Can cats get hiccups?
Yes, here is one, just one cat hiccup that I managed to capture on video – very exciting ;). It is clear to see because my cat is silhouetted in the video. Actually, the whole video is very dark! He is dark because the room was poorly lit and he is black. It actually helps to see the hiccup.
What are hiccups?
Hiccups are spasms. The spasm contracts the diaphragm, which is a sheet of muscle between the chest and abdomen,
A hiccup is an intake of breath followed by the closure of the vocal cords which stops it. This makes the hiccup sound. Although my cat made no sound. I felt his hiccups as he was lying across my legs.
What causes hiccups?
For a cat it is (a) eating too much to fast (b) swallowing too much air (c) excitement or emotional stress.
How long do they last?
Well, for my cat they lasted about ten hiccups. I didn’t have to resort to a fancy method to force him to stop. He stopped too soon as I wanted to keep filming him!
What does it prove?
Not much except that the cat has a diaphragm and the cat’s anatomy is quite similar to human anatomy. Oh…and my cat eats too much too fast.
🙂 Charlie’s like a disruptive teenager in the classroom, when he wakes up.
I once told the boys they had middle aged spread and they answered in unison “Right back at you mother” so now I keep my own council 🙂 HIC!
Guess what he is doing right now? On the bed with me across my legs for warmth and asking me for …..food! More hiccups….