My senior cat is pawing her face and shaking her head. Is it FOPS?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chloe. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian for an examination. She could have an ear infection, something known as a nasopharyngeal polyp or even a loose tooth. Based on her exam findings, her veterinarian can recommend treatment if necessary. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without seeing this firsthand, it is difficult for me to say for sure but based off of your description, it does sound like this could be a seizure. With Copper being diabetic and seeing that he is geriatric, I would highly recommend having him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. If he has not had his glucose levels checked in a while or his fructosamine level checked, I would highly recommend having these done. I hope this helps and that Copper gets better soon! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

It is possible that Tiger Lily's ears may be bothering her or she could have oral/jaw discomfort. I'm glad to hear that she seems to be fine other times, but her vet should examine her to check for the presence of an ear infection and oral changes.

Oh my. These are all very serious symptoms, especially for a cat. They can indicate he could have a number of things going on including: a stroke, seizure, vestibular disease or even brain cancer. He should be seen right away by your vet for diagnotic testing (i.e. bloodwork, radiographs) if you want to pursue any possible treatment options for him. I do hope this is something he can recover from, but he needs to be seen by your vet right away for immediate medical attention. I wish you all the best with Harley. Take care.

This sounds a lot like your kitty has problems with his teeth or possibly severe gingivitis or ulcers in his mouth. If he lets you have a look, inspect his mouth for red spots, a red gum line and severe tartar, especially on the molars or any swelling. He will likely need a dental cleaning under anesthesia, if he has not had one in the last year or two. Cats get so called FORL, that is the neck of the tooth often rots underneath the gum and eventually starts hurting. Typical signs would be red gums and some swelling and not letting you have a look at his mouth. Affected cats often want to eat, go to the food, eat a little and then stop only to return later for more but few bites. Please make an appointment with your vet for an exam very soon. In the meantime feed canned food which will be less painful to eat.

I’m sorry to hear about your Dad, and that your kitty isn’t feeling herself. What you describe concerns me About possible back pain, or something called hyperesthesia. This is where cats are very over sensitive on their back, some people think this may actually be seizure activity. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. If you have a chance to video the behavior it can be very helpful to your veterinarian. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello. I am sorry that Shadow is having these episodes. It sounds a bit like hyperesthesia syndrome, a condition thought to have underlying compulsive behaviors, but can certainly be brought on by other factors such as allergies ( including fleas bites ), but environmental stress ( anything change at home ? ), myositis, seizures, spinal & neuropathic pain. In a 13 year old cat, I would be investigating pain as the cause of these episodes. Have Shadow evaluated by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience to see if this might be the underlying cause. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.