Feline Hyperesthsia

****   Mod Note - this has been split off from another thread****

This is a layman's definition of Feline Hyperesthsia based on having to deal with the vets in my area not knowing what was wrong with Bacardi and me having to find out and based on living with Bacardi for 8 months as she fought against this disease.

It is a short circuit of the brain (for lack of a better word) a chemical imbalance that causes the cat to act irratically. Some of the "symptoms" are, skin rippling when you go to pet the cat, massive ripples, not little twinges. Petting past the shoulders, results in the cat striking out to bite you (because any touching of their skin hurts them, and biting is a stimulas of pain) Also the cat will be lying somewhere nice and quiet then suddenly leap straight in the air and take off running in a huge circle, gradually narrowing the circle until they collapse panting unable to get up. Then the seizures start and by that time Bacardi had seen over 5 vets and was put on anti-epileptic meds, but the combination of all the behavior drugs the vets tried on her (not knowing what was wrong with her early on) and the anti-seizure medication, caused her to have one last seizure that rendered her immobile. We released her to the angels- when she was only 5 years old.

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what you describe here is exactly what I'm experiencing with my precious cat Rena...she's been seen by three different vets, all acted quite surprised when I explained the symptoms she was having.  Her most serious problem was when her tongue became impaled on her tooth - not once, but more than three times.  Was there a treatment prescribed for your cat for her problem?  My cat is currently on phenobarbital...doesn't help much.  It breaks my heart every time she has a seizure, leaks urine and looks absolutely "drained".  Any help will be appreciated.

This seems like an extreme form of FHS; has something even more serious (tumor in the brain or epilepsy) been ruled out.
FHS is a diagnosis of exclusion.
Ritz has relatively mild FHS, somewhat heightened by vaccinations or *maybe* dry air (heat), both of which happen around early January. Like your cat, she twitches, usually after eating (she is food obsessed). Her skin ripples, sometimes she races up and down the hall trying to escape something (herself?). Occasionally her tail twitches uncontrollably and she tries to chase it. This is not cute (it use to be before I realized what it was); she is distressed. She never leaked urine, never mutilated her tail or have problems with her tongue.
I put her on Prozac for a while and it seemed to help, but zombied her out. I weaned her off the drug and she seemed to be better--but maybe the effects of vaccinosis wore off. I did try to treat her homepathically but with mixed results (other people on this Site have had much better results).
I would search for a feline-only vet. Bonus points if she/he practices holistic/homeopathic medicine. If possible video tape an episode and show it to the vet.
@GoHolistic has experience with FHS.
And this thread explains some of what she/I have gone through.
Good luck. It is painful for us owners to watch as it is for our cats to experience.