Cat Shivers When Awake

[Jaxpax]

Hi all, hoping for some feedback of what to do next if any of you have experienced this.

I have a 5 year old Persian male that shivers pretty significantly when he’s resting, but awake. He’ll even be grooming himself, being pet etc so there is no question that he is awake, and it is very clearly shivering and not dreaming/REM cycle twitching like cats always do. It has been happening for about six months. I can’t be positive that it wasn’t always present to maybe a lesser degree, I don’t think it was, but it’s hard to be sure as he tends to stay in his cat beds to rest. It’s really intense shivering for several minutes after he sits down, and eventually it does stop. I brought him to the vet as diabetes was a concern, but all of his blood work (CBC and basic chem panel) was normal. He had some cardio pet heart check add-on blood work (I don’t know the exact terminology) as well and that was also normal. His vet was aware that that was why he was being brought in, she thought it could just be behavioral or a quirk or something. He has no other issues, he’s a very happy, social boy.

Has anyone experienced this or have any ideas of what we could do next in terms of testing, if necessary? Our vet didn’t feel concerned about it, but my concern is it’s a somewhat new thing he’s doing and it’s very, very visible. I appreciate any insight!

 

[Margot Lane]

I’m wondering if it’s neurological? Could he be taken to a specialist? Poor kitty! It can’t feel great to be shivering all the time!

 

[LTS3]

I wonder if posiepurrs would know if this is an usual behavior / condition in Persians or not.

Rippling of the skin could indicate feline hyperthesia. Symptoms can be subtle or severe (aggressively attacking the tail or other part of the body) There's info here:

Hyperesthesia Syndrome

Suggested Articles Neurological Disorders Vestibular Disease The Special Needs of the Senior Cat Loving Care for Older Cats Flea Allergy Hyperesthesia is an extreme sensitivity in an area of a cat’s skin, almost always on the back, and often in the area right in front of the tail. This condition...

www.vet.cornell.edu

https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952886

Has the vet seen the shivering either on video or when you bring the cat in for an appointment?

 

[Jaxpax]

I wonder if posiepurrs would know if this is an usual behavior / condition in Persians or not.

Rippling of the skin could indicate feline hyperthesia. Symptoms can be subtle or severe (aggressively attacking the tail or other part of the body) There's info here:

http://[URL]https://www.vet.cornell...n/feline-health-topics/hyperesthesia-syndrome

[/URL]

http://[URL]https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952886

[/URL]

Has the vet seen the shivering either on video or when you bring the cat in for an appointment?

I don’t think this is it because there’s no real twitching or any seeming skin sensitivity, just straight shivering for a few minutes when he sits down. Its never when he’s up and active and it does seem to stop after a few minutes but if he got up for any reason and then sits back down, no matter how short the interval he’ll restart the shivering.

I did show my vet a video, and while she seemed very competent, I did get the sense that she may have written it off as a quirk because she didn’t know what else it could be. Diabetes was a concern but the blood test ruled that out. It’s not really light shivering either, it’s honestly pretty intense.

One other thing he does occasionally is he licks this metal ladder when he sits on it (which I told her as well because I am somewhat familiar with Pica) but she said there wasn’t anything in his blood test that showed concern for that, so I don’t know if thats another “quirk” or cause for concern.

 

[Jaxpax]

I’m wondering if it’s neurological? Could he be taken to a specialist? Poor kitty! It can’t feel great to be shivering all the time!

I have wondered this as well, and the vet implied it could be some sort of neurological kind of quirk. He does stop after a few minutes, but if he gets back up and sits back down, no matter how short the interval, he’ll restart. He is overall seemingly very happy, he’s very playful, got a great appetite. And his blood work was perfect, no murmur either. But the fact that this is somewhat new definitely concerns me. So I’m unsure how far to take testing because he absolutely hates the vet and the specialists here are a fortune (NJ), but of course I’ll do it if necessary. I‘m just struggling to find out what the options as to what it could be are and how serious they are, hoping someone else has gone through something similar, it’s pretty odd!

 

[LTS3]

Your vet can consult with a neurologist at another practice or at a veterinary school. It won't cost you anything.

 

[Jaxpax]

Your vet can consult with a neurologist at another practice or at a veterinary school. It won't cost you anything.

Thank you, I will ask them to!

 

[posiepurrs]

I have had a little experience with shivering. Circumstances were different though. I have a Persian girl ( first kitten born here) who is ‘special’. I think to put it bluntly, she has a screw loose, which is why she stayed here. I didn’t want her to end up being euthanized. She has always been strange. Anyway, she was scheduled to be spayed. Vet discovered in the exam before spaying she was pregnant. I found out that my kids had accidentally let her in with my stud and didn’t tell me. She had her kittens ( all of them died). She was spayed. I noticed after all of this she would shiver. Not enough to see it, but she slept on my side and I could feel it. During the time she was awake if I touched her, she would be shivering. I was concerned about pain so I took her back to the vet. Nothing was found. I believe it is neurological since she has always had behavior issues ( her nickname is psycho cat). A few years later she did develop vestibular disease and recovered from it. I believe it is all connected, but the vet seemed unconcerned and the cat seems happy. She is a healthy 14 year old now and as far as I can tell does not shiver any longer. She doesn’t like being touched unless it is her idea. She will draw blood if you touch her and it isn’t her idea. If she wants to be petted she will sit in your lap for an hour or more purring and loving you. It is like having 2 different cats!!
I have no real advice except listen to your gut instinct and advocate for your cat. If you think it is something that needs to be checked farther, don’t let the vet off the hook.