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Why did my senior cat suddenly fall, eyes darting, and lose balance?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 17 lbs

I was walking to the couch and Bailey, my 14yr old cat, all of a sudden darted forward and fell off the couch sideways.She then tried getting up to run but couldnt seem to catch her balance leaning to one side. i ran over to her to calm her down and noticed her eyes darting back and forth. She seemed like someone who was spinning and then tried to run. Her heart rate was through the roof. I got her to calm down and she laid down for a bit. She then got up and drank water. She now seems normal.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 18th, 2017

Oh no, poor Bailey! I would be concerned that what you saw may have been a seizure or neurological problem. I would have her seen by a vet for this today, as in a senior cat, neurological problems can have serious causes such as brain tumors. In the meantime, keep her quiet and calm, and if something like this happens again, I would record it to show the vet.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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