My cat has muscle spasms; could it be serious and how to help?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 12 lbs
My cat keeps having muscle spasms, what can I do to help her? She is about 8 years old, she doesnt let anyone touch her when she is having the spasms, she has a mix of wet food and dry food, always clean water, she keeps scratching herself when she is about to have a spasm but we checked her for bugs and gave her a bath with dawn dish soap and found nothing
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 10th, 2019
The spasms could be seizures. Have her physically examined by your veterinarian or a veterinary neurologist to diagnose the underlying cause. In the meantime, the vet may dispense medication to control or prevent the spasms/seizures. Keep her as stress free as possible, since stress may be a trigger for the condition.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 8th, 2019
I am very sorry to hear about your kitty. What you are describing sounds like she could be having seizures. Not all seizures are the tonic-clonic convulsions where they fall over and thrash as we see on tv. Some seizures are more subtle. Causes of seizures can vary from primary brain lesions such as a tumor, to infections, to metabolic diseases such as alterations in blood sugar or buildup of toxins due to liver malfunction. I would recommend getting her back into the vet right away for testing. If your vets are stumped it may be time to go to a referral vet center for more advanced testing.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on April 5th, 2017
What you are describing sounds very much like feline hyperesthesia syndrome. Unfortunately, there is no definitive test for this condition - the diagnosis is made on the basis of history and clinical signs, as well as testing to rule out other possible causes for pain or neurologic problems that could be causing her symptoms. If Trufa does have hyperesthesia syndrome, she may respond well to a steroid like prednisolone, medication for nerve pain such as gabapentin, and/or anti-seizure medication such as phenobarbital. Acupuncture and laser therapy have also been shown to be helpful in some cases. I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian - if he/she agrees that this could be the problem, they can prescribe an appropriate medication (or combination of medications) to try and decrease the frequency and severity of these episodes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on May 22nd, 2019
Some of her neuropathways are likely still firing which is causing the residual twitching. Seizures in any animal ( just like in people) can be very serious. If she had the seizure and she went back to complete normal then I would suggest you just monitor her for any more seizures. If she has more, she should see a vet. But, because of the residual twitching I think you should get her to a vet now for an examination. Seizures, in most cases, an be managed with medications. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/seizures-and-epilepsy-in-cats )
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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