Feline hyperesthesia syndrome is perhaps one on the scariest experiences you will ever have with your cat as it can appear almost like your cat has become possessed, even for a short period. There are some experts that link this disease to Rippling skin disease, while there are others that suggest it is much more than that.

But whatever this condition actually is, a very calm and relaxed cat can turn suddenly ferocious to the point that they are a threat not only to you, but to themselves.

Cats throughout history have had a reputation for being very mystical to the point of being spiritual, while they have also has been portrayed as being possessed or down right scary in some cases. They can literally stare down almost any living creature without the slightest body movement or blinking of their eyes.

They can also stare at what appears to be absolutely nothing that you can see, but to them it appears very real. If you are a cat lover, you have seen this more than once.

It is than that they seem to demonstrate extremely bizarre behaviors, and unless you know otherwise, you would almost swear that this staring at nothing was a sign that they might be possessed as they suddenly become absolutely maniac in nature and can attack anything. In most cases, they attack themselves with severe biting and an uncontrolled tail that seems to be possessed all by itself.

However, it is most likely what has just occurred in this mystical and lovable cat of yours is not anything even close to a possession, but rather Feline hyperesthesia syndrome.

This condition is also referred to as FHS as well as psychomotor epilepsy, and it is generally much deeper and wider in symptoms that cats rippling skin disease, although the skin can ripple, which itself is frightening enough. But with this condition, it appears that not only has the skin become infected, but the nervous and muscular systems as well. This mysterious disease can affect any breed at any age, but for some reason, it appears to affect purebreds more often.

The breeds especially at risk are Himalayans, Burmese, Abyssinians, and Siamese.

Signs and symptoms:

FHS will show you several signs and symptoms and some can look as if they literally explode out of no where and for absolutely no reason, but in most all cases there is a definitive underlying cause, despite what some experts believe.

The first set of symptoms that may occur are sudden bouts, as there are usually more than just one, of extremely bizarre actions that are very hyperactive and aggressive. But the aggression is directed toward them, and not you. These bouts are almost always followed by what appears to be a very frantic attempt of what appears to be grooming on the part of your cat that is directed toward their back, their flank, or their tail.

When this occurs, they can self induce severe hair loss as well as bleeding. The next set of symptoms will be a very sudden and uncontrolled swishing of their tale. Once this happens, your cat than directs the attack on their tail with such a vengeance that they can hurt themselves in trying to reach and attack their tail in weird chasing motions.

What follows next may or may not occur in all cats, and that is where the skin actually starts to ripple, thus the comparison to rippling skin disease. But what does occur in all cats is what happens to their eyes; as the eye ball itself seems to grow to the point of appearing absolutely huge.

If you witness this, it is something that you will never forget. From there they will start to show the signs of being possessed as they will follow movements that you can not see and run from things that are not there. But to them, they appear very real and threatening.

They may also let out a crying sound that can literally chill you to the bone, again something that you will never forget. If the FHS is severe, they may go into a seizure and wilding move their legs and appear as if they are foaming at the mouth. But in most every case it is not foam, just a large amount of saliva.

Causes:

While no only is sure exactly what causes this explosive abnormal behavior, it is almost a sure bet that the actual cause is not possession of any type. Your cat is attacking itself and apparently seeing things because something has suddenly caused a tremendous amount of pain as well as some type of an electrical shock to their brain.

Since a very large number of cats experience symptoms that are found in grand mal seizures with FHS, it is possible that this sudden deviating form of normal behavior is result of an electrical malfunction in their brain that controls predatory behavior. This same area of the brain controls grooming senses as well as the emotional senses in your cat.

FHS has also been linked to what is called OCD, which are obsessive compulsive disorders where your cat becomes absolutely obsessed with grooming itself. This obsession can and does lead to self inflicted attacks simply because your cat feels they can not get clean.

But there is another theory that has not been proven or documented, but has had a lot of discussion. Your cat has brain chemical called endorphins, just like humans do. This chemical produces morphine like peptides that can affect the central nervous system when stimulated. It is widely believed that this same chemical is the cause of bulimics inability to fight back. Bulimia is the eating disorder where some people eat excessively, and than produce self-vomiting.

The reason they become convinced that they are over weight and must lose weight is believed to be triggered by the stimulation of this chemical in their brain as it acts like morphine in that it tricks the brain into believing that it needs this pain relief; the more vomiting, the more relief.

A seizure activity like this in your cat produces this chemical and it may be that your cats only defense is to stimulate the chemical to ease their pain, thus the intense reaction and the scratching which than causes the other senses to explode. There are also several documented cases of lesions in affected cats along their spines that initially cause the pain, and they need this chemical relief as well.

Summary:

Feline hyperesthesia syndrome is an extremely frightening experience for any owner and it is even more frightening for your cat. In most all cases, once it has been identified and diagnosed, it can very successfully be treated by various forms of drug therapy.

Your cat is not possessed or even close to being crazy, they simply have a very unique and mysterious condition. However, it is still something that once witnessed, you will never forget.

Liquid Vitamins for Humans Cats and Dogs

Very interesting to read.

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ONY

http://ony-me.piczo.com

Some People Are Like Slinkies - Not Really Good For Anything But They Bring A Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs.

Another interesting and informative post. Thanks

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Mum to Archie,Wilma,Cindy,Leni,Simon, Blossom, Petal, Angel and Harry my precious rattys, and Gypsy,Gracie,Georgia and Sarah my precious felines
Pets are Gods way of apologising for our family.