My shy stray cat's eyes shake. What causes this and should I worry?

This sounds like your kitty may have what is called a congenital nystagmus (fast or slow movement of the eyes back and forth). This is commonly seen in Himalayan, Siamese, albino, and white haired cats. Typically this condition is not suggestive of any serious neurological abnormalities with the blue iris pets that have non-pigmented retinas (seen only on ophthalmic exam with vet). This condition most likely has been present since your kitty was born, but it was not as intense and therefore could have gone unnoticed. I would recommend that you have a vet to look at the eyes during a regular exam just to double check our suspicions and also to ensure the non-pigmented retina is there. This condition also does not tend to affect your cats vision or quality of life.

She may have some mild cerebellar hypoplasia. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. I recommend you videotape her doing this behavior so you can show that video to your vet in case Cleo is not doing it during the exam. Here is a link to an article about CH in cats. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cerebellar-hypoplasia-in-cats )

In any cat this can be a sign of a neurological problem, vestibular disease or an inner ear infection. No one knows what causes vestibular disease but it does often get better with time and treatment. Inner ear infections are also treatable with medication. At your cats age I would be worry about a brain disease such as a tumor or vascular disease to cause these symptoms. She does need to see a vet as soon as possible to see what the problem is and your potential prognosis. They can start medicine to help calm her and minimize the symtpoms

Twitching in his sleep is normal. Kittens dream a lot. The shaking though when he is eating is unusual. It could be an intention tremor. I recommend to record the behavior and then have him examined by the veterinarian. Make sure to show the vet the video of Spirit eating. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Hmmmm, I’d really have to see Lumi to determine if this is problematic. When I hear about a kitten with odd shaking concerns, I do think about a neurological disorder such as cerebellar hypoplasia....and symptoms can become more obvious when the cat is focusing on a task (“intention tremors”)..... but it’s usually pretty apparent and I think I’d be hearing more concern from you. If Lumi is completely normal in every other way, and this is just a little “shiver” sort of shake, then it’s likely normal. Sometimes they’ll shiver/tremble when they’re very excited, or nervous, both of which could come into play when eating. So, no concrete answer but I suspect this is normal. However, if it looks concerning to you (and certainly if you feel anything else about Lumi’s movements look odd) then it’s worth having your vet take a look at her to be safe. Hope this helps!

This is common in cats. They often will squint one eye. As long as she downstairs have any discharge (yellow or green), swelling or continued excessive blinking (blepharospams) then she is likely displaying normal cat behavior. I hope everything works out well for your kitty Jinx. Best wishes and take care.

What you are seeing in the inside corner of Nala's eye is a normal structure called the third eyelid (or nictating membrane). However, it is not normally up as much as Nala's are in the picture. There are a few possibilities of why a third eyelid will be up more than normal. Some drugs will make them go up more, tapeworms (https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951442) can sometimes make them go up in cats, and any irritation of the eye can make them go up. Since it appears to be getting worse, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her to see if they can find a cause. If Nala is squinting or rubbing at her eyes, she should see a veterinarian ASAP. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.