Expert: Jessica - 10/2/2009

Question
My cat started this am shaking and rapid eye twitching. He was not doing this a little later in the day, however he did it again tonight. Have you ever heard or experienced this ?

Answer
Hi Kim.  Your cat could be having seizures.  Full convulsions are less common in cats than other seizure activity that can manifest as odd but borderline normal behavior.  Because the cat is not necessarily falling down and having full body convulsions, we don't always recognize them as seizures.  But I would definitely get the kitty to the vet right away.  Some cats have epilepsy, and this can be managed with medications.  But there are also some underlying causes of seizures, including a high fever, cancer and a few infections.

Other neurological symptoms can also occur outside of seizures due to a number of medical conditions.  Some of these include infections like toxoplasmosis, feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis and some flea and tick borne illnesses.  Cancer is another cause of neuroligical problems.  Severe dehydration, which may be brought on by diarrhea or fever, results in neurological problems that can escalate to seizures.  Other reasons include poisoning, which can come from ingesting household substances, plants and even from the use of certain topical flea treatments.  Again, quick vet attention is crucial to the treatment of cats suffering any of these problems.

There is the possibility it is not neurological in nature, but the vet is definitely the place to start.

I hope he's feeling better soon!

Jessica