My cat has muscle spasms or tremors when sleeping. Is it serious?

The spasms could be seizures. Have her physically examined by your veterinarian or a veterinary neurologist to diagnose the underlying cause. In the meantime, the vet may dispense medication to control or prevent the spasms/seizures. Keep her as stress free as possible, since stress may be a trigger for the condition.

Hi there, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. These tremors could be a simple thing such as mild irritation to the skin in that area, or something much more concerning such as petit seizures or a symptom of a toxicity. An exam with a vet would really be necessary to determine what's causing Udel's tremors. It's definitely a good sign that she's still active, and if she's acting pretty normal and eating well then you can likely monitor her for a day or two - but if this continues then I recommend scheduling an exam with your vet. If you can, I recommend trying to capture a little video of the tremors, just in case she doesn't do them at the vet's office, so they can see what you're noticing at home. If your vet is providing curbside care, you could e-mail the video for them to see. In the meantime, if Udel starts acting sick, lethargic, unsteady on her feet, or shows any other concerning signs of progressing symptoms, then an ER visit may be necessary today as I'd be worried about a possible toxicity. Hope that helps!

It can be very hard to find the cause for intermittent tremors, so while it's appropriate to have him checked out, your vet may not be able to find anything. I would recommend a general exam, a neurologic exam, and a general bloodwork panel including urinalysis and thyroid levels to make sure everything looks normal. If all that is normal, and a veterinary neurologist isn't available where you are, your kitty can either just be monitored to make sure it's not getting worse, or you could try an anti-seizure or anti-tremor medication. Those medications definitely can have side effects, so you probably only want to go that route if the episodes seem to be causing lasting harm. I hope that helps a bit. Good luck!

To be honest with you, if you really wanted to figure out what is going on it would probably take a considerable amount of testing. My opinion is that it is not likely anything to worry about but, of course, I have not seen the behavior so it is very difficult to say. The best I can tell you is that if you are worried, I suggest you video tape the behavior with your phone and then take Scotch to the vet for an exam and show them the video. If they see the behavior then they may be able to tell you more. This article will give you more information about muscle tremors in cats. ( https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/neurological/c_ct_tremors )

You really need to get a video of him doing the behavior and then take it to your vet's office and show them. After they see it they can give you more of an idea of what may be going on. It could be dreaming but it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you can wake her up and the shaking stops it is not a seizure and is more likely movement associated with REM sleep. If you try to wake her up but she continues to have muscle tremors it could be a seizure or neurologic disorder and you should see your veterinarian. If you do decide to see your veterinarian a video can help them determine what might be going on.

I am so sorry to hear that. Your cat Casper may be having a seizure. Place him in a quiet room and wrap him in soft blankets or towels until it passes. Then it is best to take him to your vet in the morning or within 24-48 hrs if the seizure dissipates on its own. Typically seizures are not life-threatening unless they continuously occur and don't go away within 15-30 minutes and it is always best to get your pet checked and bloodwork ran to look for underlying causes. If the seizures occur for more than 2-3 minutes or happen more than once a month then it is warranted to get Casper started on anti-seizure medication. Another possible cause of the muscle spasms is a toxin exposure, which would require immediate medical attention and would results in spasms that are continuous and don't resolve.