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Have you ever seen a cat suddenly stop what they’re doing, freeze for a moment, then jump straight up into the air and take off running like a hellhound was after them?
For most cats, this is pretty common behavior – it’s simply a way to burn off excess energy or initiate play. But for some cats, this behavior can be part of a disorder known as “Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome”, a rare medical condition that affects the brain and causes bizarre and frustrating symptoms in cats.
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, or FHS, can cause such severe and dramatic changes in a cat’s behavior that some owners swear their poor cat is possessed. It can affect cats of all ages, but it usually appears for the first time in afflicted cats between the ages of 1 and 5 years.
Called “twitchy cat syndrome”, “rippling (or rolling) skin syndrome”, or more technically “atypical neurodermatitis”, FHS is generally thought to be either a form of epilepsy or a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Another theory suggests that it has a genetic component (since it’s more common in Siamese, Burmese, Abyssinian, and Persian cats) that’s triggered by chronic stress and anxiety. Recently, research experts have suggested that FHS is caused by a problem with the electrical activity in areas of the brain that control emotion, grooming, and predatory behavior.
The word hyperesthesia means “abnormally increased sensitivity of the skin.” Although no one knows for sure what causes Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, one thing we do know is that the poor cats who suffer from this disorder appear to be tormented by stimuli or sensations from which they can’t escape.
Symptoms of Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome
Generally, cats with FHS will suddenly stop what they’re doing, look startled, and their tail will start swishing back and forth. They typically swing around towards their tail as if something is biting them on the back end. The muscles of the lower back often twitch, causing the skin to appear as if it’s rippling. Some cats will begin frantically licking or biting the skin around their tail, then take off running as if they’re trying to escape from whatever sensations they’re experiencing.
The video below shows a cat apparently in the midst of an episode of FHS:
Other symptoms of Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome include:
- Dilated pupils
- Staring into space with a strange expression
- Loud, persistent meowing
- Self-mutilation, including pulling out clumps of hair and/or biting their own skin
- Sudden mood swings (often from extremely affectionate to aggressive, hyperactive, frightened, or depressed)
- Apparent hallucinations, resulting in chasing things that aren’t there, or running away from an imaginary threat
- Fixation with the tail, including tail chasing or vicious attacks directed at the tail (these can result in serious self-inflicted wounds, some bad enough that they require a portion of the tail to be amputated)
- Extreme sensitivity to touch, especially down the back and around the tail area (many cats with FHS experience episodes immediately after being stroked or petted along the spine)
- Frantic self-grooming directed along the flanks or tail (often leads to patchy hair loss)
- In some cases, drooling and uncontrolled urination
It’s very common for cats to experience seizure-type behavior (falling over, leg-paddling, drooling, or vocalizing) immediately after an episode of FHS, which supports the theory that it may be related to epilepsy.
Episodes of FHS can occur daily, every few days, or weekly, while some cats suffer with bouts almost continuously for days on end. During an episode, it can be very difficult to distract the cat or try to help in any way, making it traumatic and extremely frustrating for cat parents.
Diagnosing FHS
Since there’s no definitive test for Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, it can only be diagnosed by ruling out all other possible causes of the behavior. Cats in general are very sensitive to begin with, and many of the symptoms of FHS can be seen with several other health disorders that affect the skin, muscles, and nervous system, so several tests are usually needed to make sure there are no other underlying health conditions that could be causing the symptoms.

Other conditions that need to be crossed off the list before making a diagnosis of FHS include:
- Flea allergy dermatitis (itching of the skin and hair loss due to a cat’s allergic reaction to flea saliva)
- Fungal skin infections, such as yeast or ringworm
- Epilepsy
- Arthritis
- Pinched nerve or a slipped disc
- Nutritional deficiency
- Mite infection
- Hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone in the bloodstream)
- Toxin exposure
- Pain associated with abscesses, bite wounds, or impacted anal sacs
- Neurological issues such as brain tumor, head trauma, or infection of the brain
If a veterinarian suspects Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, he or she will do a thorough examination and perform several diagnostic tests to rule out any other medical issues. These tests can include blood work (chemistry panel, complete blood count, and thyroid test), skin tests, and/or x-rays. The vet may refer the patient to a neurologist (a specialist in everything related to the nervous system) or a dermatologist (skin specialist).
If you suspect your cat may be suffering from FHS, one of the best things you can do prior to your vet visit is to videotape your kitty during an episode and take the video with you to your appointment.
Treating Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome
Address The Stress
If your cat is diagnosed with FHS, the first step in treating it is to reduce stress or anxiety as much as possible. Things that can trigger severe anxiety in cats include changes in schedule, moving to a new home, adding or losing a family member (including other pets), and aggression amongst other cats in the household. Other triggers may be something as simple as rearranging the furniture in the house, or boredom caused by the cat not getting enough mental stimulation.
Providing consistency in their daily routines, giving them plenty of opportunities to “be cats” (by providing places to climb, sleep, scratch, and hide), and making them feel safe are some of the best ways to reduce anxiety in cats.

Other tips for reducing stress include:
- Playing with your cat daily to give him both mental and physical exercise (feather toys on a wand work well for this).
- Providing interactive toys that can also be used by your cat when you’re not with him, such as puzzle feeders, ball tracks (which contain a ball inside a circular track), or any other toy that moves or interacts with him when he plays with it.
- Hiding dry treats around the house so he has to hunt for them.
- Feeding at least twice a day on a regular schedule.
- Making your home more cat-friendly by adding window perches, kitty condos (which provide vertical territory for cats), fish tanks, scratching posts, cat trees, and cat shelves (a series of staggered shelves mounted to the wall that create a kitty highway above the ground.)
Drug Therapy
Although there are currently no FDA-approved medications for treating Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, there are existing medications that can help reduce the severity of symptoms.
One class of drugs that seems to be particularly helpful for kitties with FHS are serotonin-enhancers. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps stabilize mood, reduce aggression, and counteract obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Prozac®, Clomicalm®, Paxil®, and Zoloft® are all potent serotonin-enhancers.
Since FHS is also thought to be related to epilepsy, some vets prescribe the anti-seizure medication phenobarbital, which can be combined with other drugs used to treat FHS for a customized treatment protocol that is unique to each cat. Gabapentin, another anti-seizure medication that’s also used to treat nerve pain in humans, is also showing great promise for treating FHS in cats.
The goal of drug therapy is to find a balance where the cat is not sedated, but still experiencing as few bouts of FHS as possible. Once that happens, the dosage can be gradually reduced until the cat can be weaned off the drug(s) completely. However, some cats with FHS may require lifelong medication.
Alternative Options
Acupuncture and massage therapy are additional treatment methods that are gaining favor in the veterinary community for treatment of FHS. It’s thought that these are effective by helping to reduce stress and nervous system overstimulation.
Not Just “Psycho Kitties”
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome it not a life-threatening disorder, but for the cats who experience it, it can dramatically impact their quality of life. Even though once it appears it doesn’t tend to progress or get much worse, FHS can put affected cats at risk for infections from scratching and biting at their own skin. And as you can imagine, the mental stress of constantly feeling tormented by a force from which they can never escape must be incredibly frustrating for them!
If you suspect that your cat may be suffering from FHS, please don’t hesitate to discuss it with your veterinarian. Although FHS is not considered completely curable, with stress management techniques and the right use of medication, it is possible to manage it and give your kitty a happy, comfortable life.
Have you ever seen a cat with Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome? Please tell us about it in the comments below!
My old cat has had increasing levels of hyperesthesia, to the point of screaming in pain. It was really awful to watch so I can’t imagine what it was like for her. I did all the research and thought I would have to resort to barbiturates.
My vet gave me a box of Zylkene to try – it’s a supplement made out of milk products (casein), and an anxiety-reliever.
We’ve played with the dosage – half a day – and she is totally improved – to the point that all the fur she pulled out in distress is growing back, and she rarely has episodes. It’s unbelievable!
My vet is surprised at how well it works!
Hi Christine! I’m so glad you shared your story, as I had never heard of Zylkene before, so I was very eager to learn more about it. In addition to what you had said about it being an anxiety-reliever, I also learned that the specific milk protein in it also targets inflammatory mediators in the body, which helps reduce inflammation. Since no one is sure what actually causes Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, it’s fascinating to think that in addition to the anxiety component, maybe there could be an inflammatory response going on in FHS cats as well?
I’m so happy to hear that Zylkene is helping your kitty! I can’t imagine what these poor cats go through with this disorder. It’s wonderful that you’re able to manage her episodes without having to resort to stronger pharmaceutical drugs. Thank you again for sharing! 🙂
Christine – So relieved for you and your fur baby that relief was achieved! I, too, seek relief for unknown irritants for my cat. Thanks for the tip; maybe Zylkene will work for my cat, too.
Camille – You are a rarity among professionals to have been able to preserve your compassion. Not only has my cat suffered from seemingly undiagnosable irritants, but I have had an uphill battle with the medical professionals who are “treating” him. Pet parents suffer from the frustration of desperately trying to help when some medical professionals cannot or will not recognize the issues.
Thank you so much, Kimberly. Yes, I am a former professional, but I am always a pet parent first! So I know the frustration of searching for answers that are elusive. That’s why I’m such a big believer in getting second, third, fourth (or as many as it takes) opinions, and never accepting “I don’t know” for an answer. I wrote a post on this very topic, titled “Valley Fever in Cats: Jasper’s Story”, if you want to check it out on this site. It illustrates well the importance of doing everything you can to never give up on a diagnosis!
where do I get this Zylkene?
Hi Kaye! You can order Zylkene, which is manufactured by Vetoquinol, online without a prescription from Chewy.com, Amazon, or other retailers. Zylkene’s primary ingredient is derived from a milk protein, so it’s considered to be very safe and can be used long term. Hope this helps! 🙂
My 2 year old tabby recently started displaying symptoms of FHS. I think what brought it on was a recent move and separation anxiety as I went back to work full-time. I purchased Zylkene but the problem I have is that she doesn’t eat wet food and found it difficult to give but I sprinkled it on her dry food but she turned her nose up at it. However ,I did purchased some interactive toys to occupy her while I’m at work and I haven’t noticed her having an episode for 2 or 3 days now😀
Hi, have you tried mixing the Zylkene in a little water or even tuna water and putting it in a syringe and giving it to her in the side of her mouth? Two of my kitties were fighting and it seemed to help.
You could buy some pet version rescue remedy and give her IV drops as often as needed it works for my two I’m looking for something else also I think I’ll try a little bit of melatonin I’ve researched it too
My ragdoll has suddenly changed, almost overnight. His ears started twitching constantly and he shakes his head. He has also now started licking his hind leg and paws constantly. His behaviour has also changed and he has lost his playfulness and and seems withdrawn. I took him to my local vet and he is in perfect health. I am very concerned and don’t know what to do next.
Same exact thing is happening to my 8 month old kitten. I’m really worried since they’re not finding anything on test, and I hate knowing he could be in pain
Yep my daughters ragdoll ended up with it when she was six months old. We didn’t know what was going on either so now she’s five years old and using pet version rescue remedy for drops often as needed. But I’ve been reading about cat melatonin I might try that
Do you know I did use that for one of my other kitties when she lost her sister years ago didn’t seem to help her much I’m leaning toward trying melatonin for my two so weird it’s supposed to be a rare but my daughters ragdoll has it and my two rescues Turkish Angora have it. They both started about seven months old to my daughters cat about six months old Right now we use pet rescue remedy it’s a little bit. I want to try some more natural stuff before I go straight to big pharmaceutical
I have siblings who are now 4 years old. The boy developed the symptoms of FHS when he turned 2. His sister developed it a year later. I have never heard about siblings having this. There is a Facebook group dedicated to FHS & sadly, these cats have a severe case & are on all the anxiety& OCD medications. The people in this group state the symptoms get worse over time. Forty, I have not had that experience.These medications are constantly being adjusted as no one understands how these meds help, every cat reacts differently & they all have risks of long term use. My 2 have a mild case & I have been able to control the episode by distraction. I put healthy treats in a ball circuit & make they dig them out or pick them up and walk around. Neither have any medical issues or trauma to tail/spine. I can pet & brush them. Some people say you can’t touch the area near their tail. My kidz episodes occur 1-2 times a day for a minute or 2. I am always searching for more info & a way to help them. I just received the Zylkene & added 1/2 cap in their dinner last night. My kidz have been on a raw diet since 5 months old & I do add Krill oil, Spurlina, Lactoferrin & Healthy Gut to their food. The raw meat is prepared using EZ Complete which has all the appropriate vitamins/minerals & proper ratios for a complete & balanced diet. The only treats they get are one ingredient freeze dried raw. They don’t get any high processed commercial food. All the supplements are brand specific. I’ll be very observant & anxious to see if the Zlykene helps them.
I have never heard of Zyklene either but I’m willing to give it a try. My kitty has had FHS for 9 years, we’ve tried almost everything at this point. Acupuncture and Phenobarbitol are the only things left. Nothing has worked 100%. It’s been hard. I’m always researching what is the latest so thank you for this.
Hi Charlotte, I’m so sorry to hear about your kitty. 🙁 Hopefully Zyklene can provide some relief! Trying to manage FHS can be incredibly frustrating, but your kitty is very lucky that you haven’t given up. Please keep me posted if you try acupuncture as well, and let me know if it helps!
Can Zylkene be purchased at a local pet supply store or is it only sold by vets?. I am quite interested in trying this product before resorting to stronger pharmaceutical drugs. My cat Chloe started with this syndrome about 2 years ago when she was 4 years old. She was a rescue kitty that we bottle fed since she was 4 days old and she is a wonderful cat but I am on edge at times when she experiences these episodes. Sometimes she actually screams and it is so hurtful to hear her like that but days can go by with nothing gong on and then suddenly the tail twitching and the nervous actions are back. At one point weeks went by and then the episodes started again. Nothing had changed in our lives but I do think she gets bored so I think I will also try the toys that were mentioned and hopefully she will enjoy them. Wondering if the cats ever outgrow this condition? Wish there was more info about it from researchers too. Thank you for any additional info that you may have on this frightening condition.
Hi Carol, I’m so sorry to hear about the FHS episodes Chloe is having. The vocalizations during these episodes can be absolutely heartwrenching to listen to! 🙁 Zylkene is classified as a natural food supplement, so you don’t need a prescription for it. It can be purchased through many different online pharmacies, so you can shop around for the best price. The dosage is based on the weight of the pet. I would recommend letting your veterinarian know that you are planning to purchase it, in case he or she has any input. In my opinion, it would be worth a try before, as you mentioned, having to resort to pharmaceuticals.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much evidence right now that cats are able to outgrow this condition. However, many cats with FHS can experience a noticeable reduction in symptoms with the right combination of treatments, so I’m a big believer in the “keep trying until you find what works for your cat” method! Hopefully there will be more research study findings released in the future, with even more options for treatment. Until then, wishing you the best of luck and success with finding the right combination of what works best for Chloe!
Have not tried Zylkene yet but Chloe seems to take a breather and the episodes seem to come only every few weeks instead of every day. Don’t know what brings these on but I can always tell when she will have an episode as her pupils dilate and of course her tail starts swishing but its not as bad as it has been. She is now 6 years old and I wonder if cats can outgrow this condition?!?
FYI to remember when you give animals meds like phenobarbital they are addicting and you can not just stop the med or they will have withdrawals. My kitty is a rescue about 4 years old and having the rolling back, wide eyes and I believe they do suffer. Talked with the vet. To get an appt. set up. Bunny Overstreet.
I don’t understand why there isn’t more study of this problem. Many cats have it but people just think there cats are strange. Or hyper. Watching our cat go through FHSis so distressing for her and us as well. She is a beautiful long hair orange and white cat that is now about 4 years old. It is actually pitiful. To me it seems like there is something Nurological causing a sudden and severe sharp pain that is able to travel through different areas of the very back quarters
I still swear when she got her shots I noticed a increase on her attacks. I wish there is something I can do but she is the the type that looks at you with half closed eyes and that affectionate look I want to last forever. I am very afraid to drug her. She is 1 1/2 years old And we let the vet give her the next set of shots and at the end of the shot she totally freaked out. Four people couldn’t hold her. She jumped up on a high windowsill freaking out and stood up on her back legs against the window frothing t the mouth Vet gave her something to counteract the drugs. My cat iko get get any shots.
That is why I think it may be the shots. But then a share the Neuro situation.
Are these stories related to sales
Of the product spoken about.
I hope our cats find peace. They deserve it
we discovered that my poor little kitten going through this FHS. Therefore to diverte her mind from the pain she is going through we are encouraging her to go out from home and discover new thing bcoz we notice that when to come from outside to home she is little bit of clam. And we also thinking for changing her dry food to raw food. Please give me suggestion to how to remove this syndrome. This is very painful to see her going through this syndrome.
Hi Mathila! I’m very sorry to hear about your kitten. Unfortunately, since so little is known about FHS, the suggestions in this article (reducing stress, drug therapy, and alternative treatments like acupuncture) are really the only ones that I’m aware of. Have you spoken with your veterinarian about your kitten’s symptoms, and has she been examined by the vet to rule out other causes? If your kitty is truly confirmed to be suffering with FHS, your veterinarian may have additional helpful suggestions to try to alleviate her symptoms.
Also, I think you’re on the right track with observing her and noting what things seem to help her. Since every animal is different, what helps one kitty with FHS might not help another. As pet parents, we have the opportunity to closely monitor our pets and take note of what seems to help them and what doesn’t. That’s what makes this condition so frustrating – so little is known about it, and we are still learning about possible causes and what might help cats who are afflicted with it. 🙁
My five year old cat has hyperesthesia – it came on in him around age 2. I could not for the life of me figure out what was wrong with him and so I resorted to the internet a few years ago to find out what it could be. When I brought him to the vet for another issue, I informed that vet that I felt that this was something he was dealing with, showing her several cell phone videos I’d taken of him when he had been having his “episodes”. She’d never heard of hyperesthesia and she had to look it up in the veterinary computer system and printed out the information and treatment information that I’d already received from a relative who I’d requested it from. The vet ruled out skin issues like fleas and other issues to do with the skin, and we tried Feliway and a spray called MyCodex at the house where I was living at that time. The house was quite old and musty and I figured we’d try whatever we could before going with drugs – and that vet had suggested amitryptyline. He hated the Feliway (turned his nose away at the scent) and the spray may or may not have helped with allergens, but his symptoms continued. I transfered him to a new vet after moving and his new vet who I informed of the hyperesthesia symptoms really didn’t pay any mind to the issue. This cat, who used to be unbelievably happy to go to the vet and be in a new environment, had one bad experience at the new vet (with a thermometer) and he became unbelievably hard to handle whenever we went in (which was not that often, but a couple of times for nasty feline herpes breakouts on his chin and neck). By chance, we got a different vet at our normal clinic the last time we went in for a particularly nasty breakout, and this vet was extremely sweet with him and he didn’t act as anxious as he normally does. I mentioned that he has symptoms of hyperesthesia and that he frequently has skin rippling on his back, bites at it, bites at things on the ground next to him, and then takes off with his back and tail swishing, clearly upset, often meowing and upset, and that he’s been doing it for years. She immediately said that she could offer him medication that’s effective in helping with hyperesthesia, and she went about prescribing him gabapentin. After several weeks of waiting, we have finally received the medication from another veterinary clinic downstate (it’s the only place that can dispense it for some reason), and tonight was the first time my cat was given a half dose of his new meds. I am hopeful that it works for him, and I’ll be sure to report back on his progress if people are interested. I’m really hoping it works for him and that he is offered some peace from these symptoms but isn’t too zonked from the medication. I’ve heard it can be a bit sedating so I’ve started him on just half of what was in a capsule. He’s been prescribed two capsules a day (to go in his wet food). One thing I would mention is that this cat has a lot of OCD-type behaviors that I would say may support the theory that this is a disorder rooted in that type of brain disorder. He is very odd with his litter box and eating behavior. Whenever he eats dry food or uses his litter box, he scrapes his feet on his food bowl or a nearby surface, or the wall next to his litterbox after either eating or using the litter box, and does it an INCESSANT amount. I am unsure what this is about, aside from quirky (and likely to cause us to lose the damage deposit for our apartment), but I’d imagine it has roots in compulsive behaviors. I’ll try to give an update once he’s been on the gabapentin for a bit!
Hi Meghan, thank you so much for this detailed information! First, I was a bit surprised that there are any vets in practice who either don’t know about FHS, or worse, brush it off. This is a very real condition that needs to be taken seriously, as it can greatly affect a cat’s quality of life. It’s interesting that you also see so many OCD-type behaviors in your kitty too. I’ll be interested to hear if the gabapentin helps with either the FHS or the OCD behavior. This drug has both anti-seizure AND pain-relieving properties, making it one of the front-runners for treating FHS.
Your comments also bring up another good point, and that is if the veterinarian you’re currently seeing is not a good match for you or your pet, keep looking. There are so many wonderful vets out there who are willing to work with you to find a solution to your pet’s condition, while making sure that treatment is as stress-free as possible. Just like when we select a human doctor, if the connection and bedside manner are not there, keep trying until you find a great fit.
Thank you again for sharing your story, and please keep us posted on your kitty’s progress! 🙂
I’m really interested to hear how the gabapentin is working. I’m helping a friend with a cat who was diagnosed with Cerebellar Hypoplasia and just started having these episodes and really mutilated her paw. Her vets were not helping much and I offered to help with the cat. We took her to my vet twice now and once I showed him a video of her during an episode he put her on valium. He never heard of FHS. I emailed another vet I knew about through a TNR group and she said when she was reading my email she thought of FHS. Her recommendation was gabapentin. I might try to get her into this other vet. I have had to keep increasing the Valium as it’s not lasting. I just got nailed on my thumb because her paw is finally healing and I’m more worried about her paw than me. Waiting to hear updates hopefully with the gabapentin.
Unfortunately even though I only had Addy for about 6 months and the gabapentin was working great. Addy was declining quickly and was showing signs of a disease I hate and the vet confirmed it
Addy passed away gently in my arms, assisted by my vet. She had developed FIP and there was nothing that could be done. May she RIP until we meet at the rainbow bridge.
Hello. How did your cat do with the Gabapentin? My cat, for the first time last night, began showing symptoms of what appears to be similar to those affiliated with FHS.
Holy moly! My cat also scrapes his feet on surfaces! I’m so glad it’s not just home and that I have found a potential diagnosis for him. His vet hasn’t taken it very seriously.
My cat, Cody, developed hyperesthesia when she was 2 years old. She is now 6, so she and I have been struggling with this for 4 years. Her episodes are so intense that she spins and SCREAMS after the back rolling and the tail swishing. It is terrifying … she has flung herself into a wall, she has fallen off furniture … I am always afraid of how she could hurt herself during episodes.
After 4 years, I still cannot pinpoint a cause or even a trigger. Episodes look like an alien creature has entered her body and is running around inside her while she is trying to catch it or kill it from the outside.
She becomes aggressive before, during, and immediately after episodes. When she feels one coming on, she runs to me for comfort but if I touch her, she will bite or scratch me. When she is not having an episode, I can pet her wherever and whenever I want. He’d condition follows most of how hyperesthesia is described but not everything… and that is partly due to the progress we have made now that we finally found two wonderful vets. One is her general doctor, the other is a specialist in animal behavior.
Before finding these doctors, I too had frustrating experiences with vets who either never heard of feline hyperesthesia, or thought they knew but hadn’t a clue. I showed a video to one vet of Cody spinning and screaming and chasing her own tail and lunging at me … Cody was clearly in heartbreaking distress and this vet said all she saw was a playful kitty.
With our new doctors on board, we went through all the possibilities and ruled them out one by one with tests and with trials on different meds. For example, by X-rays and her lack of response to pain meds , we knew it wasn’t pain … we ruled out skin disorders and allergies, etc. I have always leaned toward stress being the cause but then we will move and she does not have episodes. What could be more stressful for her than moving?
I know that Cody is now an easily frightened cat. She didn’t used to be fearful … she was an excellent traveler, and she was sweet and friendly to everyone. Now that she has hyperesthesia, it is only the very brave very experienced cat person who is not afraid to pet her. I have to keep the children from petting her because she will lash out at them.
She is not an aggressive cat. She is a fearful cat, who has had something taking over her body sometimes 3x a week, sometimes continuously for 3 hours, all day, every day. Imagine what that must be like for her. Trips to the vet have become so traumatic that special arrangements have to be made … she even needs to be sedated for her wellness exam.
So much is unpredictable. But you asked about Gabapentin.
The only thing I know for certain, after trying and failing with different meds, is that if Cody misses a dose of her Gabapentin, her back will start rolling and her tail will start swishing. And if she misses two doses, she will be flying around the house screaming and chasing her tail.
I can’t fully explain why, but Gabapentin is the only thing I know that is helping and the only indication I have that an episode is likely. I breathe a sigh of relief as I write this. I was so reluctant to put Cody on meds at first. But like it is for people, Gabapentin is effective and relatively harmless. I notice no side effects. We had only one other medicine work for us … but it did eventually stop working and it caused life threatening urinary retention. It is possible that at some point Gabapentin may stop working, but I’m sure there are ways to deal with that. At least there is nothing harming Cody from this medicine. And whereas Cody used to have episodes every day, we have gone a week or more without one episode thanks to the gabapentin.
It may not be the same for every cat, but anyone who is trying to decide whether or not to try Gabapentin for their cat with hyperesthesia, my vote is a definite YES!
My cat has the same exact symptoms. She just recently got on gabapentin and it has definitely helped but it is not perfect. The vet also had us go on a special diet. fancy and expensive canned food with the gabapentin and fancy expensive dry food. I have problems with my cat eating the canned with the gabapentin. Any suggestions? Is your cat on a special diet?
Dry food has no place in a cat’s diet. It is the cause of dozens of medical issues in cats: IBD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, urinary track infections, urinary blockages in males, diabetes, dental disease, kidney issues. Commercial wet food is better but, not by much. Unfortunately, when vet’s go to medical school there is nothing in their curry that teaches pet nutrition. Vet’s get their info from the pet food sales rep. A bag of dry food contains mold, bacteria, insects, insect larve & fecal matter. It doesn’t matter the brand or how much the cost. Cats cannot digest anything green, starches, etc. cats are Obligate Carnivores; their bodies are designed to eat meat only. Years of an improper diet these cats suffer in silence until they can’t endure it. By that time it is critical. To learn more go to “cat nutrition: know the basics”, “truth about pet foods”, Dr, Karen Becker, VMD has a few videos on YouTube “raw feeding” there are 4 parts each video is 8 mins. presented in a way that is easily understandable by pet parents, “Food Fur Life” click on the cats menu & explore each category. DrThomas Dennis has a website you can search one interesting article “8 myths your veterinarian is telling you”. These links are a good start to learn what most people don’t think of or know.
Hi. How did your cat do with the Gabapentin? My cat does this strange thing where she goes into her house and just scratches against the inside wall as though she is trying to scratch her way out. Sometimes she will sit and do it with one paw and then switch to the other. It’s very odd. It seems like some sort of obsessive compulsive behavior. She usually does it in the evening. I’ve never had another cat do anything like it.
I realized my 4 yr long outta nowhere FHS was caused by my kitty being EMF sensitive. Mainly did a sweep doing my 2 Amazon echo/alexia was an issue. Boxed up put in garage. She not have eye ear head twitching since. Fingers crossed! Happy for her. Knew it started July 2018, exactly when I looked my echo prime order. Can’t be Coincidance!
My cat likes it when I vigorously and firmly scratch his hips, backside, and tail during an episode. He will come over to me when I call him and that seems to help him alot. It started when we had to move cross country twice in a span of about 6 weeks. The vet prescribes what we call “crazy cat medicine” and it keeps him symptom-free most of the time.
Hi Neva! That’s very interesting that the scratching and physical contact helps your kitty. In some ways it would seem like it might stir them up even more, so it’s good to know that in some cats it can actually make them feel better. It’s fascinating for me hearing about people’s different experiences with FHS, because it just goes to show that every case is different. Hopefully the more information that comes to light, the more management options people will be able to try to see what works best for their cat. Thank you for so much for sharing!
If my Benny is close enough to me when an episode starts, I can put my hand or foot on his side and just sit there touching him and that alleviates the rippling 99% of the time. No rubbing or scratching, just touching. Sadly, he’s not often close enough for this.
My cat was diagnosed with hyperesthesia a few years ago. The symptoms came out of nowhere but we think was the result of a traumatic experience (something bit her tail). I self diagnosed her after the first vet said she was fine. After showing the second vet video of an episode she agreed and we started a regiment of gabapentin. After two weeks and no relief we switched to phenobarbitol and within 48 hrs the symptoms subsided. She’s had a few “relapses” like if we move furniture or have to board her for a trip, but otherwise is doing great on a twice daily dose of the meds. She gets her levels checked every 6 months to make sure the drugs aren’t doing long term damage.
This is another great example of what works for some (both animals and people) may not work for others. That’s great news that the phenobarbital is working so well for your kitty! And since phenobarbital is very commonly used to treat epilepsy and seizure disorders, it certainly lends credence to the theory that FHS may be related to seizure activity. Thank you for sharing this, and I hope your cat continues to do well! 🙂
It’s good to hear about the phenobarbital!! The kitty Addy that I am working with because of her FHS was put on phenobarbital after Valium not working. The other day I was really upset with life events and she had a slight episode/seizure. She has CH also so I think that makes her super sensitive to changes. It didn’t last near as long as previous episodes. So I think the phenobarbital is working. It’s good to have other people that have experience with this. My vet isn’t familiar with FHS so we’re both on a learning curve. I’m so glad he’s willing to learn. Thanks for being here and being a sounding board and also giving advice.
Hi Linda, glad the phenobarbital seems to be working for Addy! I agree, it’s so helpful to hear from so many different people on what’s working for their kitties with FHS. I’m learning so much more than I ever knew before thanks to everyone’s comments and sharing their experiences!
The phenobarbital doesn’t seem to be working. We doubled it last week but over the weekend and today she hasn’t gotten worse again. I just don’t know what to do except changing vets. She’s destroying her paw even more. Prayers please. Going to try and get into another vet tomorrow.
Linda
I’m so sorry to hear that! Cats can develop a tolerance to both Valium and phenobarbital, so it’s not surprising, but it’s distressing when it happens. 🙁 Have any of the veterinarians you’ve seen recommended a consult with a Veterinary Neurologist? A Neurologist may be a good option for her, especially since she’s dealing with CH as well. Poor little Addy… I’ll be sending prayers and good wishes her way! <3
I took her to another vet I personally knew from TNR surgeries years ago. I had actually emailed her. We started gabapentin and are weaning her off the phenobarbital. Hoping that this works. Just have to wait and see now.
While doing research about FHS, I stumbled upon this post.
I own a Special Needs kitty who has Ideopathic Epilepsy. He’s currently on Phenobarbital, but he still experiences seizures daily.
Due to his seizure disorder, he also has FHS, and attacks his front, left paw, so bad to the point where I MUST keep his paw/leg bandaged up. He’s a very large neutered male, so you can imagine how large his teeth are, and he does awful damage to his paw when he attacks it.
I’m interested as to how Gabapentin is working for your kitty, and what milligram your vet started with.
My cat has recently been seen for symptoms of FHS. Our vet ran some tests and drew blood and since he seems healthy otherwise, we are thinking FHS is the issue. His episodes have been getting worse and worse over time. He also has some OCD behaviors – like he scratches the wall next to the litter box for an inordinate amount of time after using it, and he carries socks around the house in his mouth while crying. He’s so weird, but we love him! Anyway, she is starting us on a neuro-pain relief type of medicine to see if that helps. She just called it in so I am not sure the name. I am a little uneasy about putting him on constant pain meds though. I want to help him, but I don’t want to see him acting all drugged or sluggish either. I told her to go ahead with the prescription for now and I guess I will try it for a couple of weeks. He has episodes everyday so it will be easy to tell if it’s helping. Just came here to see what non-drug therapies have worked for others. Thanks!
If it’s the gabapentin I found out from the vet I had my cat at yesterday that the phenobarbital they sometimes prescibe is addicting. The gabapentin I got is a liquid. I’m weaning her off the phenobarbital. If you don’t like the medication possibly search for a holistic veterinarian. Wishing you good luck for your furbaby.
I just wanted to update on Addy. She was doing good on the gabapentin and went back to her family on Mother’s Day. I sent gabapentin along with her and told them it would last about 3 weeks and I would have to get more gabapentin. They called me and said she needed to see the vet she was attacking herself again and injured her paw worse then before. So I called to make an appointment and she told me that it seemed like the gabapentin was doping her up so they quit giving it to her. I had gotten an appointment for the next day so we could meet at the vet.
The owner called me back and asked if I could get her that night that it was terrible and she couldn’t handle it. When I met her she said I could just keep Addy because they go away too much and keeping her on schedule with the medicine was too much.
So back to the vet, E-COLLAR again for weeks, pain Medicine, gabapentin, and antibiotics. The pain medicine ran out and my vet wasn’t on duty and they wouldn’t give me pain medicine. So back to my original vet, explained why I went to the other vet. He gave pain meds and then gave capsules of gabapentin. I couldn’t get the dose right with capsules in her food so back to the liquid gabapentin. She’s on ,6 gabapentin twice a day. I tried dialing it back a little bit and she started the obsessive grooming on her back. Hasn’t done anything with her paw. So we’re at .6 ml gabapentin twice a day. She weighs 5 1/2 pounds.
Hi Barbara! You might be surprised with your kitty’s reaction to the medication… many animals tolerate pain meds quite well and don’t seem to experience the sluggishness that humans do when on pain medication (although some still do). Cats and dogs also seem to adjust to medications fairly quickly, so if you can find a medication that works (and subsequently, the dosage of that medication that is just right for your cat), he could experience all of the benefits without obvious side effects. When it comes to FHS, since every cat is different, it seems very much like treatment for this condition is truly trial-and-error. Hopefully the medication will help, and if not, don’t give up and keep trying! Wishing you and your kitty the best of luck!!
Thank you all for taking the time to share your stories… My kitten, Sir Cooper Wellington, first started showing signs right at the age of his 6 month mark. He too has OCD issues like pawing around the floor around his food. His episodes are now happening several times a day and it breaks my heart to see him like that. He also seems to have mood swings too now and can be playing one minute and then play biting but a tad bit hard biting the next. I brought him to the vet and explained in as much detail as I could and at no point did the vet suggest FHS. He said it was probably fleas, pulled a comb and searched and searched for signs of fleas…None! He said we can give him a cortisone shot…but I’m thinking why are we giving him this shot when you have no idea what’s wrong, so I declined the shot. I was not impressed with this Vet from day one and now having to figure out what’s wrong with my cat on my own…well I think I will try a new Vet also. I will continue to read here in hopes that something here will help my Cooper! Thanks again to all that take the time out to write about their situation… I for one truly appreciate each and every one of you!
Sincerely Cooper’s Mommy,
Shelly B.
Felines paws around their food when finished as a instict to hide their food, its not ocd its completely normal…Survival instinct
My cat had FHS: mood swings, sensation to.touch, some loud meowing, and felt cat brought apparitions to.home and both.he and I felt tormented, iIE.for me by his behaviors, either apparitions came with.him or he aroused.already there, But once he began dying, the apparitions left, I.got him..prior the 8.weeks req and under stressful situation.Cat died 7-14
My cat chewed newspapers & such around 1-3AM in the morning, ate odd hours, & I never got any sleep, & then add the apparitions on the side,I was a wreck. Rarely did I have some peace with him, Again it was a forced marriage.
Hed chew newspapers even when Im there on weekends?
Super anti social., driven cat.
Played with me to get up at 5AM,
Is this the pattern of all breeds or Is HE just rare ( Russian Blue.)
Is this normal for Russian Blues or abnormal& for other breeds.
Stand outs:
Took early, pre 12 weeks
dont know home environment
constant meow when taken early.
chewing newspapers, papers (later years)
hide in closets IE before trips I take to MD etc.
did scratch me some.
odd eating hours despite feeding at 5AM, 4PM during work week.
Ideas,comments,???
I am 99.9% positive my cat Puddle has FHS. I want to take her to the vet but I am afraid to put her in a carrier. I fear it may trigger an episode or she could hurt herself in the enclosed area if she has a episode. She flails wildly while trying to bite herself. She has been on my lap when this has happened and she has nailed me several times with her front claws with a death grip into my skin. I bought krill oil hearing this could help but how in the world do you get a cat to take it. I also got lavender chamomile collars for her but don’t see a big difference. She has a bald spot on her front leg where she bites herself. I also see her appetite decreasing and it is difficult for her to sleep or even relax. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Hi Karen, I’m so sorry for the delayed response, as for some reason your comment went into my spam folder and I just now saw it. 🙁 In Puddle’s case, I agree that taking her to the vet might put a lot of additional stress on her, so would you consider having a vet who makes house calls come to you? It sounds like she could definitely benefit from medical intervention, especially since she is so agitated, is harming her own leg, and having trouble sleeping. In severe cases like hers, there might be some seizure episodes going on, so you’ll want to rule out anything like epilepsy. Although putting our cats on medication is never our first choice, there might be something the vet can prescribe that will give her some relief and provide a more normal quality of life. So I think a thorough veterinary exam is the best place to start – hopefully you have access to a vet who makes house calls, but if not, it might be worth the risk taking her to a vet anyway to get her some help. Good luck, please let me know how it goes!
Karen, I just wanted to say that my cat Addy who has cerebellum hyperplasia also has the FHS. She attacked her right front paw. I took a video of her during one of her episodes with the loud almost screaming meows, twitching tail and fully dilated pupils and showed it to the vet. That helped a lot with the diagnosis.
I have only just learnt about FHS and its such a relief! I thought it was a flea thing. When Milenko was a kitten i put ‘bob martin’ spot on flea treatment and he screamed, its awful stuff, an organophosphate used in agriculture and selling it should be banned for use in domestic pets. He has recurrent scabs on his neck and back, seems to have fits in his sleep (like he’s chasing something) basically every symptom that has been described – i’m trying cbd oil which is recommended for seizures but i havent seen an improvement yet. I dont want to go down the prozac or barbitol route, rather try something natural, he does respind to a good shoulder and neck massage though☺
Hi guys, my boy is definitely going through this. Didnt have time to read everything but has anyone had unsuccessful stories with Gabapentin? its been about 5 weeks we are on that along with Clomicalm 2x daily, Zylkene once daily, royal canin calm food and finally a feliway diffuser in the wall. He is still going for what is left of his tail ALL THE TIME. (we had to have it amputated, he bit about an inch clean off a few months back)
Addy is on gabapentin twice a day. 6/10 of a milliliter twice a day. We’ve had to adjust it to get it to the right place. I had used pain medicine for a while until her paw was completely healed. Maybe he still has pain? I have calming treats to help for stressful situations such as going to vet etc. But she’s basically just on the gabapentin twice a day. She weighs 5.5 lbs and I’m sure the gabapentin has to be by weight also. Good luck!!!
yeah he is on 0.8ml Gabapentin twice daily (hes about 9 lbs of muscle and that’s his max dosage) I was actually considering amputating the entire tail as that seems to be his main point of focus when an episode is starting up, he just looks back there with this scowl and then get agitated and dives for it or runs away from it.
and with the success of Gabapentin – how often does Addy have an episode and how intense are they? were still seeing them often and with a high intensity level at times.
Hello- our formally very mellow cat Manny was just diagnosed with FHS – he’s 5 yrs old and also needed a partial tail amputation after mutilating it so bad it would not heal. We didn’t notice the lower back skin rolling until after his surgery as well as the dashing away when he sees his tail. He is a completely different cat now and it’s heartbreaking. He hides under the bed until we drag him out and is scared to go anywhere ( he used to love being outside in our fenced in yard). He came home from amputation surgery with gabapentin and is now wearing off of it and onto Amitriptyline. When he first came home from surgery we couldn’t tell if the gabapentin was helping or not ( and he threw up 2x) so stopped giving to him but he has gotten so much worse that we started it again and it does seem to help. He wears a harness all the time because we found one that prevents him from reaching the remains of it tail ( for the most part) although he still will attempt to attack it when he sees it🥺
My cat Jack just got diagnosed with this. He was just over 4 when it started(at the end of june). At first I wondered if the fireworks triggered him. What happened was at first I would find small turds trailed around the house. After a couple of days I found out it was Jack. He was running in a panic dropping perfectly healthy turds as he ran then at the end go into panic licking of his rear end. It was like he had no idea what was coming out of him. He was started on Gabapentin and now he doesn’t run in a panic,but he just goes where he’s sitting and then runs away upset. He pees in the box and even buries anything that smells left in the box(I have another cat who doesn’t bury his work). Just today we doubled his dose to see if we can improve things a bit more.
I raised he and his sister when fostering a feral litter-had them since they were 5 days old. Over the years I noticed he sometimes had what I called “crazy eyes”,but other than that this came out of nowhere. I’m lucky he’s not peeing or marking(it’s an easy clean up,all very healthy looking)but it’s upsetting to see him in a panic over something coming out of him that has been normal his whole life. I also worry that if anything happens to me he went from a very adoptable cat to one that is not adoptable. He’s a good boy who has always had a lot of play energy. I just hope the new med dose helps him-at least the panic is less now.
Hi Michael, I have Addy who started having issues at her previous home. I offered to keep her when she injured her paw. It’s a long story but she went back to original home and came back to me permanently when they didn’t think she needed the medicine gabapentin because it calmed her down too much. Addy had the wide eyes of panic when she was going to have an episode. She also would have accidents when she would have an episode. She is a 5 1/2 pound cat. We started out with liquid gabapentin 3/10 ml and now she’s on 6/10 ml of gabapentin twice a day. She is doing good on that. I tried lowering it a little bit and the excessive licking came back so I went back to the 6/10 ml dose. We tried the pills and I couldn’t get her regulated. She also has cerebellar Hypoplasia. It takes a little while for the dose to build up but I am pleased with her progress. Good luck with Jack!! Keep us posted on how he does.
Linda Mummaw
Thanks it’s nice to have people to talk to who have dealt with this very odd situation. Jack started on 2.5ml once a day and now that will be twice a day. He’s a big boy(twice as big as his runt sister)and is over 14lbs now. When the vet first checked him when she checked his lower back he growled for the first time ever at the vets(in fact the first time I have ever heard him growl)-it really upset him. Looking back now I realize he was slowly tending to panic a bit when someone came in the house,little things I didn’t think about until now. He started being a bit jumpy and that has gotten worse.I just hope to get this under control and keep it from getting worse…..he’s a good boy,the kind of cat you can’t find and then look up and he’s on top of the curtain rods.
I’m new to all of this. I’m worried my cat may have this. He’s 4.5. I’m very concerned about him. He goes through phases where it seems like he has a really bad itch and runs around the room with his lower back twitching, trying to lick it. He doesn’t get aggressive. He doesn’t try to bite his tail or self-mutilate as others have pointed out. I can hold him when he’s like this, he just gets annoyed and wants to go.This started a few days ago. I’m wondering if it’s maybe something else, or if it is this odd disease? He looks a lot like the cat in the video up there, without the hallucinations. I’m very very worried, any information is greatly appreciated! (I will be bringing him to the vet after I research which one knows the most about this disorder)
That’s the same age as Jack when his issues started. There’s no test for it it’s a process of elimination….but the med Jack is taking hasn’t fixed it but it has made the events happen less….good luck.
With the new dose of the med in him Jack has gone from having an incident every day to every other day and sometimes two days in a row go by without an incident. He has moments where it looks like he might build into a panic but then seems to calm down. It’s not perfect but it is better and I am glad he is not having as many moments of panic.
HELP! I have a foster kitten who I have been syringe/bottle feeding along with her 3 siblings from age of 3 weeks. One kitten at age 8 weeks started mutilating her tail tip so severely she exposed bone. I brought her to the shelter vet and they wanted to take off the first 2-3 inches of her tail, FHS was not mentioned. I have since done the research and do not think that amputation will provide any relief for this kitten. Her symptoms are classic FHS and she even has minor tonic type seizure activity after the episodes where she rears up stiffly on her hind legs and then tips over. Her tail is healing nicely, and looks great and she is in a cone until we can get meds rights. They put her on gabapentin for pain relief (.4), and I am trying homeopathic products and will start hemp oil today. I would like to know if anyone’s cat experienced a ‘cure’ with tail amputation. It is illogical to me that tail removal will effect a cure when this illness is the result of an anxiety or seizure disorder. Thanks for listening. Christine
Hi, Christine…I agree with you, I too would be skeptical of a tail amputation to solve this issue, as I also think it would not cure the original condition. And since surgery (and any type of amputation) is already a stressful experience, especially for cats, I can’t help but think it would make the underlying anxiety worse! Did you experience any benefit with the gabapentin or hemp oil??
Thanks so much for the reply Camille! I ended up digging in my heels and refusing to have her tail mutilated. She has stabilized nicely with using gabapentin originally for the first 2 weeks, and then using Bach’s rescue remedy in her water daily. She rarely has any symptoms as long as she stays in a setting she is comfortable in. When she starts to bother her tail, our dachshund bothers her (grooms her and licks her face) and somehow that breaks the cycle. The vets were throwing out scary scenarios out with the hemp oil, but I will be starting that soon as she has grown considerably. We will end up keeping the kitty as I think changing homes would be something that would be too stressful for her.
Oh, that’s great news!! I’m so glad she’s doing well on the gabapentin and Rescue Remedy, and that she didn’t have surgery. 🙂 It’s incredible how your dog knows how to snap her out of the FHS cycle! Animals are so wonderfully intuitive. And I’m also very happy to hear that you’re going to keep her permanently.. she is very lucky that you both found each other! <3
Hi there, I have a tortoiseshell who is almost a year old. A few weeks ago I started to notice these strange behaviours where she would twitch all over then frantically bite by her tail and dart around the house. I knew she didn’t have fleas so was a bit stumped! The behaviour has continued into where she will suddenly let out these shrieking meows and look around like she is seeing something, I thought to myself then it looks like she is hallucinating! So I googled all these symptoms and watched cats on YouTube with this disorder acting exactly like she does! She has been so frightened the last few days she hasn’t come out from under the sofa, my heart is breaking for her! I am going to try and film it and take it to the vets so they can have a look at her properly and hopefully diagnose her so she can be helped!
Dear Camille,
Thank you so much for this article, it answered a lot of questions and concerns I have about my sweet girl. The video you included was particularly appreciated, along with pointing out the accompanying symptoms in writing, because it shows specifics instead of leaving the reader to ‘imagine’ what the symptoms look like; poor kitteh! You can really feel his distress. Thank you too to all the commenters who, unlike many who post comments in response to articles, have all been very informative and supportive of each other and of their kittehs.
My kitty was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and put on methimazole to which she had a horrible reaction and I thought she might die. It was during the week she suffered this negative drug reaction that symptoms of FHS became frighteningly apparent. I had noticed some twitchiness around the eyes before the drug but I thought it was just a self-protective response to my petting her face and head. But during the time she was working through the methimazole reaction the twitchies became VERY pronounced and affected her entire body. She’s now completely recovered from the methimazole and is on a zero thyroid hormone diet and she’s doing wonderfully (oh, how lucky I am that my girl pulled through!) but the twitchies seem to be here to stay. Fortunately, they don’t seem to be distressing for her and she doesn’t have some of the more severe symptoms such as self-mutilating or hallucinations. I guess my whole point here is just to, once again, say “thank you” to Camille and all the responders to this article…it is comforting to know that 1) I’m not making a mountain out of a molehill with regard to the symptoms I’ve seen in my kitteh and, 2) there are lots of caring people out there who have helpful advice and experience they’re willing to share with others 😀. To all of you, I hope you and your animal friends are doing well.
Carey
Hi Carey, I’m so glad your kitty is doing better! Thanks so much for taking the time to write and for your kind words. I too am so grateful to all my readers who take the time to share their stories and advice…it’s wonderful to see so many caring people who are willing to help others in similar situations!
NEW treatment to try: Hi, my story is a little different. Tansy first got this when she was 19 and 1/2! She has kidney and thyroid disease too. I saw that she had a flea and some flea dirt even after treating her with Advantage. (There is a feral in the house who I can’t treat). I think her scratching her back end and it becoming very sensitive is what started this. She would bite her side during an attack. She bit a chunk out of her tongue, which grew back! She is now on phenobarbital for a month. With Gaba as needed. The phenobarb didn’t work for 4 days, so I decided to try adding CBD tincture! (pot oil, without THC). Within 2 days she was seizure free! This lasted weeks, but she had one last night after overgrooming her back. Much lighter than the others. Thanks for your knowledge on this site!
thank you for the bit about the CBD oil. i’m thinking of trying this on the cat i’m sitting for and wondered if it would work or harm her. what strength did you use?
Hi! Whoa! My cat not only has all these symptoms, but all of the symptoms of PTSD as well. My vet won’t acknowledge that my rescue cat has behavior issues. But it doesn’t end there. I myself have Bi-Polar and PTSD and she was supposed to be my therapy cat. I lost her trust the first time I had to put her in her carrier 2 years ago, after being a lap cat for the 1st 6 months I owned her. The more I try to help her the worse things get. I cannot offer her or do anything to her or for her without her thinking “it’s a trap.” She will not accept treats. She will not eat human food. She smells Gabapentin and won’t go near it after eating it the first time. Even though she was happy for 2 days after ingesting a drop of CBD oil I sparingly gave her, it evidently tastes or smells bitter, even through tuna in oil as a treat. She won’t go near CBD treated anything now, and won’t even accept the skim milk she used to get as a treat every few days. My environment is a nightmare. I am living w/ my 87 year old dementia ridden mother who has become verbally abusive to me. I have housing in the works, but at the earliest it will be May 1st. My cat, Kiddee Kiddee is a white short hair 5 1/2 yr old feral turned domestic. God only knows what horrors she’s endured. Her skin ripples, she looks like she’s hallucinating, bites and licks incessantly until a bloody pulp, and occasionally yowls. She hides from any strange voices, noises, sudden moves, sudden accidental moves (bumping an object,) and has enormous pupils often, looks terror stricken, is now afraid of my camera, etc. Every thing that I try seems to have the opposite result due to my living circumstances. I accidentally got the Feliway diffuser spilled on her bed, that she finally took too, only to have her totally reject it now. I am going to give her bed and things another deep wash to see if I can get that scent out of her bed, but she probably won’t go back to it. She has been treated for dermatitis 5 times w/ steroids and antibiotics as recently as 2 weeks ago, but the cuts, obsessive licking and biting,and weird hallucinated eyes have returned. The vet refuses to believe my stories (my mother told them I wasn’t credible because I have mental illness:NOTE; I had an amazing 30 year career in broadcasting and the music industry. I am totally credible. i am 55 years old and don’t take psychoactive medicines. It’s all me, baby, and I KNOW I can substantially help my cat if we could both have our own autonomous environment. It IS coming. Kiddee feels and senses each of my emotions before they even surface, which, again, makes it even more difficult to treat her….Help… Thanks, James…….I have rescued 4 cats so far this lifetime..and I won’t quit ever trying to help my little girl.
I adopted a 5 yr/o female, who was on gabapentin 50 mg/mL, with a dosage of 0.3mL twice a day. Her issue was excessive licking to the endpoint of fur removal. My vet suggested keeping the dose the same for several weeks, then cut back to once a day to see what happens. Well, she had dental problems so with that, I stopped the medication since she was getting the post-treatment medication from extracting 11 teeth. It has been a week, and today I saw about a 1″ area of no fur on her front paw. I guess I will do back to the gabapentin, at least once a day to see what happens. She takes it mixed with her wet food, and right now is on a UR special formulation, since she has small crystals in her urine. I was hoping that with a forever home, the anxiety or stress would end. But it is also that one of my other cats may be causing her stress. She hasn’t been with me even a month so far. After the dental work, she seemed so much happier and changed for the better.
My new kitten has just been diagnosed with FHS. He’s only about 2 months old. He has episodes that seem to last hours where he’s constantly meowing and grooming and scratching himself particularly on the neck. So much so that it bleeds and he just won’t stop scratching. It’s horrible to watch. It started this morning and is still constantly scratching now, it’s the evening. My vet said she’s never seen FHS this bad. She gave him some sedatives but he would just carry on. Does anyone know of anything to just calm him down?
Zylkene works on my cat. Not totally but it’s much better. You can find it on amazon.
My furbaby (now 8 years) has had FHS since kittenhood. The first vet prescribed pheno and she did fantastic on it, but it did make her very lethargic. Vet also told us pheno can cause other problems down the road, so we eventually weaned her off it. She did okay for a few years, and now her symptoms are worse than ever, with very loud vocalizations. Her bloodwork does come back normal every year. Current vet was nonchalant about the whole FHS thing and I am going to seek the advice of a new vet
We adopted “Shasta” last year after she was turned into a shelter during Hurricane Harvey. She’s a 10+ year old Siamese, and behaved very oddly right from the start. She didn’t like to be touched, and would sit in odd positions for long periods. Preferred the cold tile floor to a soft warm bed. She eats well and was on gabapentin, but then started having mild seizures. She would recover quickly but the vet put her on phenobarbitol to try to stop the seizures. That helped for a few weeks but she’s now having a seizure every few days and does not recover as quickly as she used to. Any suggestions or other ideas for this sweet little girl?
Karen, I’m so sorry for the delayed response… my website wasn’t functioning properly a few months ago, and your comment was one of several that went into the spam filter, so I just now saw it! My sincerest apologies, as I know this response will not be timely. 🙁 Regarding Shasta’s seizures, there could be many different reasons for them since there are several conditions that can cause seizures in older cats. And unfortunately, seizure disorders tend to get worse over time since cats and dogs can build up a tolerance to the medications used to try to control them. Sadly, two of the most common reasons for seizures in older cats is brain damage or brain tumors. Shasta could have suffered a brain injury during the hurricane that could be causing her issues. I know it’s been several months now, but has the vet run a CT scan or MRI to see if there’s been any visible damage to her brain? Again, sorry for the late response, but I didn’t want you to think I just wasn’t getting back to you. If you want to discuss this further or have specific questions, please feel free to email me at camille@goodpetparent.com . Thank you!
My feral-born kitty, adopted very young, now not quite one year old, often shows signs of what I suspect to be mild FHS. (I learned about it from a friend whose cat had cerebellar hypoplasia and worsening FHS; I further researched the symptoms online when I began to wonder about my kitty.) She sometimes appears to hallucinate and chase things that aren’t there; during those spells she is wide-eyed and jumpy, looks wildly around, switches her tail, and growls and smacks you (doesn’t bite) if you try to pet her. I read about Zylkene and am trying it, and it seems to be helping! She is calmer, more affectionate, and comes for purring/kneading/drooling sessions again. 🙂
That’s great to know that the Zylkene is helping your kitty! 🙂
Me & my one year old rescue cat also suffering from his FHS ,, it’s exhausting & debilitating for both of us .. Has anyone had any success with St Johns Wort (Hypericum) ?
My cat Lucy started with this condition about a month ago. Some days it goes off, and other days it’s really bad. Although, interestingly, it’s basically only when she moves about. When she is resting or eating, it goes off. Also seems to go off when she’s distracted by something else. For instance she was in the garden and twitching, then saw a mouse or other tiny mammal, and became completely normal while she (unsuccessfully) chased it round. I’m going to try that zylkene which sounds good, and will post the results back here. Apart from that, she’s very healthy.
Hi Michael, yes, please let us know if the Zylkene helps Lucy!
oh my! I am cat sitting for a Russian blue female, approx. 5yo, who is exhibiting mild symptoms of this illness. moodiness, tail lashing, growling and hissing when touched along the spine even if very lightly, sudden licking of places as though she’s being bitten by a flea even though fleas have been ruled out. I see this cat in everything i’m reading. the only thing she isn’t doing (yet?) is obsessive licking or biting herself and causing harm. what can I try to help this cat while she is in my care? she is a large condo and I let her out (on her good days she comes out freely; bad days she isolates herself in her kitty cave) regularly, feed her twice a day, give her chin scratches when she will allow it, give her catnip, …… I think that’s about it. she’s not a very interactive cat. would CBD oil help this condition?
I have some HempWorx 250 that give my dogs daily so it’s already on hand, but I know cats are super sensitive to drugs and things and I don’t want to harm her.
So my kitty, Jax has been the biggest scaredy cat in the world for the past 2 years or so (he’s 3). It seems to have started after something scared him under the couch. He ran out from behind the couch Fred Flinstone footing it to the bedroom, zoomed back into the living room and jumped into the window. There was nothing under the couch, I checked. He had always been a bit skittish before, but now it is to the point that he is afraid of literally everything. The floor, the rugs, under the table, and what is most upsetting is he is afraid to use the litter box. So he holds it until he can’t any more. He only pees once a day and it’s a ton. We thought getting another cat would help him and it seemed to at first but now he is worse than ever. I took him to the vet a couple weeks ago because his belly was getting so big and it was hard (still is). She took an x-ray and his colon was full from one end to the other. Plus his bladder was full and enlarged. They did blood work and everything looked okay. They kept him overnight with an IV hoping he would finally poop. He didn’t. He didn’t even pee until morning. I am now giving him gabapentin (half a capsule 2x daily) and two 1/4 teaspoons of miralax. He must be so miserable! Anyway I noticed that his back quivers and he does do some excessive grooming, but not to the point of losing hair. He also looks at EVERYTHING in the house like it’s the first time he’s seeing it. If we cough or even sniffle when he is walking by he literally jumps in the air. The gabapentin doesn’t seem to be doing much. I put a litter box in the living room directly under his cat tree, thinking he wouldn’t be scared of it, but he seems to still be a little frightened. Sometimes he just looks at me and cries and if I put him in there, he goes. My vet is at her wit’s end, to be honest. I have ordered a “thunder jacket” from Chewy.com as well as some feliway plug-in diffusers. I hope they help. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them. Thanks.
Hi Marti! My heart goes out to you and Jax, I can’t imagine what your poor kitty (and you) are going through. 🙁 Does the thundershirt seem to be helping him at all? Or the diffusers?
Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like it’s possible that Jax may have an actual chemical imbalance in his brain, similar to humans who have psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia. This is different from a phobia, which is one single thing (like thunderstorms, fireworks, etc) that you can easily identify as the culprit that is scaring him. Some cats with chemical imbalances see the entire world as scary, and their life is one of constant fear and anxiety – it’s heartbreaking to think about what the world must be like for them. 🙁 Fortunately, there is more and more research being done on this particular condition, and it’s becoming more common for veterinarians to use medications that can help balance certain neurotransmitters in the brain (similar to the ones used in humans) to help improve the quality of life for these poor kitties.
I know you said the vet had started Jax on gabapentin and it didn’t seem to be helping… is that still the case? Sometimes it can take several weeks to months for anti-anxiety medications to reach full effectiveness, so I’m curious as to whether you’ve seen any improvement. If not, there are several other medications available that may work better. If your veterinarian has truly exhausted her options, it might be worth getting a second opinion from another vet who is also a board certified animal behaviorist and has more specialized training in these kinds of anxiety disorders.
I hope this helps…and please keep me posted on how Jax is doing, I learn just as much from my readers and their personal experiences as they do from me! Hopefully you are able to find a medication or treatment that helps him, and the quality of both of your lives greatly improves! In the meantime, I’m wishing you both the best of luck!!
Our sweet old brown tabby boy will be 18 this June, and he started having episodes like those of Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome a couple months ago. He always starts with grooming, then shakes his head, and finally attacks one of his hind legs, growling and hissing at it. When it started, we thought he was going after a flea between his toes, but now we think otherwise. At his age, I really don’t want to put him through the stress of bloodwork and/ or seeing a vet neurologist, but want to keep him comfortable at home. Has anyone given their cat CBD oil? I bought some at a dispensary ( it’s legal here in CA), and would like to give it a try.
CBD oil did help my cat, along with using Bach’s flower essence for animals, a phermone diffuser, etc. My cat was a kitten when this started, and the thought was that she had an injury to her spine when she was rescued as a feral 3 week old kitten. So she was at the other end of the age spectrum. Her behaviour has improved with this regimen and she has not been self harming for a very long time. Good luck!
Hi, when you see the behavior just starting, when he starts shaking his head, without risk of getting hurt if you could gently put your hands on him it might ward off the attack. We did see our regular vet who prescribed an anti-seizure drug for our 19 year old and it helped a lot, and I think the CBD may have helped a little. The past comments may be enlightening too. Good luck.
My kitty started with FHS symptoms six months ago. Thankfully, his vet didn’t jump to prescription drugs. She sent him home with a calming collar. I also got him on pet CBD (total game changer). He just got his bloodwork back and everything looks great. He gets CBD twice a day and wears Nurture Calm calming collar. We cannot be without them. We got him a catio for Christmas. I feel it helps! He is very OCD. He has a favorite purple mouse that he’s obsessed with. He has to play fetch daily like a dog. He’s definitely different. I’m thankful we are able to control this with CBD. The onset of FHS was just wicked. He’s come a long way. Paying attention to his behavior is key. I feel blessed that he’s living a pretty normal life. I’m thrilled his bloodwork is great after six months. His doctor is super pleased with his current health in managing this. We did change his kitty litter. Fresh Step had added febreeze to their litter and that’s toxic for pets. All my cats were shaking their heads often. Since changing kitty litter, that behavior has stopped with them. Trying to avoid added toxins to our household. He was only 1.5 yrs old when his first episode occurred. It was wicked.
He puts his arms out like a toddler when he wants to be held. His favorite and most comforting spot is hanging over my shoulder. He has become so affectionate. I believe he is just grateful for feeling better.
He had a horrible vaccine reaction as a kitten. So when all this started, I got him back on milk thistle for liver support and some lymphatic care drops. He does have Siamese in him and from what I understand, they are more prone to FHS.
We’ve come a long way in six months and I too, am in a better place just by researching and having a better understanding of this crazy syndrome.
I’ve had cats all my life. Never experienced this before and never want another cat with it. He takes his CBD like a champ.
Scented plug-ins are harmful to pets and should have a warning label to not be used around pets. The less toxins in his environment gives him a better life.
Trish 🌻
I used CBD with Addy who eventually passed from FIP. The CBS seemed to help calm her. They really didn’t do a lot of bloodwork on her for the FHS diagnosis. Your kitty needs some anti seizure meds to help. Good luck!!
Hi,
I’m just wanting some feedback from anyone who has had their cats tail amputated due to hyperesthesia? has it helped? My cat Elliot has had this condition for around 6 months and he keeps violently biting and self mutilating the tip of his tail. It is causing him so much pain and he is miserable as he has to stay inside with a massive cone on his head so he can’t reach the tail each time it gets infected. I have tried all the usual meds and nothing seems to be helping. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Meg
Hello,
All 3 of my cats (6yo mum and two 4yo boys) also developed feline hyperesthesia within several hours of having a spot on flea medication applied to their fur (Brand: Advocate for cats). One of my cats had such a severe reaction on that first night that he tried to bite off the tip of his own tail! And has been continuing to do so ever since! The vet doesn’t know what else to try, he has been on gabapentin and Endep at varying dosages but they just don’t seem to be helping the behaviour at all. He is very miserable and has to wear a head cone designed for a medium sized dog after each tail biting incident to prevent him from ripping off the tip of his tail. There is little to no information online linking flea medication to feline hyperesthesia, and the information I have found mainly is in peoples comments, not in any sort of official information about the condition.
However I cant think what else could have caused all three of my pets to develop this so called ‘rare’ condition at exactly the same time within hours of having the flea medication. This all occurred nearly 5 months ago, and I haven’t dared to use any sort of flea treatments on them since. The hyperesthesia symptoms are even getting worse in one of my pets. I have tried feliway and homeopathic drops, but nothing really seems to be working.
The other symptoms that I have noticed in my pets since developing this condition apart from all to common ones are…..
– Far more vivid nightmares/dreams where they vocalise and twitch.
– Increased stretching out / twitching of the muscles in their hind legs.
– An obsession with chewing/grooming their hind legs and between their toes.
Meg
Hi Meg! It’s so interesting that you say this, because I had the EXACT same thing happen to me! I was taking care of 3 young feral cats who were hanging around my house. They were very social, and one day when I was petting one of the boys I noticed a flea on his underside. I got 3 doses of Frontline topical and applied it to all the cats at the same time to make sure they had some flea protection. Immediately they began running around like a wild animal was after them, then spinning around and trying to lick/bite at their backs and hind ends. This went on for several minutes and then they took off, so I didn’t get to see how long the episode actually lasted. Fortunately, it wasn’t lasting in any of them like it was for your kitty. I don’t know if it was the sensation of it spreading on their skin, if it felt irritating to their skin, or if it was a neurological reaction… but I never used it on them again!
I wish I had some suggestions for your kitties, but I’ve never heard of this being a lasting problem. 🙁 Have you sought a second opinion from another vet? I wish I could be of more help… please keep me posted and let me know how they’re doing!
Hi Camille,
Thanks so much for your reply. Its interesting to hear that other cats have had similar reactions to the spot on treatments. I’m just really glad that it wasn’t permanent with your cats.
I’m taking Elliot to a specialist appointment later this month, so hopefully they will be able to get to the bottom of what is going on with him. Unfortunately, I’m feeling like removing all or part of his tail may be an option if all else fails. He is miserable at the moment having to spend weeks inside with a cone on his head. I will keep you updated when I have any news.
Kind Regards,
Meghan
Hi Meghan, I’m so sorry I missed seeing your reply until now! How did Elliot’s appointment with the specialist go? I’m curious if they thought that removing his tail would only relocate his focus to another body part… that’s always been my concern. What did you decide to do? Thank you!
Hi Camille (and everyone else reading this forum struggling with Hyperesthesia in their own pets). My cat Elliot mentioned in the posts above went in to have a tail amputation about this time last year. For about 12 months leading up to the surgery he had been on Endep & Gabapentin but neither drug seemed to make a difference to him repeatedly mutilating his own tail. I had tried everything, and he was so miserable having to stay inside nearly 24/7 with a massive plastic cone on his head to stop him reaching the tail. I ended up booking him in to see a specialist surgeon (one of the best in my city). The specialist recommended a high up tail amputation along with an epidural (to minimise the risk of phantom limb pain). When the surgeons shaved his tail for surgery that found evidence of other bite marks higher up his tail (although he had mainly been biting the tip). The surgery was a HUGE SUCESS!!!!!! As soon as he came home he was 100% back to his old pre-tail biting self! He showed absolutely no interest in biting his tail stump (approximately 7cm / 2in in length). I was so scared before the surgery that it might not fix the problem, and none of the vets or specialists that I had seen could guarantee me that removing his tail would fix the problem. I am so happy for Elliot, his brother and his mother & myself that the surgery worked. I hope that this update on Eliot’s experience may help other pet parents going through a similar experience. x
Hi Meghan, that’s so great to hear! I’ve never heard from anyone else who had a tail amputation done in this scenario, so this is fascinating and I’m so happy that it worked! Thank you so much for the update, and wishing you and Elliot the very best! 🙂
Hi, I don’t know if anyone looks at these old posts, but I have to tell you that I too put frontline on my young male maine coone and it clearly hurt him right then, I don’t remember exactly when I began to notice the hyperesthesia but it was certainly after that incident and it did not seem much more than the skin rippling and a bit of clumsy at first, but has progressed over a year & a half to the heart wrenching vocalisations & him wandering the house sniffing everything looking scared and lost. I do occasionally give him catnip as a treat and since he eats it it has a calming effect. He has been in the worst episode to date now for the past two days, at first I thought he was dying. I have not previously tried the catnip during an episode but just gave him some about 20 minutes ago, I am praying he is feeling better & am going to approach and see if he seems to recognize me. I hope so, he was such a mamas boy before. I am so grateful for all the information kn this site. My guy was checked out a few months ago on the thyroid etc. My vet just isn’t too knowledgeable about the FH, so again I thank you.
Sincerely,
Lucy Anderson
Hello There,
I know all these comments are from years ago but I am hoping for some help. My kitty has been having many issues with this. We have taken her to the vet and she has been prescribed the Gabapentin. Its been 2 months and its not exactly helping. I have tried CBD, water drops, Feliway difusers, auto toys, new toys, new bedding, thunderjacket and pretty much anything that you can think of.
I am not considering acupuncture and getting another cat to help distract her. Has anyone had any experience with those two things? And have they helped? I am feeling helpless as I do not know what is triggering her.
PLEASE HELP!
Hi Stephanie, I’m so sorry to hear about the challenges you’re having with your kitty. 🙁 It certainly sounds like you’re exhausting all possible treatments, so I greatly admire you for that! Regarding acupuncture, I haven’t heard of anyone using this for FHS, but at this point it would be worth a try since it couldn’t hurt! But when it comes to getting another kitty, I would respectfully suggest that you consider holding off on that. Unfortunately, for most cats, adding another cat to their household is a stressful process, and since there is preliminary evidence that FHS can be aggravated by stress, unfortunately my fear is that this may end up doing more harm than good.
Have you considered the possibility of seeking out a veterinary specialist for a second opinion? Perhaps someone who has had experience treating cats with FHS? Since I’m no longer in the veterinary field, I’m not up on the latest treatments for conditions like FHS… but I’m sure there may be a veterinary specialist out there who has other suggestions on treatments, or who has experienced success with using something that I’m not even aware of! I would start with trying to find either an Internal Medicine Vet or a Veterinary Neurologist – they may be able to point you in the right direction. Good luck, and please let me know how it goes!
Hi,
I rescued my cat about 4 years ago from a local rescue. She has always had episodes of what I think is FH where her skin is “rolling” in the back and she starts hissing and trying to chase her tail… so based on my research I think she definitely has this. She hasn’t had one in a little while, but today her was super bad which prompted my research into this disorder once again. I have not taken her to the vet yet for this. I have heard CBD oil is very good for this. Have you tried this? sorry I have so much work to do so I just skimmed the article and may have missed this. I have also seen raw diets are good. I have always feed my cats dry food by the brand Wellness, but I heard dry food may be bad. Do you recommend any brands that have worked well for you?
Thanks!
Hi Abby! My sincerest apologies for the delayed response to your questions! I have not personally had any experience with using CBD oil for FHS, but I have heard of several vets who swear by it since it has a calming effect on the central nervous system. I’ve also heard other cat parents say they had good results with it, so it might be worth a try.
Regarding your diet question, I’m happy to make some recommendations for you, as I’ve researched this topic exhaustively in deciding what to feed my own cats! For cats, there is much research that supports feeding canned food or a biologically-appropriate raw diet with a high moisture content over feeding dry food. When you think about what cats eat in the wild, they are obligate carnivores, so they eat other animals – and prey has a very high moisture content. In contrast, dry, kibble-type foods, in addition to being hard to digest, can also actually have a dehydrating effect on cats. This can be problematic because cats (who are descended from desert animals) tend to naturally be on the slightly-dehydrated side to begin with, so they greatly benefit from foods with a high moisture content. Most dry food is also extruded, which is a process that uses extremely high heat to turn ingredients into kibble. This process not only destroys much of the nutrients in the ingredients, it actually can create toxic by-products that have been classified as carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).
After extensive research, I chose one of the highest-grade canned foods I could find. (Although I think raw diets have great merit, with 3 cats it just wasn’t economically possible for me to feed a raw diet.) I feed my kitties Weruva canned food, which is fit for human consumption, has a high-protein content, and no artificial ingredients. Many of the flavors are also carageenan-free. (And no, I don’t have any relationship with Weruva, I just really like their food!) My cats are doing extremely well on the Weruva, but there are other high-quality canned brands that I like as well… Tiki Cat is another excellent food (although my cats just happen to prefer the taste of Weruva).
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions, either diet-related or in regards to the FHS. Thank you so much for writing! 🙂
[hmm. just a caution to cat-noobs]. I have had my fur babies behave much like this when they simply had a new, but very angry case of the fleas. 1. Check for flea dirt/shit: dark reddish brown, often in spirals, turns back to blood when wet.
Only after that is ruled out, diagnose, but also understand that animal senses are so much better than ours, that there may literally be something there that they are responding to, that we cannot detect. [It seems stupid to say this, but cat-noobs are noobs, no shaming…].
Beyond that, you are all so sweet, to care enough to really want solutions for your cats, and not just for yourselves.
I only have 50 years experience: but yes, this time, I am in over my head, and wondering if my little stunted, 3-year-old runt, C.H., calico, might have the real thing. Lucy Furr was abandoned at about 4-5 weeks, with an advanced URI, and C.H., of course. She was under my porch and after three nights of her crying for her mama, I nabbed her, [still small enough to fit in my hand, and I was already housing 5 cats: 4 recently feral]. I nursed her back from the URI which had quickly advanced into pneumonia [blood bubbles out of nose, no doubt a death sentence], and a week of expecting to lose her. But she made it through! Years later, I believe she still has abandonment issues, plus anxiety about her place in the hierarchy with 3 other “normal?” cats, who are part Maine Coon [big girls and litter mates of each other, but not her]. I painstakingly try to comfort and reassure her, allow her lots of lap time, but she runs hot or cold. Totally loving, to absolute Apex-predator, Psycho-kitty. But also, she has very strange episodes when she has severe muscle spasms in her hind quarters, or seems to be seeing something, that as far as I can tell, is not there, and reacts, lashing out. I accept the scarification, but I really wish she felt more comfortable and happy. Maybe one neurological/ or psychological issue leads into another.
I will try Gabapentin. I have had good results with it, myself.
– catwhowalksbyherself
Hello, I have a foster fail that I have had from 3 weeks old. He has FHS and he is a self mutilator. His FHS went from mild to extreme in about 6 months. I tried CBD oil didn’t help. He is on Gaba and Prozac and doing wonderful. A vet said take the tail it will stop. Of course it didn’t stop and became worse. He goes after the nub. He hallucinates, growls, runs and hides, hisses none stop when not medicated. I wish this issue had more research into it and more vets that understand and appropriate treatment. I believe its a partial seizure. I am feeding mine raw diet and it has helped. There are groups on facebook that have been lots of help.
Thank you for the information and the video. It looked very similar to my cat’s episodes, and reassured me that some symptoms I’ve been seeing (the head shaking, and weakness or wobbliness afterwards) is normal.
I hope I can find a way to make her feel better.
My kitten is showing similar symptoms. He is only four months old 🙁
He started yesterday.
I have 2 Persian boys both are 7 and 8 they are brothers. Since I moved in my new house one of them have been suffering with this he was diagnosed yesterday. I spent thousands of dollars during COVID to find out what’s wrong. And finally I’m here. And it breaks my heart to see my boy go through this. I’ve totally built this house for cats so it should be good. Everything is perfect I try to make it the best for him every day. He has meds now to help with this condition but it’s awful and it was a long road to get here. But I got my son and he will live like a king it’s unfortunate he is dealing with this. We all are me and the both of them.
My experience – not vet advice – diet change (low protein renal diet) + zylkene. She has not had an attack for 3 years.
Can you please share the food you feed your cat I am desperate. My 2 yr old cat I believe has FHE as well. He screams like he is in severe pain several times a day, hisses bites his hind quarter and tail it is heart breaking to watch.
My cat is always hungry too eats wet food so fast like he hasn’t eaten in a week he has become over weight
My cat wasn’t in a year yet lacking about 2 months she just died February 13 2021 my cat started screaming and chasing her tail we took her into the doctors to get spaded or neutered whatever you do the female cats the vet looked at her tail and it was broken a little bit he said the best thing to do was to get her tail cut off so I waited it out and it kept on getting worse as Super Bowl weekend I had the kids down and she was running around too and her tail at the tip going down chewing on her tail blood was everywhere so I called the vet is that a Friday so Saturday morning they gave us some medicine for pain and sedate her a little bit for every 12 hours and then Monday we had her surgery to have her till they docked it off she was home the first few days she ate and went potty and then about Wednesday and Thursday she quit eating she would just drink water we took her out of the pen and she couldn’t walk hardly thought it was her balance cause her tail wasn’t there I still couldn’t get her to eat so I went to the vet and they gave me some food she didn’t eat that so he told me to give her yogurt I gave her yogurt forced it in her mouth and then my husband loved on her and gave her all the attention we could but her body started feeling cold and her hair was falling out relator in bed with us keep her warm she kept on leaving us and laying like over by the toilet in the bathroom or something like that so I put her back in bed with us and covered her up I had a heated blanket and my husband found her the next morning under the kitchen table Dead I feel I let her down we found her and bottle-fed her tongue was very attached to her I wonder what happened why she died why she didn’t wanna eat no more I was supposed to take her to the vet Saturday morning because I was messaging them and they told me to bring her in because she’s Barry passed away through the night
My cat definitely is experiencing symptoms HFS she acts identical to the cat in the video above. I rescued her 8 months ago and she was about 1 year old so she is still very young. I noticed an increase in her episodes this week which is what brought me to look it up. I went out of town last week which might have caused her some stress due to the separation anxiety.
I’m not sure if I am going to try to give her any medication quite yet but I am curious if anyone has found a good way to soothe their cat during an episode. Sometimes when I slowly run my hand down her back she seems to stop itching but I’m not sure if I’m helping her or not.
My rescue cat has this. My daughter (RN) noticed it first–and when I saw it I realized immediately that it was a seizure-like neurological disorder. I myself have a peculiar sort of epilepsy and immediately involved the vet. Seizure/electrical activity can spread across several brain areas, including the structures that control “fear” and other emotions. That’s why this looks like several stages of behavior: the electrical activity is a exciting one area after another.
We discovered that when we notice the twitching begin, if we call him over and sit him close to our bodies, gently scruffing him (like a mama cat) and gently speaking to him, he never enters the scared-to-death and running-away part of the seizure. Twitches eventually stop and he is good to go. He learned pretty quickly that we can make him feel better.
Now, that said, when we are not there, this isn’t going to happen, so I am strongly considering medications. One friend with a seizure-prone cat uses phenobarb, another–with vet approval only–has tried a version of CBD oil, with some success. You may know that some forms of intractable human seizures improve with careful cannabis regimens.
For the record, my rescue looks very Siamese, and is vocal and in general acts like a Siamese, even though his coloring is different. Thus that may be a factor in his development of this disorder.
OMG! This describes Twisty! He would go into random episodes where he “hated” and sometimes chased his tail. He was a grumpy cat – strangers rarely welcome – that required very specific petting and care. I suspected he was a Turkish Van between coat and markings, and we met at a PetSmarr adoption day when he was attacking anyone who walked past his kennel. I had lost an ankle biter, and adopted him because of the biting behavior.
I am really observant of my animals, and figured out quickly how to pet him to avoid stress, and people who found him interesting were instructed regarding his special needs. He was a selfless boy – we have a dog who can play rough. Twisty absolutely hated him, and would attack him if he tried to play with other cats.
He became a very special friend, very devoted to me, and unlike any other feline I have ever been friends with. I lost him when he was sixteen. I got home from an ICU stay for acute kidney injury after my husband died of cancer. Twisty had been slowing down and I knew he was fragile. When my husband died, his sons threw all my animals outside so no one has to deal with litter boxes, etc. I will always believe that drastically shortened his life. He died the night after my husband’s funeral. At least I was home for him his last couple days.
He will always be one of the most amazing friends I have known.
You’re incredible! I don’t believe I’ve ever read anything like this before. It’s wonderful to come across someone who has some unusual perspectives on this subject.
Seriously, thank you for getting this going. This website is exactly what the internet needs, someone who knows what they’re talking about.
a smidgeon of uniqueness
I have a brother and sister Turkish and Gora not sure if they’re mixed breed because they were both rescued when they were three weeks old. Seems like FHS is becoming more and more prevalent from what I’ve seen. I tend to think it my 2 has something to do with the microchip of both my kitties age 5weeks old cuz when they were about seven months old which means they’re full grown FHS type symptoms started in both of them. I’m just wondering if scar tissue or its pressing on a nerve now that they got older they’re four years old now and I try to control it with rescue remedy drops and methyl B12 drops. It didn’t heal it but it definitely helped my male will Chew his back and front right toenails until they were so short sometimes even bleed. And he used to chase his tail well the nails don’t bleed anymore but he still will chew on them at times but not as extreme and he doesn’t chase his tail anymore. My little girl seems to me she has some kind of inflammation reaction when she would eat turkey food so she doesn’t get turkey food anymore but she still has running episodes and ear wiggling blinking episodes that send her into a running frenzy up and down Cat Tree‘s cabinets chairs stairs😔 i’m hoping they grow out of it and they don’t get any worse but if they do I’ll have to put them on big Pharma which I’m not looking forward to so I just make sure that they eat a really good low carb diet of wet food and stay hydrated along with rescue remedy once or twice a day depending on the situation. Somebody mentioned here about acupuncture well acupuncture releases endorphins. So if endorphins work to help these kitties I’m wondering if using low-dose naltrexone which does the same thing for me from my fibromyalgia would work in my kitties. I know from reading other forums about LDN and Pets that the vet black book they use they forgot to put. It’s supposed to be .25 mg dosing, but that stupid vet book says 2.5mg that’s the dose I take I couldn’t imagine these for kitties being miss dosed!!!!
I thought my cat had this syndrome – she would periodically go crazy and bite at her back legs and stomach and rip fur out and completely freak out and pee during an attack. It happened sporadically every few weeks for a couple years. At one point she had a urinary infection and along with getting antibiotics the vet said she had crystals in her urine and too much phosphorus can damage kidneys so I switched away from what was supposed to be a high quality cat food with a lot of salmon. I started with an expensive prescription food for urinary health but alternate with homemade cat food with chicken, pumpkin, rice, etc. Ever since then she hasn’t had an attack (that I’ve seen) and its been over a year.
Thank you, yes a good idea to try a different protein. Change slowly though to avoid possible tummy upset
Hi, Thank you for this train of stories. Nice to know we’re not alone.
My Lulu tabby( who was born of a feral in the bushes in our yard almost 7 years ago) started with very bad biting symptoms a lil over a year & a half ago.
Her hind leg needed stitches , then her back paw toe needed to be amputated as she’d chewed to the bone and it was infected to the point of dissolving the bone. Trial & error landed us on gabapentin which worked until it didn’t
This past April it got bad again & vet recommended a neurologist who diagnosed Lulu with FHS.( my regular vet had not heard of it either)
He put her on Pregabalin ( which I didn’t see anyone mention here?) which worked immediately.
Unfortunately for the last 3 weeks she has been incontinent. ( for the last few months she left lil hard poops around a few times a week ) Now it is constant urination dripping out of her, she doesn’t seem to even know it’s coming out?
The neurologist moved but called in to up her dosage but that didn’t help.
Going to see a new neurologist tomorrow.
I didn’t see anyone in this chain note an incontinence situation which seems to be on the list of FHS symptoms.
Poor Lulu stinks of pee, my house doesn’t smell good either( I’ve got pee pads everywhere & she’s in a diaper most of the time)
I need to travel and don’t know what to do.cat sitter only comes once a day.
(Last August she had pretty severe pancreatitis & a few times she peed in her sleep but there were only maybe not even 8 incidents of it in a 2 week period & then it stopped, but here we are again)
Very happy for any feedback
Thanks so much!
We adopted Minnie at the beginning of November and they told us she’d had a rough start, having suffered from malnutrition and losing sight in her left eye from it. She has an opal-milky white eye, which we say helps her see the spirit world because it seemed like she was playing with our recently deceased cat Cosmo. She was a timid, but quirky cat, about 4 years old, underweight since her spay, based on her photos online she was a much healthier weight before. We took her home and she she has this intense headbutt and rub thing she does, as soon as she smells your breath and recognizes you, and she settles into you. The thing is, if you pat her sides anywhere from her middle back, or near her back end, she nips at you and then suddenly she’s a different cat. You don’t have to even react to it, she just flips personality. She’ll even turn and suddenly bit your cheek even though she was purring and rubbing on you like she’s madly in love.
That’s not the worst or craziest part. Here’s the angry/mad side: when I lay down on the couch she will hop up on me and snuggle with me, and I mean she will come up to my face and put hers on mine, nose to nose and mouth to mouth, and curl around my face, then fall asleep. Sometimes she gets up and rotates and covers my face, as long as i keep a hand on her she’s happy. She’ll get up and lay on my stomach or settle between my knees, if I have a blanket on me, so that it’s like a hammock for her. Then she’ll sleep by. My feet or my head. But when I get up and go somewhere, if she gets up and goes too she not only walks along with me, rubbing on my legs like a loving cat, tail wrapping around my calves and all, but she follows that with sudden bites to my calves and shins, the tops of my feet, and swats of her claws to all 3 as well, while she hisses and growls and chases me. The worst of all? She literally walks right in front of me in a perpendicular position and STOPS, like she literally wants me to trip. If I go over or around her she attacks me from behind and she draws blood and bruises me. She’ll be in that mode for a while until I get on the couch and hide from her long enough for her to reset.
When I go to feed her she goes after my arms and legs like I’m trying to hurt her, more angry than before, it doesn’t make sense, even after I’ve given her her food! I can’t reach down to pick up dropped treats or show her where they are because she goes after me.
Funny part: she meows like crazy, mimics our voices, seems to talk to us, and literally has zoomies like she’s having tag fights with invisible/ghost cats. Her eyes get dilated like when she’s angry though, so we know something is up. She does that paws out, claws into the carpet, “holy shit the world is spinning” look, then the second you move or make a noise she takes off.
My Max just seemed to develop this condition out of nowhere although we did go through a stressful period with a broken leg this summer. He doesn’t get mean but when he’s flailing around I sure don’t want to be near those teeth or claws. He has a large raw spot on the end of his tail now. He wants to be near me, though, and I’ve found I can lay my hand on his back and that can help but I’m not right there all the time, of course. I’m trying gabapentin and cbd oil and zylkene… don’t know what’s working but the spells seem to have settled down a bit but not completely. He is super sweet and affectionate the rest of the time – we’ve had him for four years now.
Have you tried any treatments yet?
Joanne
I am so, so sorry that’s terrible! I don’t know if you read my post. My kitty was doing some really weird stuff with her ears, her eyes and her tongue like her brain was being affected and then she would zoom around afterwards. And I did try everything also but what helped pretty well was Pet version of rescue remedy because you can give it every 15 minutes if you have to and it’s tasteless.
But I found out what was causing my kitty in 2018 July to be exact I bought two Alexa’s that were on sale for prime day. Buy one get one free. And I just noticed here years later in October when I did a sweep of the electromagnetic field in my house that those Alexis were putting off a lot of EMF. So I decided somehow someway they are being bombarded throughout the week and reacted badly with my little girl. Kitty didn’t bother her brother, but it bothers her. Some are just more sensitive. Well I didn’t really relate to two until I took them and put them in a box and put them in the garage and they were gone out of the house. This was in October and do you know she has not had one single episode. She still has her Zumiez, which is like any cat, but she doesn’t have that weird eye, squinting, licking ear problem like her brain is being bombarded. Have you had any changes other than the stress in a new tech in your house?
no, no new stresses although we did deal with a broken bone in his front leg in early fall. I do have a google home but rarely use it, and have had it for a couple of years so I’m not sure it’s relevant.
It might be relevant I didn’t use my Alexis but there was some high EMF being bombarded from that, so yeah I would take your Google put it in the garage, unplug it and see if that helps
Wow, I’m glad I found your page – so many stories and they all sound familiar! I’ve been getting desperate to help my cat, Max. He has been a big healthy (neutered) cat up until this fall. He started showing symptoms of FHS which I learned about in a google search. He would snarl and hiss and roll around and eventually started attacking his tail. I took him to our vet and she examined him for any possible back injuries but didn’t find any. We haven’t had any changes in our household but he did break a bone in his front leg this summer and that treatment was very stressful! He’s mostly better – still a slight limp sometimes. I’ve read that stress might bring it on and that’s the only major event around here. We have an old dog and another cat but they aren’t new.
We have been trying Amitriptyline and gabapentin. I have trouble getting the ground up pill into him (Amitriptyline) and have to force the liquid gabapentin. If I find something he likes to eat one day (to mix it in) the next day he doesn’t like it. I am trying to stick to set mealtimes instead of free dry food (which worked fine for years). His spells are getting worse and he has a large raw and bleeding spot at the end of his tail. I have cream for it but of course he licks it off. I’ve tried the collar for periods when I can keep an eye on him. He’s had lab tests and nothing comes up.
He’s about five years old. I bought some cbd oil but I’m not sure of the dosage. He’s very affectionate between these spells and still wants to cuddle on the couch (as before). I have tried holding my hand on his back if I can but I’m not always in the right place. He does flail around quite a bit so I don’t/can’t get close when he’s in the middle of an episode. He actually got a claw caught halfway up his tail during one episode. I’ll need to keep them trimmed.
I also thought he might need part of his tail amputated eventually but thought he’d just attack some other body part. It is very stressful to see and hear him and the feeling of helplessness is awful.
I’ll try that Zylkene if I can get him to eat it and check back here for success stories. I realize this may be a long term condition so I’m anxious to find something that helps.
Thanks for the support… Joanne
I have no clue how to leave a comment other than replying to one…
I’m thrilled to have found this. I can’t believe there are so many kitties with this syndrome. We noticed it in our tabby when he was about a year or maybe 2. He’s 5 now. I had to search google and YouTube by using his symptoms during an episode. The one that really concerned me was the hallucinations. He would go after things that weren’t there. There’s less of that now, and more of the rippling back, violent swishing of the tail, trying to get his tail, and hissing at his tail. He is very aggressive during an episode. And while it started seldom enough to not cause concern… it’s become a daily ritual. I have found that it may be triggered by sound. We now have 2 small children (ages 1 and 3) and the high pitched yelling, and lots of noise seems to get him going.
I too have brought him into multiple vets… like a handful, & I have yet to meet a vet that knows what FHS is. I have to explain in to them! It’s horrible. He seems to have asthma too possibly. It hasn’t been directly diagnosed, but we have explained how he will be up in a tree, and rest his neck on the side and start heaving for air. But it also happens when he’s either having an episode or just randomly at times. So we were given an extremely expensive prescription for an inhaler.
So since the vets had no clue about FHS, we were able to get gabapentin prescribed in relation to asthma, and I use the liquid form for a while but not consistently. It definitely puts him out for a few hours, which I prefer over a few episodes, but it’s horrible to have to pick between the 2. He’s very active. Adhd for sure, & he required playtime daily before we had children. Unfortunately, we don’t have so much time anymore. I try to play w him whenever the kids aren’t around, but it’s not enough.
He also has some OCD features like the kitty litter box, scratching incessantly, and also refuses to use it or gets our attention if it’s not clean to his standards for use.
If I’m being honest. A lot of playtime is probably the truest form of remedy for him. I wish I had more time to spend doing that w him.
For now, I’m going to try the rescue remedy and the stuff that starts with an ‘X’. See if we make any headway w either.
He’s just the coolest cat, so much fun, he thinks he’s a dog, and is sweeter than pie (laying in my arms as I type this) & I want to relieve him of these daily episodes. They are awful.
OH! I wanted to say that I have also found that when he’s in mid hunt for his tail, if I come and wrap my arms around him, and kind of hold his tail down w a little weight under my arm, & just lay there w him for a few minutes, it tends to calm him… and I can stop an episode. Just have to catch him in the right place at the right time, bc he has grabbed a hold of my forearm & wrestled it and I walked away a bloody mess. Lol
wow, you’ve been dealing with this for a while – it’s been less than a year for me. I’m happy to report that the open wound on the tip of his tail has healed and there’s just a scab there now. I am dosing him with liquid gabapentin and also using the pills. He’s prescribed 1.4 ml every 8 hours. I don’t always get it in him quite that often. I’m assuming that the drug is keeping him from extended periods of frantice tail-chasing. He starts to growl when the dose is wearing off.
Like you, I don’t want to have to keep him drugged all the time. He has gained weight and I know that isn’t good for him. Sometimes I put some cbd oil on his paws sometimes but I’m not consistent enough to know if it’s really working. I also looked up the symptoms to see what was wrong with him – the vet seemed to be aware of it but really have no suggestions other than drugs to control the symptoms.
I haven’t been scratched by him – luckily – but he could certainly leave a mark if he did! He’s a big boy. I might try your hugging technique and see if it helps.
What is the “rescue” remedy?
I do love this cat. I’ve always had cats but I don’t think I’ve felt the same before – not sure why he is different!
Sorry it took so long for me to respond – I wasn’t notified. There must be a way to activate that feature.
Joanne
Zyklene doesn’t even need to be mixed into his food, it is a tasteless milk protein, and my cat doesn’t even notice it. It’s a godsend to me.
Oh my God. My friend sent me a link to this article and finally… finally, I have an answer. My cat, Lilly (Siamese, but certainly house kitty mix) is my adorable cat that I adopted at one year old, during the pandemic. She was likely already stressed about that, but exhibited none of the signs in the article until painters came to paint our in house railings. Plastic everywhere, strangers in the house, loud noises. It was after this event she would twitch. Clearly look at things not there. Huge eyes. Swishing tail. TERRIBLE urination trouble. I knew she was stressed out. She didn’t bite herself, but she bit ME incredibly hard, and I have the scars on my legs to prove it. We tried Feliway. Other than a urinary tract infection, -nothing- was wrong with her. It felt like vet after vet visit. Finally, my vet provided Gabapentin and an anti-depressant. Thus far, Gabapentin has been the ONLY thing to work. On it, she finally gets to relax. Sleep and nap. Cozy up in my lap without feeling something is going to happen that causes her pain.
I’m calling my vet as soon as I am able. If there’s other ways to help her other than just the Gabi, I’m doing it. She’s been suffering for two years now. I know harder drugs aren’t really a good answer for pets. But… I also have to take drugs to live peacefully. I guess she and I are more alike than originally thought.
Hi Lindsey, so glad the Gabapentin is helping Lilly! Veterinary medicine has come a long way in recognizing that medication that treats anxiety in cats and dogs can make a HUGE difference in their quality of life. Wishing you both the very best, and hopefully she will continue to improve! <3
My Kitty was definitely doing some weird things at seven months old her and her brother were both rescues. He does the things like chases his tail he bites his back nails almost to the nub few times there was a couple spots of blood on floor. I was giving them both rescue remedy regularly. It seem to help male more. Then fast forward to 2022. I was doing a electrical sweep in my house looking for dirty electricity. And pointed to both of my Alexa‘s from Amazon. I got buy one get one free July 2018 (I looked it up on my orders) which is the exact same month from my notes to the vet when my female started doing little seizure like she was having pain in her brain!! as much as I love the convenience of these Amazon Alexa’s I put them in a box and threw them in the garage and never looked back. The bizarre thing I noticed my little female kitty was not doing the little brain pain seizure that she was doing at least once a day that I saw. Poor thing over 7 years!! I really do think that these things are sabotaged and putting off some infra sound that she could hear annd human can’t and was bothering her.
You know, you are not the only person I’ve heard that from! I’ve heard several stories about cats in particular possibly being affected by Alexa devices. Cats have extremely sensitive hearing, so it’s very possible that these electronic devices can be emitting high frequency sounds that are causing them distress.
Your comment reminded me of something I had forgotten about long ago… when I was little, my Mom would often take me to my Dad’s office to pick him up so we could go have lunch. Whenever I walked in the front door of the building where he worked, I immediately felt what I can only describe as a very uncomfortable, high-pitched vibrating frequency in my head. I couldn’t hear it so much as I could feel it, and it literally made me feel like I wanted to jump out of my skin. One day I asked my Mom if she could hear anything odd, and she said that she didn’t…but the Receptionist overheard us and remarked that other people had complained about that very thing after the building had installed a new security system. All I know is whatever that frequency was, it made me want to run out the door just to make it stop! It really makes me wonder if that’s what these cats are feeling?
Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
That’s fascinating! And no doubt Wi-fi, 5G, all our gadgets make sounds we cannot hear. I have tinnitus which affects my hearing, but it also makes me SO sensitive to some sounds that I want to cower and hide. Leaf Blowers are so painful to me.
Did talk to my vet about changing my cats water to distilled water and told her my feelings about the Alexa on how I got rid of them and everything got better now my male still does the weird stuff but not my female my female was more of a worry because she acted like she was having brain pain sometimes. She said well it sounds like she was getting zapped! Thank you because my family thinks I’m crazy. But I miss them because I use them every day but it’s not worth having them in the house.
I manage my cats hyperesthesia with a raw food diet, understanding his triggers and keeping his routine. I also use homeopathy and he does really well. I have to wonder if the vaccines being used are animals are having a part to play here. This shouldn’t be happening to cats so frequently.
This article is so helpful! My 9 month old snowshoe Kevin started out of the blue with attacking his tail and flanks like they stole his most prized possession, rolling of the hair/skin on his flanks, and trying to run away from his body to the point of open mouth panting. I treated for fleas and some Benadryl in case it was flea dermatitis but it continued, although lessened. At the vet today, heart and lungs clear, no signs of flea goo (ick description by the vet of what they would see if fleas were involved), everything else looks normal so we started gabapentin to see if this helps. It is terrible to see my baby so agitated and upset by his body sensations so I am hopeful that this will help him.
Zyklene and instituting some behavioral enrichment(window perches, more play time, encouraging my cat to have naps under a blanket(as he’s shown to love this) has helped my extremely sensitive 19 pound 2 year old Tuxedo. Gabapentin drugged him terribly and seemed to increase his appetite and short temper.
I’ve begun buying 450 mg capsules to save money. I pour some capsules in a vial and serve out 1/32 teaspoon for each serving. He gets in atop his food 1-2 times a day.
I’m so grateful for Zyklene and feel it is completely safe and worth trying.
Now if only he’d let me clip his nails 😉
I had a further thought about this. Besides providing a more enriching environment for my cat(window perches, scratch pads in every room, more play time, grow cat grass for him), and adding Zylkene to his food 1-2 times a day — If your pet is on dry food, visit catinfo.org and switch him over to a wet food. I thought it would be impossible with my cat, but I found he loved Pro Plan canned food selections(Chicken&Spinach, Beef&Chicken, Turkey&Vegetables, and Salmon& Brown Rice.) That was the third change I made to help my cat. I’d had him on First Mate dry food, thinking it was high quality and that catinfo.org website convinced me there is no good kibble for a cat.
my 3-year-old gray tabby has recently shown symptoms of fhs.
over the years, hes had some of the symptoms, but i shook it off as “just cat things”.
but recently, for the past 3 days, his hind legs have been twitching.
he’s never pulled out his own fur, but sometimes he slightly nips at his hind feet, and rarely licks his tail roughly.
his pupils are always diolated,and his tail is always swinging from side to side.
sometimes he shakes his head.
does this sound like he has fhs, or am i going insane? helppp!
My 9 year old Darwin who I found in a parking lot at 2-3 weeks old. He has the classic symptoms of Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. Overactive tail, skin on his back rippling, ears twitching, shaking his head as if he is trying to clear his mind. I am sure it is painful. It is almost as if he is experiencing an electric shock. He jumps and skreetches and sometimes runs around hissing and growling. It started about three years ago and as it progressed I gave him Gabapentin. First it was 75 mg twice a day, in a liquid form, but he began having breakthrough symptoms in the middle of the day. I found an animal pharmacy that does compounding. They make 25, 50, and 75 mg “tiny tabs”. I gave him 50 mg three times a day and his symptoms disappeared for almost two years. He is having symptoms again and I have increased the dose to 75 mg three times a day, but he is still having some symptoms, mainly in the evening when he gets activated. So I am thinking about weening him off the Gabapentin or just maintain him on a low dose while I try Sylkene.
It is very tough on “pet parents”. I cannot find anyone to take care of him if I am not home. So no vacations or even an overnite stay. There were times I would come home for a few minutes to give him his medicine and then go back to work. I tried hiring a vet tech and willing to pay quite a bit for their time, but no one wants the responsibility to come three times a day. I cannot take him out of the house because this 23 pound cat is afraid of everything. I even have a modbil vet come to my home because he refuses to leave the house.
The saying like a “cat chasing his tail” demonstrates that this has been around for a very long time, but people did not realize it wis a disorder. The hypersensitity is definitely neurological, but no one does research on Cats. The suggestions are mainly anecdotal and many of the pharmaceuticals we give cats are because we use them on humans or dogs. I have actually switched vets twice because they are not trained properly to handle a disease process like this. His blood tests are fairly normal. There might be a high normal liver enzyme or high normal creatinine level occasionally, but nothing to be concerned about. But that doesn’t stop my latest vet from wanting to do an abdominal ultrsound because he is overweight and she can not feel so.me of the abdominal organs. One vet said I should take him to a veterinary internist. Keep in mind it is a syndrome with no known etiology (or cause).
He has given me (at 73) so much joy. My inconvenience is a small price to pay. So I will continue to search for something to help his symptoms and do the my very best to provide him with a better quality of life. This is the first time I have written and only discovered this site yesterday. So I will check here often and I do not mind asnwering questions. I teach Anatomy and Physiology to nursing students at Rutgers University, so I do have so relevant knowledge to think through some of the medical issues. There are times I feel more competent than the vet. I try and make it a collaboration where we think things through together.
Hello William, thank you so much for taking the time to write and share your story about Darwin! I agree that this condition can be SO frustrating. I completely empathize with you regarding the time and effort it takes to manage, but also with your statement that the inconvenience is a small price to pay for the joy these amazing creatures bring into our lives. <3
I have no doubt that your background and experience have been immensely helpful in obtaining the very best treatment for Darwin. And I agree 100% that a collaborative relationship with your vet is necessary to give him the best shot at successful management. I too have changed vets when I didn't feel that connection and willingness from a vet to really hear and take into consideration my observations, suggestions, and questions. Darwin is a very lucky kitty to have been rescued by you all those years ago.
Please keep us posted on Darwin's progress and whatever additional knowledge that you gain on this journey... it will be invaluable to our readers who have been struggling with this and don't know where else to turn. Thank you again!! ~Camille
My cat is now 2 years old and she has displayed some of the signs of FHS since she was a kitten. She has the rolling and twitching of her back, biting and running crazy around the house. However, she has never hurt herself biting or scratching. She shakes her head, particularly when I touch her head. But the thing that is puzzling to me is her extreme anxiety to me and any noise. She can be sleeping and if I walk into the room carrying something, even something very small, she runs like she’s seen a ghost. I always say her name when I walk in so she hears my voice but she is still scared to death. And if I cough or sneeze, she is like a rocket getting away from the noise. It’s like living with a feral cat. She hates to be picked up, which I know a lot of cats don’t like that but seems like she is petrified if I do pick her up. And a big issue is I can not get her to the vet, she goes completely crazy and pees and poops all over if I try to get her in the carrier, thus I have not had a real diagnosis. Please let me know if you can help me in any way, I am at a loss for what to do. Thank you
My little girl was the same way. She’s not as bad now because she suffered for five years with an Amazon Alexa one upstairs one downstairs the EMF admit it off of those were just too high for her sensitivity. Turns out she was very sensitive to EMF and those read over 1000 so I got rid of them and she got 50% better. When I checked out Amazon to see when I bought those Alexis low and behold same month same year that she started her problem maybe do an EMF sweep your house maybe your kitty is sensitive to EMF also
Hi Gail! Im going through the some of these same things with my kitty. He too will literally jump up and take off if I walk into a room, I will even call him name letting him know I’m coming in and he’s still completely terrified. He was napping on the other side of my bed earlier and I went to get up off the bed and I swear he literally jumped a good 4 feet in the air. He also despises being held, like he would probably rather go swimming than be held lol.. I made a comment below describing some of his other symptoms, if you have a chance, could you possibly read it and see if maybe your sweet girl has any of those same symptoms as well? I just don’t wanna clog this thread posting the same thing multiple times. I feel like alot of what I’m explaining most will chalk up to “normal kitty behavior”, but this isn’t “normal”, like it’s excessive, to the point we don’t sleep, and my heart hurts for him bc I hate that he feels so terrified. Any advice, tips, tricks anything I’m open to anything you have to offer! He has an appointment but it’s not until September, as I’m a full time nursing student and single mom of 2 teenagers, so a vet isn’t something I can budget at this point. And I know, don’t get an animal if you can’t care for them, but I couldn’t just leave him to die where he was abandoned at. But my local HSS is offering free vaccination, vouchers for spay/ neuter, heart worm treatment, etc, and im hoping they may be able to possibly run some tests or anything to hopefully get some answers to what’s going on and how we can make him comfortable. Other wise, my heart hurts for him, I just want to do what I can to make him more comfortable. Thanks for listening yall!! This is also my first pet, so I’m so nervous for him.
We recently found a kitty abandoned, the first few nights of bringing him home he was fine, around day 4 his whole demeanor changed, he stayed up all night and just ran from one side of the house to the other. We stayed up with him, trying to comfort him while also giving him space, he wouldn’t let us near him tho, he would run scared and hide. He would run in a circle chasing his tail, he jumps and lunges at thin air, it’s as if he sees something there, but there’s nothing there. He acts very skittish around us, he runs and hides, or he’ll stand at a corner, peaking around at us as if he’s scared. He’ll lunge at us, it’s almost like every few hours he forgets who we are. It’s very strange. His first few nights with us he would only sleep on us, and then once this odd behavior started he’s completely changed. He also does this excessive licking thing, where he just excessively licks his tail and paw .. I know that’s how cats clean themselves but this is more than normal.. I thought he may have been adjusting, but this behavior has been persistent for 4 weeks now.. anybody have any suggestions, tips, anything? Has anybody experienced anything like this with their kitty? It’s like having a new born again.. I’m up all night with him lol I’m becoming sleep deprived! But I refuse to give up on him.. also, this may be off subject, but at certain times when he looks at you, it appears that he is cross eyed.. is this. Normal for kitties? If you made it this far, I appreciate any advice, words of encouragement, or anything you have to have offer!! He’s our only pet, actually he’s the first pet we’ve ever had lol, our house isn’t rambunctious, no small children, nothing to really trigger over stimulation.. I guess this is why I’m at a loss .. and I’m beginning to get worried about him. Thanks again y’all
Try some pet rescue remedy, you can give it every hour if need to, make sure its pet version it has pet friendly no alcohol. The stress is a lot for him bless him. GIVE HIM HUGE space. I have 2 rescues I cant hold or touch 85% of the time 6 yrs later.. be very understanding, and give love.. I am so happy I ended up with them cuz no one else has the patience I have best of luck hugs
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for your fast response! Is pet rescue remedy something I can buy at maybe pet smart, or the co-op? I ask bc I’m hoping it’s something I can get immediately, my heart breaks for him, bc I know he doesn’t know any better..he’s taught me patience in the short time I’ve had him! My teenagers too. We adore him, love on him, while also giving him space! This may be a silly question, but it was such a sudden thing when we found him, that I had just ran and bought a basic litter pan for him, it doesn’t have a top or anything, and it’s not very deep, which he’s not really a “big” kitty, but I feel like with the litter it’s not deep at all. Should I change the litter box to maybe a deeper one, with a lid and a little opening so he can have “privacy”? Could thsg maybe be contributing to his anxiety and causing him to overstimulate? Sorry for all the questions, I truly appreciate your response!
Yes, you can buy it on Amazon and probably get it tomorrow or the next day. Chewy also sells it like I said, make sure it’s the pet version and the pet version really doesn’t taste bad. I put it right in my kitties mouth but I keep it in the refrigerator because you don’t want germs to grow on it if you’re going to put it right in your mouth sometimes you can put it on a treat those little stick treats they have they’re really expensive but you could maybe put it in one of those little pate sticks on a plate please keep me updated.
My cat had FHS, triggered by stress, and while he ran away, removing the source of his stress (my cat Milo, apparently), after we got him back (over a year later) and he once again lived with Milo, he started stress peeing around my apartment (so his anxiety was back). I tried all the over the counter options (rescue remedy, Feliway, etc), but nothing worked. I was at my wits end, until I found a forum on cat peeing, where someone suggested that it was a result of anxiety. So my vet prescribed generic Prozac, and he stopped peeing, immediately. Milo was still being a beast though, so I learned that his bullying was probably a result of anxiety as well, and he started getting the meds too. Then, there was peace. Both boys were fine around each other, and behaved themselves. After about a year, I was able to wean them off the meds and they were fine for the rest of their days. So if none of the natural stress remedies work, it might be worth talking to a vet about starting your cat on anti-anxiety medication. Otherwise, finding the source of your cat’s anxiety, and removing it, was also successful. If that isn’t possible, like in my situation, then the meds are a very good option. I know that generic prozac is used on a LOT of animals suffering from anxiety. It has worked on lions, cats, and dogs, that I know of personally (yeah, lions…the Lion Whisperer is a channel on YT and one of his lions was being very agro and went on fluoexatrine…aka generic Prozac). There are other anti-anxiety medications as well, in case the Prozac isn’t a good fit (Max had been on a different medication before the Prozac, which made him a zombie cat, but it did stop the peeing, Prozac stopped the peeing without affecting his energy level or mood). I wish you luck with your kitty cat!
Wanted to share the story of my cat Max, who struggled with FHS. Now, he wasn’t a super severe case. He did have patches of bare fur when we first got him, which was due to self-mutilation/him biting his fur. But he didn’t seem to have any problems with FHS when we first got him. He had been in a shelter, which probably was an extreme stressor for him. The cat that we first had when getting Max (who was his BEST friend) passed away, and Max was despondent. We got a new cat and he and Max were fine with each other, but they didn’t bond like Max and Oliver had. Then, we got my cat Milo. Things seemed like they were fine, although Max didn’t seem to like Milo. Somewhere along the line, Max started freezing up, his skin would roll and ripple, his eyes would get huge, his tail would swish, and he would bite himself, and then take off, tearing around the house. He was diagnosed with FHS, and it was managed with medication (I can’t remember which one, at the moment). This went on for a couple of years, and then in December of 2006, my aunt accidentally let Max scoot out the door (she was talking to my parents in the door to the garage, with it wide open) and we didn’t see him again for 1 year and 2 months. My mom had been looking for another cat for me, since I was moving out of the house with Milo and I was worried because he had never been an only cat. She came across an almost 6 year old ginger domestic shorthair, with almost no white on him (just the tip of his tail), neutered, and declawed in front. She just had to know if it was our Maxie. So we went to the shelter, and sure enough, it was our cat!! So near the end of February 2008, we got our cat Max back. Someone had picked him up when he got out (he wasn’t chipped, and he had a tear-away color that he wasn’t wearing (or maybe he was and these people just sucked). Anyway, at some point along the way he scratched his throat somehow and as a result, he wasn’t eating, and so these stellar people, once again, abandoned Max to the shelter. He would surely have died if my mom hadn’t seen his posting. Now, during this 1 month 2 year absence, his FHS has gone untreated. There were some slight changes to Max’s appearance, during his absence, but it was the same cat. He remembered us, even after that long, and he was totally comfortable with us, despite still being a fairly skittish cat. The thing was, other than him not eating, and being super skinny, he had no other injuries. And the most amazing thing of all…his FHS was completely gone. He never had another episode after getting him back. Eventually, he started eating again, and life went on as it had before he ran away. I ended up moving out, with Milo, that summer, and then, in the next spring, I also took my parents other 2 cats…Max and Murray, to live with me in my apartment (family drama, my sister-in-law is a b!tch). This is when Max developed a new, and frustrating habit. A few months into living in the apartment, he started peeing outside the litter box. I was at my wits end. I could see that he was stressed, because Milo was being a bully, and causing Max massive anxiety. I did my research and eventually, got Max and Milo both on generic Prozac, and it solved everything. Max and Milo were never going to be best buddies, but they both learned to live with each other, just fine. I was able to wean them both off the medication after about a year, and Max had an uneventful rest of his life. I am firmly of the opinion that Max’s FHS was triggered by stress. He showed signs of it when we got him, but then it didn’t show up until he got stressed out by my brat. Then he ran away, and the source of his anxiety wasn’t around him, so it went away. Oddly, when he had to move back in with that trigger, AND moved to a new environment…it didn’t return. He just developed a new, annoying way to express his anxiety. Not sure if the fluoexatrine would have resolved the FHS or not, but it really calmed him down, so I have to think that it would have. Max certainly was the cat that used up all 9 of his lives. And my family takes great pride in saving at least 2 of those lived, maybe even as many as 4! He was a good boy, and I am so glad that his FHS went away. Not sure if this will help anyone else’s cat, but I had to share his story, on the off chance that it might.