Cat seizures caused by clicking sounds or other sharp sounds appears to be linked to old age which may indicate a change in brain function brought about by old age as the cause. Further, although unlikely, there may also be an underlying condition such as toxoplasmosis which is present in about 45% of all cats but usually asymptomatic (no signs of it). Hearing loss may also be a factor or a cause.
The seizures vary in type from dilated eyes and twitching to lying on the floor with all legs flaying around.
The sounds are sharp. Sometimes they are rustling sounds such as plastic being scrunched up, candy wrappers, ‘kissy’ sounds or tapping on a bowl with a spoon These sounds are can be made in the home in day-to-day activities – all very normal which makes the cat’s response all the more shocking. The fact that sharp sounds are involved indicates that the condition is related to sound frequency. There may be an age-related loss of hearing of high frequency sounds
Deafness may make a cat hypersensitive to sound waves. There are various reasons for deafness on of which is a loss of sensitivity in the cochlea of the inner ear. Although a deaf cat can’t hear or has poor hearing, the sound waves could still be transmitted via the auditory nerves to the brain. Perhaps the cat compensates for deafness by becoming hypersensitive to sound (the sound waves in the air) and this may result in overcompensation leading to an over-stimulation of the brain by the auditory nerve resulting in seizures. Perhaps the part of the brain processing auditory nerve input has degenerated and malfunctions leading to seizures.
My gut feeling is that the cause is due to dementia. The dementia might be mild and not obvious but the brain has changed and degraded which causes it to malfunction – a wild guess. I am saying that this condition is one possible symptom of feline dementia.
I felt a need to readdress this upsetting and strange condition to try and shed some light on the causes. It is rare and it is not referred to in the books that I have (and they are good) and it is hardly mentioned on the internet.
Fortunately, there are currently 25 comments from visitors on the original page about this condition written by a visitor in England (the linked page has many more useful comments from visitors). Running through the comments I noticed that the ages of the cats with the condition were: 18 (this cat also seemed to have dementia), 18, 12+, 17, 18, 17, 13, 19, 18.5, 10.
Most of these ages are advanced. A cat of 18 is very geriatric. On one occasion the elderly cat was given a pain relief injection which appears to have set off the seizures on hearing sharp sounds.
On another occasion an elderly cat lost his cat companion which appears to have been a emotional ‘knock back’ which in turn seemed to have been linked to the onset of seizures due to sharp sounds.
If anyone has experiences of this please add your valuable knowledge to the page in a comment so we can build up a database of information to plug this gap in our knowledge. Thanks in advance.
Hello from Elin in Sweden.
I have an elderly Birman male, named Buddha, who started twitching about a year ago.
He was born March 3d 2001.
The twitching began as small almost normal twitches of his ears when something resounded, but has gradually built up to him twitching or even jerking each time he hears a triggering sound.
He does not get seizures, but sometimes he almost jumps as if frightened.
If I for instance click my tongue seven times, the poor sweetheart will twitch in sync with the sound.
Sounds that trigger him are:
* Coughing
* Sneezing
* Talking during night hours
* Clicking of the tongue
* Kissy-sounds
* Snapping with fingers
* Opening a jar
* Switching off/on lights
* Cutlery against plates
* Rustling plastic bags
* Opening soda cans
He also has episodes of lethargy, during which time his nictating membranes(the inner eyelids) are more visible than usual, and he sits with his eyes closed, twitching slightly as if he’s falling asleep.
He was diagnosed with kidney insufficiency at the age of three, and pancreatic problems at the age of twelve.
I am sadly considering euthanasia, but I hope that the information I have contributed with here might be of some use.
Thank you for bringing this matter to the attention of more people.
Love and hugs from Elin in Sweden
Thanks Merri for telling us about your experiences. It is valuable because it adds to our knowledge about this odd and rare condition. Many thanks again.
My 18-year-old kitty, Maggie has had this seizure-like behavior twice. After the first one, I connected it with crunching candy wrapper and then tried not to make any sounds like that near her. Yesterday she was sleeping in my lap and my phone rang and she had another spell. She started twitching and shaking. I tried to hold her between me and the chair as the last time she flailed around the room and I was afraid she would hurt herself. Eyes very dilated, much saliva pouring from her mouth, etc. Seemed like it lasted forever so not sure how long exactly. As she came out of it she was turning her head in different directions and seemed very afraid. I just kept petting her until she left my lap on her own and went to her special nap spot on the couch. After a long nap she was fine and wanted her favorite canned food. I felt SO sorry for her. I am so glad to be able to read about this here and also give my input. I was suspecting a sensitivity to sound, but was not aware that deafness will contribute to the problem. I am certain that Maggie is deaf also. She has never reacted to my phone like that. I changed the ring tone and turned it down in hopes it won’t happen again. Thank you so much for this informative article!
Hi Tatiana. Thanks for commenting and sharing your interesting experiences about your cats. You may know that drinking excessively is a sign of kidney failure which is a common cause of death in domestic cats. The doctors should do more work on this sound related condition. I am discovering that it is not that uncommon. To me it is certainly linked to changes in brain function due to old age. It may be linked to dementia. Take care and the best of luck to you all.
I, too, have been living with my cats having seizures. They are brothers and 17 yrs old. One (Cagney) has the seizures about every month. The other (Chaplin) has had two that I’ve seen. Just last night, as I clicked a pen he sprang off the bed from sleep and had a fit on the floor ( this being the one I only saw have one other).
This began last year and the one I ve observed more, seems to be in failing health. Weight loss, needy, drinking at least a pint a day of water. To my mind he began to decline when my daughter brought home a kitten, who he still barely tolerates.
Would love to be kept abreast of ongoing information.
The night before last I thought it was the end for Cagney. I had been out and he was sleeping in a chair he normally doesn’t. He didn’t move much. I sat by him for two hours , gave him water and food, then retired, expecting to find him gone in the morning.
Surprise! He woke me at 4 am to give him water and is behaving like his “normal” self….which is strage enough.
Hi Diane. Thanks for sharing. This condition is not as rare as I once believe it was.