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what causes an adult cat to make one of its paws twitch??
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kittylover55 posted:
I have an adult cat that is 5 years old and without warning will have either a back or front paw that just twitches like something bit her. But she has no fleas as she gets Frontline every month and doesn't go outside. There is nothing on the floor or her bedding that i can see. It doesn't seem to bother her much just seems more annoying than anything to her.

What could be causing her paws to do that? How can i stop her from doing that or can i stop her??
5 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:what causes an adult cat to make one of its paws twitch??I have an adult cat that is 5 years old and without warning will have either a back or front paw that just twitches like something bit her. But she has no fleas as she gets Frontline every month and doesn't go outside. There is nothing on the floor or her bedding that i can see. It doesn't seem to bother her much just seems more annoying than anything to her.<br /><br />What could be causing her paws to do that? How can i stop her from doing that or can i stop her??
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ooooy responded:
I'm no vet, but my cat does this when so much as a piece of carpet falls onto his paw! Your cat may just have some sort of harmless habbit. If you're worried about it, maybe a vet appointment would clear things up. If it bothers you that he does that, you could always ask a friend or neighbour that has a cat.
Report This| Share this:what causes an adult cat to make one of its paws twitch??I'm no vet, but my cat does this when so much as a piece of carpet falls onto his paw! Your cat may just have some sort of harmless habbit. If you're worried about it, maybe a vet appointment would clear things up. If it bothers you that he does that, you could always ask a friend or neighbour that has a cat.
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Violets_are_Blue responded:
She may think something's touching her paw. Just acting like I'm touching my cat's paw makes her flick her foot. It could have become a habit, much like things humans do often. If it happens a few times in a row, it may be a muscle tic/spasm that generally is harmless. I know that sometimes the muscles in my arm start to spasm for no real reason and can last for a few minutes. If it begins to get worse, affect her whole body, or she seems disoriented after it happens, a vet exam should be done to make sure she isn't suffering from epilepsy.

A good way to tell if it's increasing in frequency is keeping a log book on these little twitches. If you still feel concerned about it, always be safe than sorry and call your vet.
Report This| Share this:what causes an adult cat to make one of its paws twitch??She may think something's touching her paw. Just acting like I'm touching my cat's paw makes her flick her foot. It could have become a habit, much like things humans do often. If it happens a few times in a row, it may be a muscle tic/spasm that generally is harmless. I know that sometimes the muscles in my arm start to spasm for no real reason and can last for a few minutes. If it begins to get worse, affect her whole body, or she seems disoriented after it happens, a vet exam should be done to make sure she isn't suffering from epilepsy. <br /> <br />A good way to tell if it's increasing in frequency is keeping a log book on these little twitches. If you still feel concerned about it, always be safe than sorry and call your vet.
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AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Bonnie Beaver, BS, DVM, MS responded:
Interesting behavior and very observant owner. Without seeing the behavior to know exactly, there are several things to consider. One is that the cat has extremely sensitive skin so any little thing, even a breeze, could trigger nerve endings to give a sensation to react to. Some cats have very mild seizures that are seen as muscle twitches. You are addressing the possibility of fleas so that is not likely to be the problem for your cat. There is also a condition that can affect the nerve endings where they meet the muscles (as in feline hyperesthesia syndrome) that has been described, although it is usually manifested in a more significant way. This will also happen in certain stages of sleep.

Because it doesn't seem to bother her, I would just view it as a curiosity. Only if it gets significantly worst or worrisome to the cat should you become concerned.
Report This| Share this:what causes an adult cat to make one of its paws twitch??Interesting behavior and very observant owner. Without seeing the behavior to know exactly, there are several things to consider. One is that the cat has extremely sensitive skin so any little thing, even a breeze, could trigger nerve endings to give a sensation to react to. Some cats have very mild seizures that are seen as muscle twitches. You are addressing the possibility of fleas so that is not likely to be the problem for your cat. There is also a condition that can affect the nerve endings where they meet the muscles (as in feline hyperesthesia syndrome) that has been described, although it is usually manifested in a more significant way. This will also happen in certain stages of sleep.<br /> <br />Because it doesn't seem to bother her, I would just view it as a curiosity. Only if it gets significantly worst or worrisome to the cat should you become concerned.
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shellgg replied to Bonnie Beaver, BS, DVM, MS's response:
One of my cats has been doing this for years. He will spontaneously twich and run around the house. When it first started, I took him to the vet. He said its just a nervouse habit and that one of his cats does it too. Hope this helps.
Report This| Share this:what causes an adult cat to make one of its paws twitch??One of my cats has been doing this for years. He will spontaneously twich and run around the house. When it first started, I took him to the vet. He said its just a nervouse habit and that one of his cats does it too. Hope this helps.
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lotsofpaws replied to shellgg's response:
My cat has been doing this and the spontaneous running around the room and at times claws my legs. She has had an anal gland problem for years and was told by her vet her breed Maine Coon is pron to this problem. She begins to flick her front paw around every 2 months and we take her in for extraction. =( Our vet has said liquid is very thick but not as much as early on now. A while back we started giving her a little more fiber in her meal as her stool was always so small and seems to be getting bigger with a terrible odor so maybe it is helping to clean her glands out. Hope this helps.
Report This| Share this:what causes an adult cat to make one of its paws twitch??My cat has been doing this and the spontaneous running around the room and at times claws my legs. She has had an anal gland problem for years and was told by her vet her breed Maine Coon is pron to this problem. She begins to flick her front paw around every 2 months and we take her in for extraction. =( Our vet has said liquid is very thick but not as much as early on now. A while back we started giving her a little more fiber in her meal as her stool was always so small and seems to be getting bigger with a terrible odor so maybe it is helping to clean her glands out. Hope this helps.<img src=http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/exchange/images/btn_submit_orange.gif class=post_img />
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