Its purpose is to allow movement.
Some joints are relatively simple and permit only a limited range of movement.
Others, such as the hip or the jaw, are quite complex and are designed to enable the two bones to move in several directions. Arthritis is not particularly common in cats, especially when compared with its incidence in humans. For all its apparent familiarity to us, the condition is often poorly understood by cat owners. An understanding of what Arthritis is, how it develops, and what you can do about it will help you cope with an Arthritic cat. The severity of the signs varies with the amount of damage to the joint and rate at which damage occurs.