Causes of Involuntary Muscle Trembling in Cats It is possible for the twitching or trembling to simply be part of your pet's normal response to certain stimuli in their environment or to be an emotionally-triggered response. Involuntary trembling can also be a primary condition, rather than a sign of something else.
If your cat is showing mild to moderate signs of feline hyperesthesia syndrome, contact your vet within 24 hours. If a severe episode occurs and lasts longer than 2 to 3 minutes, take your cat to an emergency vet as soon as possible.
Muscle fasciculations and tremors in cats can be caused by intoxications, metabolic derangements, encephalomyelitis, feline hyperaesthesia syndrome and cerebellar diseases.
If your cat begins twitching and scratching intensely out of nowhere, don't write it off as just another strange behavior. These symptoms may actually be indicative of hyperesthesia syndrome, or twitch-skin syndrome.
While a dreaming cat may subtly paddle their legs as if walking or running (in a way that mimics normal movements), a cat that is having a seizure will be tense across their entire body with exaggerated movements of the limbs.
Symptoms of Tremors in Cats
The most obvious symptom of this condition is uncontrollable shaking in a cat. The tremor can either be a small twitch or full-body shaking.
If you notice any changes in your cat's eating and drinking habits, be sure to alert your veterinarian. This could be a sign of pain or various other serious medical issues including kidney disease, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism.
Cats that once jumped up on furniture, counters, and windowsills, but now either do not jump or ask to be lifted may be in pain and need closer evaluation. One of the measures of a successful pain management protocol in senior cats is the return of jumping behavior.
Decreased Appetite and Thirst
If your cat seems to have lost interest in eating or drinking, it could be a sign that they are experiencing pain. Changes in eating and drinking habits could be symptoms of many other serious medical problems, too, so it is always best to alert your veterinarian.
Talk to your veterinarian about possible therapeutic treatment options such as massage or acupuncture therapy. He or she may also recommend an antianxiety drug to cats with severe cases of the condition, but there is no known treatment method for curing twitch-skin syndrome in cats.
Muscle twitching is caused by minor muscle contractions in the area, or uncontrollable twitching of a muscle group that is served by a single motor nerve fiber. Muscle twitches are minor and often go unnoticed. Some are common and normal. Others are signs of a nervous system disorder.
At seven to eight percent dehydration, capillary refill time delays another two to three seconds. Longer than four or five seconds indicates severe dehydration. These pets also have sunken eyeballs, involuntary muscle twitches, weakness, lethargy, and their paw pads feel cold.
Howling, crying, hiding, and otherwise acting in a way that is out of character for your pet should alert you that something may be seriously wrong. Changes in litter box habits, particularly in male cats, can indicate a serious health problem.
The average lifespan for a pet cat is probably around 13 to 14 years. However, although their lifespan varies, a well cared for cat may commonly live to 15 or beyond, some make it to 18 or 20 and a few extraordinary felines even pass 25 or 30 years of age.
The end stage of dementia in cats may happen when they have lost interest in anything they previously liked or when their quality of life has gone down significantly.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is the leading cause of death in cats, and it's important to be aware of the symptoms so you can help your cat as soon as possible. Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, weight loss, vomiting, and diarrhea. Your cat may also appear tired or lethargic all the time.
The Task Force has designated four age-related life stages (Table 1): the kitten stage, from birth up to 1 year; young adult, from 1 year through 6 years; mature adult, from 7 to 10 years; and senior, aged over 10 years. The fifth, end-of-life stage can occur at any age.
While most cats are nimble and graceful, some are born with a rare condition commonly known as “Wobbly Cat Syndrome” that affects their ability to balance. But despite a lack of coordination, these cats can live full and happy lives like any others.
Addison's disease, also known as hypoadrenocorticism, is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough glucocorticoids (steroids) to allow normal body function. This condition is considered rare in cats, but numerous cases have been reported.
Purring causes the cat's whole body to vibrate. These vibrations stimulate the muscles and so support bone growth, as discovered by Prof. Dr. Leo Brunnberg from the Clinic for Small Animals at the Free University of Berlin during his research into the morphology of cats.
Myoclonic Seizure: This is the most common type and is considered one of the hallmark clinical signs. Myoclonic seizures look like muscle spasms or jerking, and usually last only a few seconds. Cats experiencing this type of seizure look like they are conscious, but they have muscle twitches across their body.
Recurrent seizures are seen most frequently in cats over the age of 6 due to underlying diseases, though epilepsy is often diagnosed between the ages of 1 and 3. Epilepsy is either genetic (which is rare in cats) or caused by abnormal brain development, brain trauma, infectious disease, or cancer.