Weird jolt/startle-like movement.

[carrie640]

I've noticed Lucy will make these sudden subtle jerky movements (if you can call them that). I only know about them because I feel them when she is laying on me. They are visibly very subtle and are very short...kind of like if you were startled or had hiccups. Sometimes they aren't strong...sometimes they are. I saw the movement a couple of times and it consisted of two short movements with her head kind of moving backwards simultaneously. I know...it's hard to describe. It's been ongoing for a few weeks. She's not dreaming because she's not even sleeping . She doesn't act like there is pain associated with them, either. I guess maybe the best way to describe how short they are is to compare them to hiccups. I've never seen Lucy with this EVER. It's mainly at night as that is when she parks herself on me for the night. She is almost 20 and has been on antibiotics ...I don't know if that could cause whatever these are? Or her teeth (she has two in the back that need extracting)? Other than that, she acts normal (and she is eating A LOT now that we have an antibiotic that is not starving her). In fact, she is more like the cat she used to be before all of this started. Hiccups? It's EVERY night, though at the same time/frame (she has me on a schedule...LOL).

Anyone ever hear of such a thing?

 

[Caspers Human]

Some cats experience something called a "Hypnic Jerk" when they are sleeping or resting. It's the same thing that happens to people when they suddenly startle themselves awake from a dead sleep.

It's mostly harmless as long as the cat doesn't hurt herself. If it starts happening very frequently, it'll be time to call a vet. As long as it's occasional, there's no reason to worry.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If these movements are pretty much the same time each night, are they close to when she has eaten or taken her antibiotics? They could be a form of hiccups in the sense that they are related to her ingesting something, like can happen with humans.

Did they only start after you began the antibiotics? Are you sure they are not occurring at other times and you are just missing them because she is not laying on you? If at all possible, try to check her at other points of the day to see if they are happening, especially if there is a possibility they are connected to her eating, drinking, or taking the antibiotic.

 

[carrie640]

If these movements are pretty much the same time each night, are they close to when she has eaten or taken her antibiotics? They could be a form of hiccups in the sense that they are related to her ingesting something, like can happen with humans.

Did they only start after you began the antibiotics? Are you sure they are not occurring at other times and you are just missing them because she is not laying on you? If at all possible, try to check her at other points of the day to see if they are happening, especially if there is a possibility they are connected to her eating, drinking, or taking the antibiotic.

Ironically enough, it is shortly after she's eating....but that may be a coincidence. I say that because with everything going on with her teeth and with her age, she sleeps most of the afternoon into the evening (and before that many times). We do get her up 8ish to try and give her food. She scarfs it down like it's going out of style. She then roams around....bathes.....might play a bit, but often goes back into the bedroom. I go to bed at 10ish try and give her the leftovers from when she ate a few hours later....and she eats it. So, maybe that is it? It's very odd. This morning it woke me up. I don't know when my husband fed her (he gets up WAYYY before I do)...he gets up like WAY early and I (being on the tail end of covid) slept until like 11 (the struggle is real..). I think I will experiment tonight.....go to bed with her, see what happens, and THEN feed her Thx!