I have mentioned my cats Kizzi problem a few times in the middle of a couple of threads but I want to start a thread off about it now as I'm hoping someone - on of you many cat owners - may know whats happening to Kizzi, surely someone has had this problem before?

Kizzi eats some food, and then her back bone twitches sometimes about 3" from her tail, this then makes her look round at the twitch, which in return makes her tail swish furiously as she begins to get very agitated about it...then off she goes running around the lounge 'trying to get away' from it no doubt. A ear may twitch too. You can touch her at this time , she will let you stroke her back to calm her down.

I took her to the vet who didn't seem to know what it was!! She checked for a medical problem, along her spine and down her tail, she took her temp anally and checked heart beat, felt her stomach etc...and said all looks ok.

She will run off then from her food, wanting desperatly to go out, she runs to all exits of the house. I let her out then to calm down....she does so and may return 10mins later to try food again...it may happen again etc and its all rather sad and stressful for both of us. She was such a relaxed chilled-out cat before, I hate seeing her like this.

Anyone have any idea whats going on.?
I feel its a stress related problem, we did look after a kitten of out daughters for a fortnight previously and she would see it in lounge when she was out, but I put her in a kitten playroom before letting kizzi in again. The kitten has been gone over a week now and won't be returning.

The vet said try a week-10 days to calm her down again. and I purchased feliway spray....if nothing changes she said she would give me Zylkene?
then perhaps do a blood test to check for epilepsy, but she doesn't really think its that.

Has any ones cat acted like this? If so, what was the problem with the cat?

Any advice appreciated.

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Kizzi's Mum

Sounds like it could be Hyperesthesia

Veterinary Topics: Hyperesthesia

My older cat has a similar thing but not as stressful as your cats suffering sounds. I just let her get on with it as she doesnt seem overly stressed but maybe as you and your cat seem stressed go back to the vets with print out of this info and ask if he thinks it could be this and if so what can be done about it. HTH xxxxxx

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If you think it is a stress thing you could try feeding her somewhere where she will feel more secure or you could try stroking her whilst she is feeding if she will let you and see if either make any difference.

Yes hyperesthesia but I think if this was the case it wouldn't be solely confined to one activity unless, of course you've noticed it otherwise as well.

Considering it only happens when she's effectively bending down to eat from the bowl I wonder if when flexing her neck/stretching like this she's putting pressure on this troublesome area on her back which sets off this apparently painful reaction? Also I wonder if an X-ray might reveal anything?

I would try two things here - one by one. Firstly, I would move the feeding bowl to a different area and see if that makes a difference. Next I would raise the feeding bowl a few inches and see if it still occurs.

Thank you so much, I have read the link you provided, and it seems exactly like what is happening to Kizzi, you may of helped more than the vet. When I go to the Vets again I will ask if they think it could be this..
The following signs:

■Rippling of the skin over the back
■Muscle spasms and twitching
■Twitching of the tail.
■Cats may exhibit strange behaviors in response to touching such as tail chasing, biting at the tail, flank and sides, to the point of self-directed aggression. They run, jump, hallucinate, vocalize, and even turn around and hiss.
■They may self-mutilate with extreme biting, licking, chewing, and plucking of the hair (sometimes called “barbering” or “fur mowing”). This behavior leads to hair loss and sometimes to severe skin lesions.


ARE ALL what she does, except the only self-mutilate symptons are small nibbles not so much biting and she does madly lick the tremours too. which i can understand if this twitching is upsetting her and confusing her.

Even the stress triggers are a possibility 'the addition of another animal;

thank you again
Sue xx

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Kizzi's Mum

You are welcome my cat Chewitts has done it on and off for years but I cant seem to find a cause, as she doesnt self mutilate or seem too distressed by it I havent worried too much, but if your cat does seem stressed then u deffo need to find a way to relief it. xxxxx

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in the past i have mentioned that my ragdoll sonni has neuroligical problems among them is this viscious scratching first the righthand side of his face now both sides. sometimes his back is very tender to touch and if i go near his head he goes into a spasm and the scraching starts. he has had this for eight years now since he had the calici virus and over the years it is certainly getting worse. he also suffers from fits. it definitely sounds like a neurooglical disorder just like this hyperesthesia

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Hi Ian
Thanks too for your reply, I have moved bowls around different areas, I'll try raising the feed bowl, good idea.

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Kizzi's Mum

Well, been using the feliway for about 4 days and if anything she's worse.
Now its not just at meal times she starts twitching its as soon as she comes in the house, its so stressful for both of us, as its really upsetting me now.

She strolls in ,from garden, attempts some food, runs off outside, after 10mins she comes in again,and repeat, and after food its like that around the house, twitch of ears, swish of tail flicker along backbone, rush around.

She went upstairs last night as i refused to let her out again as it was nighttime and i wanted her to rest. She curled up on the bed and chilled out lovely, my daughter visited and she was purring and chilled...so she does have good periods of being ok.

I can stroke down her back when twitching and she doesn't mind me doing it atall, infact she seems to welcome it, so sure she is in no pain, its def a stress thing, or trapped nerve.

next thing i will try is the tablets vet recommended, after that i may get a 2nd opinion as this vet didn't even mention the syndrome above.

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Kizzi's Mum

Hi Libralass, I have refrained from posting on here previously because it sounded like Kizzi's problems were only when eating and I assumed that it was more likely to do with this. I'm not sure what help I can be either because we still haven't been able to get to the bottom of my cats problems who suffers from similar.

Firstly whilst FHS has been mentioned, it's worth noting that hyperesthesia almost always has a physical cause. The twitching you describe could well be itch related. Is she flead and have you checked her thoroughly for fleas, ear mites etc? Did the vets examine her skin? As daft as it sounds has anything changed recently in the house like new carpets? Changed food? etc

My cat whom we got from a rescue centre 6 months ago has similar symptoms (back twitching, ear twitching, scaring herself and running off etc) except she has them 80-90% of the time she is awake. In addition she also constantly attacks and mutilates her tail. She seems worst when excited i.e when playing, eating, we first get home etc.

We have seen numerous vets and had countless tests done and we are still no closer to finding out what is causing her problems. The first thought was stress but a pet behaviourist we saw didn't think this was the case and she was tried on anti depressants which didn't help at all. The current thinking is that it is either caused by allergies, a neurological problem or some kind of OCD, our vet has consulted with a specialist neurologist who has recommended trying her on Phenobarbitol (an anti seizure drug used to treat epilepsy etc) before any further invasive tests are undertaken. However, after a sensible discussion with the vet a couple of weeks ago we decided that as her symptoms weren't getting any worse, rather than masking the problem with drugs we would try and get to the bottom of them and we are currently undertaking a food elimination trial to rule out food allergies.

I have done a massive amount of reading on the types of symptoms your cat is experiencing and it appears that they quite non specific, often they come and go and the cause is never established.

It is certainly worth getting an opinion from a second vet, and getting them to give her a thorough physical examination to rule out anything obvious particularly if the symptoms are progressing.

I'll keep you updated if we manage to find the cause of my girls problems.