SYMPTOM
Pacing or inability to settle
Continuous restless movement, circling, or inability to find a comfortable resting position for extended periods.
Pain and Physical Discomfort
Pacing and restlessness can be among the more visible expressions of physical discomfort in companion animals. Dogs and cats experiencing pain from orthopaedic conditions, abdominal discomfort, or other sources may struggle to find a comfortable position, leading to repeated attempts to settle followed by standing and repositioning. The restlessness may intensify at certain times of day or in relation to specific activities, and the animal may circle, shift weight, or adopt unusual postures before lying down only to rise again shortly afterwards.
Cognitive and Neurological
Changes in cognitive function, particularly in older animals, can manifest as purposeless pacing or wandering that appears to lack clear direction or intent. Animals with cognitive dysfunction may pace along familiar routes repeatedly, seem to forget why they stood up, or walk into corners and appear uncertain about how to navigate back. These patterns often become more pronounced during evening and night-time hours, a phenomenon sometimes described as sundowning, and may be accompanied by changes in sleep-wake cycles and spatial awareness.
Anxiety and Emotional Distress
Heightened anxiety states can drive repetitive movement patterns as the animal's arousal system remains activated. Separation anxiety, noise phobias, generalised anxiety, and situational stressors can all produce pacing behaviour that continues until the triggering stressor is removed or the animal's emotional state shifts. The pacing may be accompanied by other anxiety-related behaviours such as panting, drooling, whining, or seeking proximity to familiar people, and the pattern may be predictable in relation to known triggers.
Gastrointestinal
Nausea, bloating, or other forms of gastrointestinal discomfort can produce restlessness that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other causes. Animals feeling unwell in their digestive system may pace, frequently change position, or repeatedly visit areas associated with eating or elimination. In some cases, the restlessness may precede episodes of vomiting, diarrhoea, or changes in appetite, providing temporal clues about the nature of the underlying discomfort. Restlessness with retching that brings nothing up and a swelling abdomen is a different matter, covered under the considerations below.
Endocrine and Metabolic
Hormonal imbalances and metabolic disturbances can influence behaviour in ways that include increased restlessness and difficulty settling. Conditions affecting the thyroid, adrenal glands, or blood glucose regulation may alter an animal's baseline level of arousal or comfort, producing pacing that may seem disconnected from any obvious external trigger. These metabolic influences can develop gradually, making the behavioural change appear subtle until it becomes a clearly established pattern.
Urinary
Discomfort or urgency related to the urinary system can produce restlessness as the animal repeatedly feels the need to urinate or experiences discomfort in the bladder region. Animals may pace to the door or to their usual elimination area more frequently than normal, or may seem unable to settle between elimination attempts. This pattern may be more noticeable at night when the animal would normally be resting, and may be accompanied by changes in urination frequency, posture, or volume. In cats, and male cats in particular, restlessness with repeated trips to the litter tray, straining and crying while passing no urine or only drops can mean the urethra is blocked. Without treatment, a complete blockage can cause kidney failure and death within 2 to 3 days (International Cat Care), and sometimes sooner, with the cat losing its appetite, vomiting and becoming lethargic as it worsens. Whether a straining cat is passing urine or is blocked cannot be judged reliably at home.
Why timing matters
Early observation
When pacing or restlessness first appears, it may represent a response to an identifiable change in the animal's environment or routine. New sounds, visitors, schedule disruptions, or mild physical discomfort can all produce temporary restlessness that resolves once the triggering factor passes. Early episodes may be brief and infrequent, occurring only under specific circumstances that can often be identified through careful observation. In some cases, early pacing behaviour may be intermixed with otherwise normal settling patterns, making it easy to dismiss as a quirk of temperament rather than a developing pattern. This gradual, trigger-linked pattern is distinct from restlessness that starts suddenly with retching, a swelling abdomen or straining to urinate, which is described elsewhere on this page.
Later presentation
As pacing becomes more frequent or persistent, the picture may shift from occasional restlessness to a more established behavioural pattern. Animals that previously settled easily may begin taking longer to find a comfortable position, or may pace for extended periods before eventually lying down. The behaviour may begin occurring in contexts where it was not previously observed, such as during previously calm evening periods or during the night. In older animals particularly, increasing restlessness over weeks or months can sometimes reflect progressive cognitive or physical changes that develop incrementally.
The trajectory of pacing behaviour can follow quite different paths depending on its underlying drivers. Anxiety-related pacing may fluctuate with environmental triggers and seasons, while pain-driven restlessness may show a more gradual increase that correlates with activity levels or weather changes. Cognitive dysfunction-related pacing often follows a slowly progressive course with periods of relative stability interspersed with noticeable shifts. Tracking when the pacing occurs, how long episodes last, what seems to precede or follow them, and whether the animal can be redirected or soothed can help distinguish between these different trajectories over time.
Conditions commonly associated
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
Canine cognitive dysfunction disrupts normal sleep-wake cycles and spatial awareness through progressive changes in brain function, leaving dogs disoriented and unable to settle, so they pace repeatedly rather than resting.
Noise Phobia in Dogs
Noise phobia triggers a sustained fear response and a surge of stress hormones such as adrenaline, driving dogs to pace continuously as they seek safety or a way to escape the perceived threat.
Feline Cognitive Dysfunction
Feline cognitive dysfunction alters brain function with age, disrupting normal sleep patterns and spatial orientation, which leaves cats restless and prone to pacing rather than settling into rest.
Flank-Sucking in Dobermanns
Flank sucking is a repetitive suckling behaviour in Dobermanns that shares features with canine compulsive disorders, a group of repetitive behaviours performed out of context that also includes repetitive movement patterns.
Generalised Anxiety in Dogs
Persistent pacing reflects the heightened, hard-to-switch-off arousal that characterises this condition.
Phobia of Vehicles in Dogs
Anticipatory anxiety about the vehicle commonly leaves a dog unable to settle beforehand.
Storm Phobia in Dogs
Anticipatory anxiety before and during a storm keeps an affected dog moving restlessly and unable to lie still.
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) in Dogs
Restlessness with drooling, unproductive retching and a swelling abdomen is a recognised early sign of GDV, a rapidly progressive condition in which the stomach fills with gas and can twist.
Urethral Obstruction
A cat with a blocked urethra may move restlessly, cry and strain repeatedly in the litter tray while passing little or no urine.
When to explore further
Pacing that occurs primarily during evening or night-time hours, particularly in older animals, may suggest changes in cognitive function or sleep-wake cycle regulation. This nocturnal pattern can be especially disruptive to household routines and may indicate that the animal's internal clock or spatial processing is being affected by age-related neurological changes.
Restlessness that is accompanied by other behavioural changes such as altered interactions with family members, changes in appetite, loss of previously learned behaviours, or episodes of apparent confusion may suggest a broader pattern of cognitive or neurological change rather than an isolated behavioural shift.
Pacing that develops alongside physical signs such as changes in gait, reluctance to navigate stairs, difficulty rising from rest, or altered posture during movement may indicate that physical discomfort is contributing to the animal's inability to settle comfortably. The combination of movement changes and restlessness can be informative when considered together.
An inability to settle that comes on suddenly, over minutes to hours, is a different picture from gradual restlessness. In dogs, sudden restlessness, drooling, a swelling abdomen and retching that brings nothing up are recognised early signs of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), in which the stomach fills with gas and can twist; it is seen most often in large, deep-chested breeds such as Great Danes, and panting, weakness and collapse follow as it worsens. ACVS describes GDV as rapidly progressive and life-threatening, published mortality is roughly 15% to 30%, and the risk of death rises when signs have been present for more than 6 hours. Whether the stomach has twisted cannot be told from outside, and sudden restlessness with laboured breathing or unusual posturing likewise cannot be judged at home.
Pacing that cannot be interrupted or redirected by the animal's usual comfort measures (such as being offered food, attention, or a favourite resting spot) may suggest that the drive to move is overriding the animal's normal behavioural responses. This resistance to redirection can itself be an informative observation when building a picture of what might be contributing to the restlessness.
Keeping a simple log of pacing episodes can reveal patterns that might not be apparent from day-to-day observation alone. Recording the time of day, duration, any identifiable triggers, accompanying behaviours, and whether the animal was able to settle afterwards provides a longitudinal view that can be genuinely useful for understanding the behaviour. Video recordings during episodes capture details about gait, posture, direction of movement, and facial expression that may be difficult to recall or describe later. Over time, these observations can help distinguish between different potential contributors and provide a foundation for more informed discussions about the animal's wellbeing.
Last reviewed: 9 October 2026 · Dr Alastair Greenway MRCVS