Cat Licking and Weird Behavior

Question
Dr. Fry:

For over a week, my cat Osker (2 yrs old) has been running around like he is running away from something, and licking and biting his back and paws. His back also twitches when this happens.

I have observed this behavior every other day, at least once a day. When it happens, his heart beats rapidly and his nose, ears and paws turn bright pink and he is very warm. His ears go back and he looks very uncomfortable. He usually clams down if I put him under the quilt on my bed (and he'll lie there with his back twitching and heart racing for hours). Sometimes, I cannot get him to stay under the covers and he'll lick and run around for hours.  Yesterday, he did not settle down for 4 hours.  After he finally stayed in one place (under the covers), he did not leave that spot all night -- at least 8 hours (also unusual for him), and I tried to move him but he wouldn't move (although he wagged his tail).

I took Osker to his vet on Friday. The vet said his kidney felt fine, and it did not seem like Osker was constipated. She also did not see any flaking of the skin or other signs of skin irritation. He is an indoor cat and has no sign of fleas or ticks. She gave him a steriod shot to help ease itching in case he did have some irritation, but that did not seem to help.

Nothing has changed in the environment of my apartment. Is it possible this is some weird nervous reaction, or might there be a more serious underlying cause? My vet said to give it another week to see if it stops, but it is really upsetting to watch Osker go through this.

Thank you for your help.

Angie  

Answer
This is either a hyperaesthesia reaction or a type of seizure.  I would recommend feeding him an all-natural diet that is void of preservatives and dyes.   You could also try some flower essences to see if that helps him...

www.floweressencemagazine.com/feb04/obsessiveconpulsive.html

www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/articles/bach.htm

www.amtil.com/flweressences.html


In addition, a blood panel would be a good idea to check organ function, electrolytes, calcium and blood sugar levels to make sure there isn't any underlying metabolic problems.

More on hyperaesthesia....

One aberrant behaviour triggered by stress is Feline Hyperaesthesia Syndrome (FHS) which causes cats to perform repetitive, often violent or self-destructive behaviour, including over-grooming. Affected cats have been know to lick or chew away their fur, obsessively bite their own flanks or tails, or repeatedly attack the owner. In some cases, cats have damaged their tails so severely that amputation was needed. FHS seems to be normal behaviour repeated to an abnormal (excessive) degree. The cat becomes fixated on a particular activity. Like animals pacing or swaying in barren zoo cages, the behaviour provides an outlet and becomes a reward in itself. Most reports of FHS come from the USA. Reports from the UK are rare, probably because the majority of cats are free to go outdoors where the environment is more stimulating.

FHS can be treated with valium, although this powerful drug can turn affected cats into feline zombies. Now, Parker and others are experimenting with other psychoactive drugs such as clonazepam, imipramine and megestrol acetate, all of which modify behaviour by blocking specific neurotransmitters in the brain rather than tranquilizing the cat.

Behaviourists also recommend training, more interaction with the cat or simply more affection to break problem behaviour patterns. Enriching an indoor environment is important for indoor-only cats in the same way that enriching the caged environment is important for zoo animals. Owners tend to forget that cats live in a 3D world and naturally walk along branches, tops of walls etc. They do not live purely at floor level so climbing frames or cat trees with platforms/vantage points at different heights are essential for indoor cats. If the cat can be leash trained or have access to an outdoor pen, this also provides stimulation.