort very successfully. Do not attempt to medicate with human preparations, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol, as these are toxic in cats.

In addition, there is also a highly effective, safe, monthly injection that can help control arthritis pain in cats. It is a monoclonal antibody that targets Nerve Growth Factor, the substance that drives osteoarthritis pain.

It works similarly to cats’ natural antibodies. The Cat Care Center of Baton Rouge found that 77 per cent of owners reported an improvement in their arthritic cat after three months of taking the injection. In the practice we have seen good results with cats becoming generally more mobile and their overall demeanour boosted considerably.

You will be pleased to know that Max on medication is miraculously magnificent.