🐈 Cat Quality of Life Calculator
Rate your cat across seven wellbeing categories to get a quality-of-life score, adapted from the widely used HHHHHMM (Villalobos) scale for feline care.
What This Calculator Does
This tool adapts the HHHHHMM scale, originally developed for dogs by veterinary oncologist Dr. Alice Villalobos and commonly used in feline hospice and palliative care as well, to help owners and caregivers think through a cat’s quality of life in a structured way.
How It’s Scored
You rate seven categories – Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, and More good days than bad – each from 0 to 10, for a maximum total of 70. A total score of 35 or higher is commonly used as a rough guide that a reasonable quality of life is being maintained, though this threshold is only a general reference point, not a strict rule.
- Cats often hide pain and illness well, so subtle changes in grooming, litter box use, or hiding behavior can matter as much as obvious symptoms.
- A very low score in any single category (especially pain control) deserves attention even if the total score is otherwise acceptable.
This calculator is for general educational and planning purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary evaluation. Please discuss your cat’s quality of life and care options with your veterinarian, especially for end-of-life or hospice decisions.