Last Updated on April 13, 2020
Something that is not widely discussed in the pet world is stress-induced seizures. While it is not something that is common, it can happen to any cat or dog. Dogs are more typically prone to this especially in purebreds, but that doesn’t mean it never happens with cats. Knowing how to recognize a stress-induced seizure vs a true medical problem will help you keep your cat happy and healthy.
What Causes Stress Seizures?
The short answer is obvious; STRESS! While it can take a lot of stress to make this happen, a cat who previously had a medical condition that caused them is more likely to experience them. The chances of it happening are also increased in cats who suffer from separation anxiety or bipolar syndrome.
Just like a human experiencing a panic attack under high amounts of stress, a cat can have mild seizures from high amounts of stress or after stressful situations. Things like being yelled at, getting into fights with other cats or animals, or a stressful move can induce them.
Are They Dangerous?
While they won’t hurt them directly, they can be hurt by accidents. When a cat has a stress seizure, they can easily fall off of a high place, bite their tongue, or get stuck somewhere. This can lead to other issues like head injuries and broken bones. It is important to watch over your cat when this is happening so they do not hurt themselves. Make sure they are on the floor and not biting their tongue.
What Does a Stress Seizure Look Like?
Typically, the cat will do a bellow or deep meow because they know something isn’t feeling right. They feel scared and are asking for help. This follows the cat either lying down or clasping over. They will tense their legs pretty stiffly and followed by this they usually become unresponsive. They may roll their eyes back, have their mouth open, and tense their neck as well. This usually only lasts 20 seconds to a minute long. As they come out of it, they will look exhausted and this is because they are. Some may go to walk only to lay back down after a few feet. It is very important to provide your cat with the opportunity to rest. Make sure they eat and/or drink shortly after this. They may need to rest several hours before they are feeling better so keep things peaceful around them.
Signs and symptoms to look for with serious medical problems:
- No appetite, not eating or drinking
- Wetting themselves before, during, or after the seizure
- Excessive panting
- Crying and uneasiness
- Signs of stomach or abdomen pain
- Hiding/wanting to be left alone
- Disorientation after the seizure has stopped
- Multiple seizures happening in a short amount of time
When to see a Veterinarian
If your cat is experiences anything from the above list, it is very important to take them to the vet ASAP. Those are common symptoms of Feline Pancreatitis which has a high fatality rate when left untreated.
If your cat appears fine after and you want to make sure, there is no harm in taking them in for a checkup. I do not advise putting them on medication for this. Simply removing the causes of stress will keep this from happening. I have personal experience with one of my cats and it rarely happens but when it does, he is back to normal a few hours later. Medication risks making them worse, causing them to happen more often, or just giving them other general health problems they don’t need.
Thanks for your comment Megan. He needs to see a vet ASAP. Cats can become dehydrated very easily and he will need a drip done to prevent this. He is likely under a lot of stress but he definitely can’t go without fluids very long.
I look after strays and come upon a lot of strange things, but whenever a cat does not eat I immediately give him “A High Calorie Nutritional Gel” which can be bought at any vet or Pet Food store. Although Megan’s cat looks like it has a more serious problem, at least he will get vitamins to keep him feeling stronger. This gel also gives them an appetite. The one I am given it to now has ulcers in his mouth and I am fortunate that he licks it off my finger. Some cats won’t so I mix it with soft cat food if they are eating or put it on the roof of their mouth. Tomorrow I take in a cat that has seizures so I hope everything goes well.
Just had a baby and left my cat with my mother while I was in the hospital. Mom called to tell me that she was acting very strange and distant. My sister who was there told me my cat started shaking at one point and when she went to soothe her my cat hissed at her and ran to hide. Mom took her to vet they said it has to be psychological but nothing wrong with her physically. I took her to the vet myself 2 weeks ago for similar behavior and they did bloodwork found nothing but said she was dehydrated (I’m assuming from not eating or drinking as frequently). That vet gave her fluids and when we got home she was completely back to normal. My mom brought her back to me last night and she is acting very strange just sitting in one spot for hours breathing hard looking out of it. I feel like I can hear her heartbeat just standing in the same room. From what this describes I do believe she is having stress induced seizures maybe because of the birth of my baby but it doesn’t explain the behavior from 2 weeks ago. I’m at a loss as to how to help her at this point
Thanks for your comment Arabella. It doesn’t necessarily mean stress induced seizures are happening but rather anxiety and panic attacks. Cats can experience things just like humans ranging from depression and bipolar, to full on panic attacks. Depending on how close she is with you, your worries can be reflecting on her and she can be under stress. Some cats will be affected by bringing a baby home so that too could be the source of her stress. Just make sure she is drinking and eating and give her some time. Was she being fed the same diet when staying with your mother? That can also cause issues as well.
I was reading this because I am going to look after a cat that has seizures when she is stressed so I thank you for the info. I wanted to comment about the question from Lynda a year ago. I had a cat that was hyper and when we moved he would attack my son and I whenever he was around us. I had to keep him in a spare bedroom and pass the food and water to him through the door with a baseball glove on. We had him for about 5 years or so and did not want to put him down but we couldn’t live being afraid of being attacked by our cat. I took him to a Vet who used to teach at the only Veterinary School in this province in Canada. He told me his Siamese was very aggressive and he gave him an injection of Depo Provera (Don’t know if I spelled that right) and we tried it. It changed his life as he lived another 12 years and was the most affectionate cat after that.
Thanks for your comment and sharing on that JScott. I am glad something worked out for him. Let me know if you have any questions about the cat you will be looking after.
I took my 10 year old cat to the vet for sneezing and a runny nose and while there they were trying to draw blood and he had a panic attack, made a crazy low sound I’ve never heard before, and his back legs collapsed. They gave him oxygen and it took about two hours for him to fully calm down before I could take him home. They never got a blood sample and now my cat hasn’t eaten ever since (before that incident he wasn’t eating dry food but did eat canned food when offered. Now he won’t eat or drink anything. It’s been about 40 hours since that incident). I’m so worried he’s not eating or drinking, his heart rate seems fast and his breathing is labored. I’ve tried tuna, canned food, baby food, and treats. Help!
My cat is 12 years old. A few months ago my dog scared her and she appeared to have a seizure. It wasn’t exactly as you describe though- she was unresponsive, licking her mouth, and her back legs collapsed and she was unable to walk for maybe a half hour or a little more.
She had another scare last night, and the same thing happened but she has slept all night now and her legs are still not back to normal. She also has something grey or black on her mouth, I’m not sure if that’s related. What do you think?
Thanks for your comment Jessica. This sounds like it make be serious and more than stress so I think it is in her best interest that you take her to see a doctor. She may have nerve damage or a severe vitamin deficiency.
My kitten is only three months of age. We found him just recently in the middle of the road. He had several fleas over his back and had an ear/eye infection. His eyes and ears have healed a lot, and he has gotten more playful than when we first got him. However, we recently noticed that not only is he extremely aggressive and doesn’t enjoy being touched at all (unless we bring him food), but, he’s having full-blown out seizures. Now, I don’t want to say it’s epilepsy, but I also don’t want to rule everything else out. His seizures consist of his body completely spazzing and contortioning, starting with him running around the room until he ultimately hits his head somehow (in most cases he does, not all) and they just start. He loses control of his bowels and almost always wets himself. He’s disoriented after and will meow like a lost kitten. It break my heart. What should I do? I’ve gone to the vet and they are just as confused as I am. I don’t think anyone wants to think about epilepsy, but, it seems like the only option left.
Thanks for your comment Mrs. Distresses. Seizures typically don’t involve running. In cats, they normally become disoriented, fall over, stiffen up, and wet themselves. What you are explaining sounds very severe. It seems like something is triggering the disoriented running/freaking out which then lead to the episode. Has he had any vaccines or medication recently before this started? I would speak to your vet about the possibility of having an adverse reaction to them if so. This certainly is not normal. I wish I could be of more help to you. If you vet has no answers, take him to someone else.
I found a kitten in similar situation several years ago, and the behavior was from her being eaten up with fleas and worms inside which eventually attacked her brain and we had to euthanize her. Please take your new fur baby to a new vet asap, and good luck!!
Hello up till Sat afternoon my 2yr old girl cat loved being out now she go a few feet then run back in and her back and head twitch for a few minutes we claim her down by talking and stroking her she seems normal in any other way apart from trying to go out something has scared her but I don’t no what so please
can u tell me what Else I can do many thanks
Thanks for your comment Barry Brown. I am guessing something that happened outside scared her enough that it is causing her to have panic attacks. What you explained does not sound like a seizure. Unfortunately, for many cats who face panic attacks, it is very hard to cope with what caused the scare. She may not enjoy going outside for a long time. Also, because she is likely having panic attacks, I think it is best she remains an indoor cat for safety reasons. You can try using lavender scents in your home to help ease her stresses if you feel she is still acting like she is filled with anxiety.
Hello!! Found a kitten this afternoon.. About 6 to 8 weeks old. Everything was going well… All of a sudden a big piece of wood fell over and scared the kitten into a seizure. Now the baby is really sleepy and has been sleeping since it happened I have woken it up about 45 mins ago to feed her and she ate but went × back to sleep… Is this normal behaviour after a seizure for a kitten so young? What do I do ? She is moving around and eating when I feed her but she is super sleepy.
Thanks for your comment Tamra. That sounds like what she had was a panic attack. Both can be confused if you had never seen them before. She should be fine but will likely be afraid of the wood and possibly the area where it fell for a while.
hello. i recently found an abandoned kitten about 2 weeks old. i took him to the vet, bought kitty milk and started feeding him. At first he was very weak and wouldn’t drink much but then he got better. Then i noticed he was shaking his head a lot. i googled it and they said that it was probably ear mites. i brought him to the vet again and the latter gave me an ear drop called Aurizon to give him everyday. But right when i started giving it to him he started having seizures. Everytime he’s about to fall asleep he would just lay there and start convulsing. i got so scared I thought it was because of the ear drop so i called the vet and he said that wasn’t the case and there can be various causes. I looked up information about the medication and it said that it was only for dogs and it could also cause seizures in some cases. i stopped giving it to him immediately. i am so desperate right now i don’t know what to do. Maybe he was too small i shouldn’t have given him any medication. i can’t stop blaming myself. Can he get better over time? Is it possible to get over seizures naturally? am scared to get him any more medication because he is so small.
Thanks for your comment Sora. The vert gave you ear drops for dogs? That is not your fault at all, that is their fault. I would make sure they know that. Seizures from medication usually clear up on their own if there are no damages. A 2 week old kitten should never be given any kind of medication unless it is a life or death matter. For the ear mites, just gently clean out the ears with peroxide and cotton balls then spread a thin layer of Vaseline to the insides of the ears. Do this every day and it should get rid of the problem in a week or less. The peroxide will help kill them off and disinfect the area and the Vaseline will take away the food sources for the mites and keep them from laying more eggs. If you are still worried about the seizures, I would take the kitten to a more professional vet. There is no reason a doctor should just fluff that kind of thing off. The kitten is still considered a baby.
Thank you so much. Today it got better. i didn’t see him having any seizure. Only some muscle twitching but not as bad as before. I really hope it clears up. I will do as you say for the ear mites. Really thanks a lot i didn’t know who to ask for help. I kept searching everywhere but couldn’t find much about seizures due to medication.
I am glad I could help! I am sure he will make a full recovery since you stopped the medication in time 🙂
Thanks for your comment Michelle. It sounds like it could be down to stress seizures or even panic attacks. These two things aren’t addressed as much as they should be in the medical world which is a shame. Knowing her tests came back clear, I think you should focus on making her life as stress free as you can. With panic attacks, a lot of times cats will hide. This makes it hard to see if your cat is having them at all. The after-shock of both panic attacks and seizures is very similar as well. Start by addressing the home life. If there is anything new in her life that can be causing stress. It can be a move, a new piece of furniture, a new pet, even a new person. Use things scented with lavender oil around the home to help calm her nerves. Avoid catnip and catnip laced toys until you find out what is causing the stress. I wish I could be of more help. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I can’t tell if my cat is actually having seizures or not. If so I’ve missed every episode and see the after affects. She doesn’t eat, she breaths heavy, can’t walk or move too much but also can’t seem to get comfortable. Is this what the after effects look like? We’ve had tests for other feline illnesses and diseases but they’ve all come back negative. I just don’t know how to help her.
My cat was put on cat prozac for extreme anxiety. A week later he had a seizure, days later mini seizures. Apparently its a contraindication of medication. Stopped it immediately. Now he wont eat.
Thanks for your comment Fi Woolfe. You have to be very careful with that medication. You shouldn’t just stop it like that, just like in humans. He likely isn’t eating because of the seizures he had. They are very stressful. I would make sure the vet is aware of what happened and that you stopped. That kind of medication never sat right with me for cat or even human use. There are too many risks. Get some lavender essential oil and a diffuser. Use it and make sure it is out of reach from your cat. The lavender will calm down his anxiety and hopefully encourage him to eat. The oil itself is concentrated and toxic to cats if eaten or placed directly on the skin so be sure it is out of complete reach. You can also use cleaning products with lavender scents like dish soap, floor cleaner, laundry detergent, ect. this will keep the scent in the air of your home. You will also find yourself more relaxed. Just be sure he is drinking and your home is very peaceful. He should start eating again soon.
Thank you for that Purrfect Love. He’d been on it a week, a quarter tablet. Took him to vet after big seizure who advised to stop. Yes, im looking into planting up his cat run – he has a fenced and protected big garden area – with chamomile, lavender, etc. Feel guilty for trying to “fix” him with meds. I should have thought about it more carefully and researched.
Don’t feel guilty, it is the way of the world these days. There seems to be a pill for everything these days. I am sure your kitty will be fine. I have one with separation anxiety and it helps him to have a quiet place and lots of love, and naps.
Thanks so much for this info. I have a 3 year old indoor cat. Great health, loving, and well adjusted. Something spooked him last night after we’d all just gone to bed. I heard him bellow and make an odd hissing noise, something I’ve never heard him do in that tone. I ran out in the kitchen and the only way I can describe it, was he seemed stuck in a dining room chair. He was staring at something in the dining room that I couldn’t see. I figured maybe it was a mouse. But he usually lives for a mouse to get in his sights!! Lol
I went to touch him and he wasn’t bristley, puffed up like a normal scared. He seemed stuck like his back claws were dug in and he was rigid, with his back legs a bit limp. Still staring.
After about a long 5 min. I got him to come to bed with me, he seemed calmer, so I was petting him, reassuring, and he suddenly jolted, and bellowed, and then went limp like he was slowly crawling at me making a low bellow sound. CREEPED me out.
After losing half a night’s sleep, I wake up and he seems to be normal. My husband said he slept in the chair beside him. In fact he’s playing alot with a toy mouse.
Is this a fear seizure of some sort? He wasn’t completely passed out, just partially paralyzed. I initially thought. Oh,,, somethings hurt him or he’s in pain, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. I’m debating making a vet appt
Thanks for your comment Bting. It sounds like it could be but without actually knowing your cat or seeing what had happened I can’t be 100%. You mentioned he healthy an playful otherwise. I know they can be very scary to see happen to your cat. I have experienced seeing enough of them. They are hard to watch. The bellow crying usually happens when the seizure is coming on. It is a fear cry. The only time my cat every made that sound was when he was going to have one. He also had pancreatitis when he was about 1 and a half (it was bad) and that is what brought on his seizures. A cat who has had one from an illness is more likely to suffer from stress seizures. This is not to say it can’t happen to any cat though. I have had a German Shepherd who had these a few times from being very upset. It is like an elevated panic attack. If you are certain there is no health issues or he didn’t digest anything toxic, I think he will be fine. It can’t hurt taking him for a check up to be 100% certain. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
I had a kitten we found him half dead eyes swollen shut from upper respiratory and he was severely under weight we were never even able to get him healthy enough for the vet to be comfortable enough to give him his shots. Blue lived to be about 6 months old and I’m not entirely sure how he died we left the house for 4 hours and he was dead when we got home. He seemed to be doing so much better in the last month or so it was so unexpected. But he had these fits sometimes when anything would startle him it was kinda like multiple sneezes then he would move his body side to side and his head back and kinda hunker down after this he’d be sluggish and then thirsty and hungry. He had a fit like this the day before he died and it seemed to take longer to get over this one he even went to be alone for a few hours and then came to lay with my old boxer dog (which he did anytime he need extra comfort) but he was better that afternoon and ate supper and slept with me he seemed to be at 100% after breakfast but was dead only hours later.( My poor old dog was barking trying to wake him up and he was horse and almost collapsed when i picked Blue up.) I miss him terribly and i’m so mad the vet could not figure out what we needed to do for him. Idk sorry this was so long. But if you have any idea what this could have been I’d like to know.
Thanks for your comment Nancy. It sounds like your kitten had epilepsy brought on by another illness/injury. Seizures rarely kill an animal or human on their own but the most common reason they do is from biting down on the tongue and bleeding out. This likely did not happen, you would have noticed. When my cat was about 1 and a half, he had seizures but it was due to feline pancreatitis. I did have a female German Shepherd when I was a child who had horrific epilepsy to the point where she had to be put down. This was caused by her mother being struck by a car while she was pregnant. None of the puppies made it past 3 years old. I am shocked that the vet did not do a more thorough check up of this kitten. It was clearly sick or suffering from some kind of brain injury. These were not stress induced, I know that. I am very sorry for your loss and wish I could be of more help.
My cat of 10 years, out of the blue, just attacked me last night and then came back two more times to attack again. Before that she went around in circles and then attacked.
I have a 10 year old cat named Marlee and the other night my husband picked her up as he usually does and I was patting her and then was getting her favorite soft food ready. He put her down and she started to go around in a circle while staring at my feet and all of a sudden she attacked me and ripped open my leg and came back at me two more times. She then ran off and hid. We have kept her in the back room for two days because I am really afraid of her now. What can you suggest. I have been crying for two days because she has been our baby for 10 years and has the run of the house and is spoiled with love. Thank you
Thanks for your comment Lynda. It is hard to say what would cause this. If she has never shown signs of aggression like this before, something likely triggered it. Have you had new animals around you or your house? New people? Maybe new furniture? Other triggers can be you going on vacation/being away from home too much, new perfume/body spray, or a cat outside marking your home. It is possible she smelled another cat’s spray or pheromones on you. This is not a stress seizure but does sound like a bipolar outburst which is strange if it suddenly came on. You have to figure out what triggered this. Since she only went after you, it would seem it is something you did or changed.
Hi,
My 5yr old cat has recently begun having collapsing episodes. The first was 3 months ago when we had guests in the house. They had been here over a week and she seemed pretty comfortable with them, and the house was very quiet at time. She made her usual sound as she was about to vomit, but after vomitting she collapsed (to her left). This lasted about 5-10 seconds then she sat up and defacated on the floor. She was still dazed and sat down in her poo. I took her to the vet where she had a check up and a full set of bloods. Everything cameback normal.
She was fine for nearly 3 months, then we had guests twice in 10 days, and she had another episode. Again, the guests had been here a few days and she seemed comfortable with them, and it occurred late at night when everyone was in bed. She again vomitted, collapsed (to her left), and pooed. I took her to an emergency clinic but all they did was give her fluids/electrolyte for dehydration. We went to the vet again the next day and two irritating assistants kept entering the very small room. I was holding her on the bench while the vet checked her and she rolled on her left side and feebly began pawing the air with a dazed look on her face. She then rolled on her back.
The vet arranged for me to take her to a specialist the next day. The same happened there when an assistant attempted to shave her to. The vet was out of the room and the assistant just stood by with a vacant look on his face, even though i was telling him to get the vet!
They took her for a heart test in a dark, quiet room, and fou d no problems. The next day we were back and she went for an MRI. We got her back the next day with a pronounced limp, a scratch under her eye, no apetite, a rasping voice (from the tubes down her throat), and constipation. I tried to feed her wet food witha little olive oil but when i tried to coax her to eat she got agitated so i let her go. She moved away about 3 metres and her back legs collapsed (to the left again) and she lay down.
This was two days ago. She has been ok since but has a wet sounding cough. She coughs only once every few hours like she is trying to clear her throat. She has been eating and has managed a small poo.
The MRI came back clear.
Due to the stress of taking her to the vet, the vet has decided its unnecessary to check for meningitis, and has suggested we start a course of anti-epilepsy drug (pheno-barbital). I am nervous of!
Do you have any suggestions please?
Thanks for your comment Will. Have any of these doctors checked for pancreatitis? I ask because that is what caused my cat to start having seizures. If they are truly stress induced, and the doctor has ruled out the chance of it being pancreatitis, I would try using natural calming agents first. Lavender is a good oil to use. You don’t give it to your cat or even put it on her, you simply use it in an oil diffuser away from where she can reach it. You can also try feliway spray which is typically used for spraying issues but can help with all kinds/types of stress related issues with cats. You can read about it more on their site HERE. I would add unflavored pedialyte to her water for a few days. Do it in a 50/50 ratio and change it twice a day. Do this for only 5 days max. This will ensure she doesn’t become hydrated. Stress, specially high levels of it, can cause a cat to lose their appetite but so long as she is drinking, don’t worry too much. If you know of a food she really enjoys, try giving her that, even if it is considered a treat. I hope she feels better soon! And try not to worry too much. Our stress can be sensed by cats and this in-turn cause more stress on her..
Thank you very much!
I have just been on the phone with the vet. She had considered Pancreatitis but ruled it out due to a number of clinical factors and her bloods.
My wife and I have been talking this morning and decided that we will try and provide her with a calm environment for a couple of weeks using herbs/oils etc. before thinking about any kind of drugs. The vet was very supportive of this also, and I think her initial suggestion of drugs was more a product of us being in a country where it is expected of doctors to ‘fix’ problems immediately.
Thank you for your suggestions of products to use too.
Thank you for this information. I have a 12 year old calico who lives in my bookstore – loves people, very social, very sweet, very healthy. She rarely has to go to the vet. But the past couple of days I noticed she didn’t seem to be feeling well. So I took her in this morning. They were going to do a urinalysis and bloodwork. When the vet tried to draw blood from her neck, she missed the vein. The new assistant helping her was very timid and afraid of being bitten, and I think Maddie sensed her nervousness. I should have stepped in and help her myself, but I didn’t – bad on me. Anyway, Maddie then urinated all over the table and herself. The assistant took her to the back to wash the urine off her and get the other tech to draw her blood. She seemed fine when they took her back. Just minutes later they brought her back in wrapped in a towel, her head was laying to the side and she was drooling, panting, and growling deep in her throat. The assistant laid her on the table and Maddie just laid there growling and panting. I went nuts, and the vet said “Oh my God – what happened??!!!” The assistant just shrugged and said she didn’t know. So the vet called the other girl up, and she said that she hit the vein and got the blood with no problem, but when they put Maddie in the sink she went baliistic and then had what I guess was a stress seizure. The vet thought she was having a stroke, I thought she was dying. So I was crying and holding her and talking to her. She pooped on the table. The vet listened to her heart and thought she heard a murmur. So they turned the lights down in the room and turned the A/C up to cool the room and told me to just sit with her and talk quietly and pet her for a few minutes. After a few minutes, Maddie sat up and soon stopped panting, and finally calmed down. The vet came back in and turned the lights up, and Maddies eyes looked better and she was calmer, so the vet did an ultrasound on her heart and listened to it again. She said the murmur was gone, and her heart looked fine. Her blood work was good, and other than a bit of a kidney infection all seemed to be okay. So they sent us home. By the time I got her back to the store, she was acting fine – she had a little bit of food, then went off to lay down in her spot. I have checked on her several times, and she seems to be fine. Is there anything I should know or watch for? The vet said it was a stress seizure, so I came home to look it up and found your page. Your article has put my mind more at ease though of course I am still worried about her. I had never heard of this and am very concerned. She has never had a bath or been put in a sink, and with a nervous assistant it may have just been too much. But I will NEVER NEVER NEVER let anyone take my cat from me to go to the lab again – I will go or I will find another vet!!! Does this sound like your experience with Stress Seizures? Thanks for your help
Thank you for your comment Gayle. I am sorry she had to go through that. In my experience, Twiggy had his seizures brought on by a severe infection but once a cat has them, they can happen again during high stressful times. The kidney infection could have brought it on so make sure she gets a lot of rest and fluids for the next few weeks. Another thing that can bring on a stress seizure is a panic attack which is what it sounds like happened here. The best advice I can give you is to keep your bookstore as calm as possible. Don’t allow anything in her life that may cause her a lot of stress. You may also want to find another clinic just in case it was a panic attack that brought it on. She will associate that clinic with the fear/danger and will likely have another one just like humans do. If a cat is not used to being in water or in a tub with water, they will panic.
Prior to one happening, you will notices a glazed look to the eyes and an unresponsiveness to you/your voice or their surroundings. Every cat is different after this point. I know Twiggy is about to have one because he will let out a bellowing meow and fall to his side. He then will stiffen up his legs and just shake. He hasn’t wet himself during the last two he has had but he seldom has them anymore now that I know what they are. I agree with you 100% about never letting your cat leave your sight. Vets and their assistants mean well but they do not know your cat like you do. I worked as a veterinarian assistant and have seen how stressful a trip to the vet can be. Again, I am sorry she went through this and you as well. I know how terrifying it can be. I am glad my article helped calm you down a bit. Please do not worry, stress seizures rarely do harm to cats and the only reason they can be deadly is if they are in direct danger of harms way (having one in/near a street, up high, ect).
Hello, I have three ginger toms, one is twelve years old and the other two are two years and brothers. One of the brothers is a very socially anxious boy, he doesn’t like visitors, loud noises, or being petted too much. He has had stress induced seizures when he has had to go to the vets; these usually happen just as we are leaving the house. I have tried putting a blanket over the cat carrier, but it doesn’t prevent the seizure from happening. Recently, he has started having them in his sleep. He panics, wakes up and runs out of the house, and i have to look for him because he is usually disoriented and can’t find his way back home. He has a seizure once every 3 or so months but now that it’s started happening whilst he is asleep, it’s happening more frequently. Last night he had one and I found him under a parked car across the road, soaking wet. I’m worried that he may get hit by a car or injure himself some other way, plus his brother, who has always been very loving towards him, started uncontrollably hissing and growling at him last night when I brought him home. He is always exhausted after a seizure and the vet hasn’t been able to come up with a plan, plus vet trips trigger seizures so I just need to know what to do to help him without drugging him up please.
Thanks for your comment Jordan. Stress induced seizures can be tricky because you have to mind all the triggers. If he is having them in his sleep, he may be having nocturnal panic attacks which then become seizures. While he is having a seizure he will be unable to run or walk properly so when he does run out of the house, it is likely do to having a panic attack. Firstly, never under any circumstances let him outside. He is at higher risk of getting hit by a car or hurt by something else. The other cat is likely smelling other animals on him and that is why he is not happy. What you can try is a mix of natural oils and pheromones. I have personally used Feliway which is a natural pheromone spray that relaxes cats (most commonly used for spraying issues). You can read more about that HERE on their site. As for the natural oils, lavender works very well. You do not want to use it directly on your cat but rather use it in an oil burner away from the cats. It will scent your home thus making it more relaxing. Since the vet has no answers for you, it is best to avoid taking him there. A lot of cats have high levels of stress from going in cars, cages, or simply somewhere they do not enjoy. Other things to do to help calm him is avoid catnip for the time being. Do not over feed or under feed him. When using anything loud in the home, allow him to be in a closed off space he will feel safe in. Bedrooms are best for this as he will be able to hide under the bed. Do not pet him or pick him up unless he approaches you for it. Sometimes it helps to have hiding options around the house to reduce stress. The easiest and cheapest way of doing this is using cardboard boxes. You can have one in each room. As mentioned above, it appears he is having panic attacks along side the seizures and it is very common to be completely exhausted after either one of these. Be sure he has quiet space to sleep. I hope he feels better soon and the tips I have given you help. These aren’t permanent but will be reoccurring so long as high levels of stress keep happening.
Thanks!