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Why would they be hyperactive with lots of movement if they were in pain?
Greetings!
Our cat had his first dose of chemotherapy under the CHOP protocol this week. The tumour shrank immediately. But he has had this syndrome for 3 months.
I read that –
Tricyclic antidepressants: can put a strain on the liver
SSRIs: incompatible, long-lasting, do not work immediately
Benzodiazepines: risk of paradoxical reactions, nervous system depression
What would you recommend to calm the cat down?
Thank for your answer in advance!
I'm worried my cat is suffering from this, but symptoms are sporadic. Back twitching and running as if scared are not everyday occurrences, but her back and tail have become sensitive, she used to like being touched there. We transitioned her from being an outdoor to now indoor 3 months ago.
There is this freakin stray cat that has been hovering around my house and is making my two cats uncomfortable. Its an unnetuered male that eats there food. I ended up catching it and taking it a mile away and it found its way back. Only after this cat popped up has one of my cats been twitching. Smh. Next time i catch this stray cat, its going to the humane society.
Who tf can afford all these test?😮
I had a cat who would rip out huge chunks of her own fur and during the same episode she would ripple her skin and run around with her back legs squeezed together. . I kept her shaved. The HS said it was because she was stressed in that tiny cage. I think it was her anal glands. I would take her in when she had this happen and one would be FULL. Make sure you keep the Anal glands cleaned out. Those must be excruciating when they are full.
My cat has had head shaking from 8 weeks old. She's 8 months old now and the shaking hasn't stopped but now she has excessive grooming, I call it cat parkour she could literally be recorded and used as a sound track when she gets the "zooms" And parkours off the walls and the back of my head. She screams through the house
Are CBD drops going to help ?
All I heard from the video is We have no idea what we are doing. We will do all the expensive tests and give a random medication untill things get better
You pronounce skeletal quite oddly.
I thought my cat originally may have had this but unfortunately it doesn't sound quite right. His back feet/legs continually twitch while he's at rest.. they never stop. That's it no other sypmtoms so now I'm guessing neurological? Will have to save up for that tho.
My cat bite their tail again and again and blood comes and licking their body all time i'm 100% sure FHS, can uh please give me a solution😭please, will he be alright please in tell me?? He comes out this syndrome??

Do cats with flea infestations or flea allergies run around wildly? Our cat just got treated for fleas and seemingly still has the same issue.
For us it was an issue with his anal glands, doc pressed them out and he is back to normal for 3 weeks now already 🙄 He showed the exact same symptoms as FHS, ao we would have never thought it was his butt (which looked perfectly pristine)
My cat is doing all of these things…it only started when I put a new flea collar on him.i thought it was possible that he had an allergic reaction to the collar as well don’t have any issues with fleas just using it as a precautionary
great video! my sibling and their cat have been going thru these steps of making sure its not something else for the passed 4 months. theyre starting the kitty on an anti-depressant rn to see how he does. this video really helped us to fully understand what this process will look like going forward!! hoping the meds work 🫶 thanks again for the video! its so informative
This is the first of your video's I've seen, and I clicked to watch because I have cats and I'm always looking for information to help me be a better cat parent. I rescued a cat around 3 years ago from the local shelter who is very vocal, and the video described this cat so well. He's never been diagnosed, and I'd never heard of this, so I would've never thought to ask his vet about it. He will have episodes where the skin on his back will ripple and roll, and he will shoot through the house like his tail is on fire. He is a lovable cat and wants to be petted but only for short periods as he tends to be overstimulated very easily. He prefers to only be petted on top of his head and around his ears. The first year we had him was difficult because he would seem fine and would seek out attention from us only to quickly turn into Catzilla. During these episodes he would scratch or bite at us, meow loudly, take off running like he was being chased, and when he stopped running would bite and chew his claws. We quickly found that if we touched him during those times he would scratch or even bite us. He also will not tolerate anyone touching his back. When he is going through one of these episodes, he will sometimes attack my husband's cane (that he uses due to mobility issues), and not because it moved, he will chase his own shadow and obsessively lick the wall. I know cats get the zoomies, but this is so far beyond any zoomies I've seen from any of the cats I've had.
Thanks so much for the information given in this video, now I know what I should mention to his vet.
thank you
My almost 4 year old female cat has these weird back twitches throughout the day and is always grooming. She is long-haired and tuxedo-ish (black and white). She does not have zoomies but hates people touching her and reacts violently at hands, swatting and biting even at myself (her main caregiver). She might even ask for cuddles by leaning her head but will then attack afer she's "done" or "doesn't want" pets anymore. She also despises being held.. but she used to be the cuddliest of girls and loved being pet and purred a lot. It's been years since I last heard her purr. Unfortunately, she was fixed at 8 months under my brother's care (I was living abroad due to covid) and was forced by vets to get her blood drawn for pre-surgery process. I really think she has hypersensitivity and want to help her 🙁
My cat has this now for 7 years. It started when he was 2 years old. When he was 2,5 years, he reached the worst of it. After everything has been ruled out by a vet, a lot of changes have to be made to find the triggers. These can be different. Psychological as well as physical. Flea medication was a trigger here, as were essential oils.
Also cereals and sugar in the food and plastic toys/bowls.
It took a good 4 months for the attacks to subside. He has now been virtually seizure-free for a year, with maybe one or two bad days.
Thank you for this video. There is more information here than what my vet offered at our last appointment two months ago. My American Shorthair is almost 9 years old. When he was a young adult, he began over grooming. My vet and the dermatologist agreed that we give my cat cyclosporine capsules. The med stopped the need to over groom. A year or two later, my cat began to ocassionally urinate outside of his litterboxes. After a thorough exam (we have two full exams a year), it was decided my cat should take fluoxetine capsules. The fluoxetine has helped, though there is an ocassional “accident”. My cat has always been super-friendly and cool about being touched, picked up, petted, etc. It’s so odd that the vet says that stress is the reason my cat has litterbox issues. The most stress he gets is having the meds shoved in his mouth everyday. About two months ago, my cat began to have FHS symptoms. It doesn’t occur every day, but it is worrisome to me. He doesn’t seem to be in pain. I apply Revolution Plus once a month even though he’s an indoor cat. I interact with him throughout the day and have regular playtime. I guess all I can do now is keep an eye on him to make sure it doesn’t get worse.
Recently noticed my cat back twitching when I petted him yesterday night. In my experience I haven’t witnessed my cat bite his tail or hiss at it. I do noticed at times he bites his paws areas not all the time but sometimes. I probably got it confused for zoomies. He does groom but mostly after eating. Maybe it’s not as severe but I’m done petting his back from now on and provide a relaxing environment
I had no idea my cat was in pain for so long. I thought he was just a bastard.
One of my cats has episodes of this, always when the weather is cold and dry. They'll go on for days or weeks and then suddenly stop and she'll be back to normal. I wish I understood more clearly what's causing the episodes for her. All I can think is that her skin gets too sensitive when it's dry. I have another cat and she's never acted like this.
One of my cats has this. I have him on gabapentin (I just open a 100 mg pill and mix it in his wet food) – problem solved and he's soooo much happier. It started happening when he was about 4 (now he's 12). We think it's a back issue – but on the gaba – he's pain and skin-rippling and jumping around, free. He's a rescue btw, all black with amber eyes. The videos are exactly like the symptoms he had years ago. We highly recommend gabapentin, as long as it's indicated for your cat.
My cat doesn't have the rippling but he sucks his tail and his back is so sensitive to the touch that it's like he winces.
Thanks very much! I have a new little lady named Katy. She was an outdoor cat, but now is strictly indoor, though I have a screenroom and a catio I built for my other 2 cats. Katy is exhibiting the symptoms you spoke of. Katy has been taken to the vet twice now, for check-ups. The vet did not observe any peculiar behavior. Would a vet pick up on this diagnosis easily?
I have a 4 year old Siamese Snow Shoe. At first he had these symptoms along with urinating and making bowel movements in random areas even though his litter box was clean. I took him to the vet, they confirmed that he had a UTI with the help of blood work and urine analysis, I was advised to change to prescription cat food. He was on the dry cat food for 6 months and then began to have the same symptoms, except there was no urinating and no bowel movements, and his back twitching/random bursts of energy got so constant that he was running across the house trying to hide in cupboards. Took him to the vet again. The veterinarian looked at him, felt his stomach and said “He’s having a intolerance to his cat food.” Told me to change it again. He’s been on another type of wet prescription cat food for over 2 weeks and these symptoms have gotten so aggressive that he cries in pain… breaks my heart. His symptoms are COMPLETELY what she explained in this video… I’m making another appointment with a vet and bringing this up. I pray they don’t disregard me!! (Cat is having attack as I’m writing this)
My wife and I have tried everything we could think of at home to help our cats obsessive, aggresive licking of his back and butt. We thought he developed an allergy so we have done an elimination diet. No poultry and grains. Didn't help. Reintroduced grains, nothing. Salmon oil to put in his dinner. High quality wet foods. Multi-nutrient powder for each meal. Flea medication. Brushing regularly. Plenty of toys. Giving him lots of love consistently. Feed him at the same time. Nothing has helped. I just found out about FHS about an hour ago and did a deep dive to then find your video. Amazing information! Our cat has all of these symptoms. I thought all cats' backs twitched/rolled if it itched like you'll see horses or cows do with flies. He is extremely vocal. He will be sleeping on my chest then out of nowhere go sprinting off me like he just saw a ghost. Will stare up at the ceiling like he is seeing stuff. Aggressive licking of his back with dilated pupils. Chewing his feet and butt/base of his tail. He doesn't bite and scratch us as much as he used to. I thought that was just because he has gotten older, but he used to a ton. I feel so thankful we now have a glimmer of hope to get our little dude back to being himself. Will be taking him to the vet asap to exclude a bacterial infection, neurological disorders, etc. and see if FHS is the issue. Thank you for this video! I've been feeling so bad for my little man not knowing what to do. Thanks again!
So I adopted my new cat from the humane society about 6 months ago.. never was told anything other than he's healthy. He always had issues with his bum being touched, you can't pet him from head to tail.. he will swat or turn around and bite.. he's a super sweet boy otherwise. Recently he's been having "episodes" .. his back starts rolling, he will attack his tail or try to bite his bum area. He will also go crazy, run around and bounce off the walls. These episodes look identical to the videos I've watched. I'd really like to take him to the vet, but I recently just lost 1 cat to cancer after spending so much to try and keep her.. I have another cat under going tests at the moment for chronic diarrhea.. so I'm affraid I can't afford to take another cat into the vet right now. In the mean time Is there any natural anti-inflammatory or allergy remedy I can try?
People can afford an MRI for their cat??? We don’t even have these vet specialties. Definitely not in my budget. I can just about do an X-ray.
Hi Doc,
Thank you for sharing. I think this may be an underlying issue for our 4 y/o male. He's had some urinary issues for the last year, crystals that went to cystitis/trouble urinating/bouts of incontinence. He's on the RX C/D multi-stress food, 80/20 wet/kibble. His urinalysis, blood work, ultra sound and xray are all good.
He's exhibited the exact spasms/behavior shown at 1:25 since he was about 1 y/o, 2 years preceeding any of the urinary issues. He'd get those spasms and then get very upset at his tail and attack it for 5-20 minutes or however long it takes us to calm him down. Also very prevalent around 9pm at night, almost like clock work. Also sometimes in the morning around 6-7am when he wakes up.
Currently on Prozac and gabapentin but we think the prolonged gaba use could be a contributing factor for the incontinence. Switching him to pregabalin to see if it manages the pain well enough and hopefully removes the incontinence.
In any case, bringing up FHS to my vet to see if she feels maybe it's worth adjusting treatment.
Is this syndrome harmful and necessary to diagnosis? I’ve noticed the symptoms happen about three times. First time was when he was obviously stressed by a neighbors dog. Next time, I did some aggressive petting. Third time seemed somewhat random. He twitches but not to the point of hurting himself. Can reducing stress and not petting the back be enough?
have been suspecting my cat to have been suffering for this for a while, have started the process of seeing a vet + process of exclusion. Multiple check overs with anaesthesia, X-RAY, medication trials with her currently on gabapantine and lexicom which I'm sure is a muscleo-skeletal medication. Urine tests have been done. The back rippling and growling, and random aggressiveness, has been going on for a while but we had no idea what to think of it. She violently attacked my partner (they own her and have had her since a kitten) for the first time during an episode that looks similar to these – tail twitching and rippling and growing at seemingly the pain. Next step is an MRI for four thousand pounds or a specialist for similar money which is simply impossible, in UK just now too and vets are being looked into for wildly overcharging. The medication seems to be helping but just so difficult to keep up with the costs and adding more necessary meds on top, I see the stress on her face and just feel awful. Just want my happy cat back 🙁
I’m really tired of YouTubers saying things like “you’re not going to want to miss this”. 🙄. Also, why is she whispering?
I have 2 cats with this. She always had an issue being pet too much and noticed the ripple when she gets pet. Sometimes it does it on its own and she also over grooms. Then I adopted an older cat that attacks her tail and I noticed the ripple, think it’s linked to when she’s stressed
Glad I found this video, my cat recently started showing these symptoms. Thought it had something to do with her recently being spayed. So I took her to the vet for an exam/physical and a fully body blood work exam. Vet said they only found traces of parasite cells but everything else was normal, she has been dealing with fleas recently, as my roommate brought their cat over from a different state and she had fleas. I've been applying a topical, constantly vacuuming and grooming them with a flea comb. I've dealt with fleas before and have gotten rid of them so hoping for the same result and do hope that this is just from the fleas. Was hard to tell if she was acting this way the last time she had fleas because she was also in heat a lot and those symptoms were more noticeable / frequent.
usually fhs symptoms are so obvious knowing that cat is healthy and if seizures come right after huge stress.. there is no point in spending tons of money on kt, mri and testing different meds on your cat! when my cat was diagnosed with fhs, it took him 3 days to develop crazy symptoms, without gabapentin treatment it would just get insane! thankfully one of the doctors just told me to send a video of full episode. now my cat is treated and happy for 5 years already
I think my cat has this. I watched the video and it sounds like vets don’t have any clue what it really is and how to treat it.
I adopted my cat when she was about 6 months. She’s had it since then, she’s 2 years…I thought she was just a bit crazy 😢 I feel bad I never though it could be something else
My cat has this but she doesn’t have fleas, our house is really clean, and she’s only one years old. Her skin doesn’t ripple but she bites at her tail and runs away or jumps on the couch. She also looks at her tail and hits it on the floor and runs away. What do we do? We took her to the vet twice and she’s still doing it!
This describes my cat to a Perfect T. He just put his paw under my eye. His claws werent fully extended but they were out. Thank God he didn't scratch my eye but he could have, very easily.
my cat has been having issues that are the symptoms described in this video her whole life verbatim, and steroids, flea treatments, and worm treatments all failed. Now it's too the point that she will overgroom the same three areas on her body until she is bleeding/raw from it. This gives me a lot more information to bring to my new vet about this, so thank you so so much! Quick question, is this any more/less common in cats who are also deaf? My cat is white with blue eyes and has been deaf from birth.
this is the best video on youtube about Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. Thank you so much for doing it.
Thank you so much!! Can't wait to learn more from you.
I think one of our ferrel cats has this. I think it is also a post axial extra toes.
Thank you, still not sure, she has all the symptoms, the vet looked no fleas present, felt around her, and looked in her eyes, she got the all clear of everything, so I suspect this condition.
She gets very agitated with this, and wants to be near me, the scariest thing is her staring at the corner, seems since my dog passed away, she does it a lot when she has her episode, also her eyes widen and she stares for some time.😢
My cat gets crazy zoomies