Twitching Help

Hi, I have a cat that has started twitching last night. She acts as if she has a flea or something. She runs a few feet and stops to give a couple of licks on her side or leg or chest and then runs a few feet and does it again. Her running is sort of clumsy. Which is something she is not.

When she is sitting still you can see her back making twitching moves. She also shakes her leg once in awhile as if her paws were wet. She is an indoor cat. Nothing has changed around the house to cause this. Does anyone have any ideas or advice.
Thanks in advance
Debbie

Your description is exactly what my cat, Nakita, started doing. I first thought it was fleas, but she didn't have any. Then I went to a holistic vet, thinking it was some type of food or environmental allergy. The vet found nothing. I had to go to 3 vets before one of them ( a cat specialist) recognized the symptoms that my cat started exhibiting.

What you are describing sounds like feline hyperesthesia. This is a pretty rare condition and many vets are not at all familiar with it. If you have a cat specialist in your area, I would start with making an appointment there and taking the following articles with you for reference.

Here is one article from TheCatSite:
http://www.thecatsite.com/Cats/Cat_H...resthesia.html

And a few more articles that go into more detail regarding symptoms and possible treatments:

http://www.vetsoftware.com/acvc2002-virga1.htm

http://www.lclarkecushingvmd.com/sho...=178&Private=0

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB...00/PR00026.htm


I'm going back for Nakita's yearly exam and will be looking at treatment options. Once you go to your vet, I would be interested to hear what they recommend.

Good luck!

Hi and welcome to TCS.

I agree with Kass, it could very well be Feline Hyperesthesia.

On the other hand, it could simply be fleas. Even indoor only cats can get fleas and worms. Use Frontline, Revolution, Advantage or Program and see if her weird behaviour stops.

Emma has a similar behavior that surfaces when she's overly stressed- she gets very "twitchy" and overgrooms herself. Is there anything that might be causing kitty more stress than usual? Have your household routines changed at all? Emma's stress increases if we have guests in the house or if her big brother Oliver is too forceful with her.
The only real way to figure this out is to consult a vet and have him/her examine your cat to rule out any physical problems. If it is determined to be psychological, as it is with Emma, there are a number of ways to calm your overly anxious kitty including the Feliway sprays and room diffusers, which I highly reccomend.

This was the exact symtoms of a feral cat i took a couple of days ago.I didn't know what it was.I took her home but then i let her go.Unfourtunately

Originally Posted by Kumbulu

Hi and welcome to TCS.

I agree with Kass, it could very well be Feline Hyperesthesia.

On the other hand, it could simply be fleas. Even indoor only cats can get fleas and worms. Use Frontline, Revolution, Advantage or Program and see if her weird behaviour stops.

Click to expand...

thank you all very much for the replies and the help. This is the first cat I have ever owned (my mother was afraid) When she passed away 5 years ago, I got Maggie. I wish now that I would have had a cat from the beginning. (I'll be 40 this year)