by Antoinette Worrall
(Birmingham England)
My cat has developed very sensitive hearing to clicking sounds causing him to twitch and today he had what could be described as a small fit.
I was about to feed him and he was sitting on the table as usually waiting. I was scrapping the leftovers from the tin with a fork and the sound it was making caused him to repeatedly twitch and as I stop it, he starting to run around in a circle.
I took him off the table and he tried to run away but was not in control of his body and still continued to try and run round in a circle.
I tried to hold him because he was heading for the wall and in doing so it appears as though he was having difficulties with his mouth and his tongue.
I held the wee chap until it passed which only took seconds. This was extremely upsetting to witness. I have booked him in with the vet today.
This sensitive hearing started to occur when his brother died on July 10. As time has gone on he has become more and more sensitive to any clicking sound especially the computer mouse.
Please let me know if you have heard anything like this before and what is it. Inner ear problem? He has no other health issues. He is generally a very happy/healthily cat (13 years old).
Antoinette
Hi Antoinette…. thanks for sharing and asking.
I am at a disadvantage as you are going to the vet soon.
Note: this page has been updated regularly as comments come it. The page was written around 4 years ago and since then a new condition has been named called Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures. (FARS). This is a form of epilepsy more common in older cats and Birmans. The words that follow were also largely written 4 years ago. — Michael (Admin)
Nonetheless, as you have asked, I will answer as best as I can but this is theoretical based on what you have said.
I don’t think it is connected to the loss of his brother except for the fact that this condition appears to be linked to age. The comments indicate it occurs in elderly cats. Perhaps the loss of his brother knocked him back emotionally and that brought this condition on. I have not found anything in the textbooks which refer to increased sensitivity to sound.
He may have encephalitis, a brain infection but I think this is unlikely. This is because he has a behavioral and personality change which goes wider than hearing problems. However having read the comments it appears to be linked to a change in brain function brought about by a degeneration of the brain due to old age. That is a guess obviously.
Update: I believe this condition is related to old age and associated changes in the brain but that is just a personal theory. More and more comments come in from caretakers of elderly cats (17th Sept 2015).
Click on this link to read more.
For the sake of completeness, Encephalitis can be brought on by:
Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIV)
Panleukopenia – feline distemper
Feline Leukemia – signs. FeLV
Rabies (this does not apply because rabies as been eradicated in the UK).
Pseudorabies
Toxoplasmosis can also cause encephalitis. This is caused by a protozoan
Bacteria can also cause encephalitis.
A fungal infection (Cryptococcus) can also cause it.
The treatment is dependent on the cause.
I won’t go any further as you are seeing a vet who can make a far better diagnosis with your cat in front of him and the full force of his/her training behind him
Good luck to you both.
Update: Please see the comment by Mel at base of page. Very interesting. This may be a case of hypersensitivity to vibrations caused by sound due to deafness.
Best
I have had the same experience with my Female cat she is 18 1/2 years old, I noticed the twitching with crackling noises, then last month she tried to get up on the table, she knows this is a no no, usually I tap the table and she backs off, she was slightly twitching, but didn’t stop so I tapped the table louder and my ring hit the table, she went into a full seizure, looked like an epileptic fit, twitching then shaking, flopped down and went into convulsions, and howled, this lasted a few minutes, I gently stroked her and kept her from falling off the table, with me crying and saying I’m sorry, I had just been talking to a friend and jokingly said I will travel more when the cat dies:( talk about guilt!!
I was just eating crispy kettle chips and when I bit down the crunch made her twitch again, She is very needy lately But her Daddy my husband was admitted to a hospital a month ago just about the time of her seizure, for dementia , so she is usually on my lap if I’m sitting down, She has lost a bit of weight the past 6 months but is eating well and using the litter box ok, and does not seem in poor health she looks great for a cat almost 19 years old, she is an indoor cat,
I’m glad to see others have experienced this, Like anything that goes wrong I’m not alone,
Thanks Todd for sharing.
Our cat has developed the same tick, at 19 years old. It is usually from sharp noises, like wrinkling a water bottle.
Yesterday the noise caused a full seizure.
Extremely interesting. Thanks Frank for sharing.
Just recently my 13-year-old cat began twitching or jerking when I have been using my computer keyboard and mouse as she likes to sit or lie beside me on the desk. Earlier this week things went a stage further and she suffered a seizure for about a minute. The vet took blood samples which came back all clear so any underlying problem is still unclear. Their suggested next step would be an MRI scan in case she has a brain tumour but I am not sure I should put the cat through this at her age. As the keyboard and mouse I use are wireless I replaced them with corded versions in case it was the RF signals that may have been causing the problem but that hasn’t helped as she still ‘jerks’ whenever I click on the mouse. It looks like she will need to be banished from the computer room from now which will not please her one bit!
The seizures are, likely, caused from a build up of toxins due to his kidney failure. Your vet should be doing more than suggesting a change in diet. Medications and, probably, fluid therapy might be considered.
The sounds you describe may or may not be triggering the seizures. I tend to think not though.
In any case, CKD is common in senior cats but can be managed to a certain extent. With the right sort of treatments, your cat can be more comfortable and they will prolong the inevitable.