Help! Cat is having head tremors w/sneezing

[John]

My 5 year old cat has recently (2-3 days) developed head tremors and is sneezing a little. The tremors are worst when he first wakes up.

Other than that, he seems totally fine. He's eating, purring, playing and everything else, but the tremors are really scary, almost like a seizure except he doesn't go unconscious. They're not major, just a tic every five or ten seconds. When he's totally awake, it doesn't seem to happen much at all.

I don't have much money, so going to a vet would be a major expense.

I'm hoping this is just a cold.

Any advice or information is really, really appreciated.

Please e-mail me at theeastlobby@yahoo.com

Thank you and god bless

[Traci]

John, can you be alittle more specific please....what exactly occurs with these episodes other than a tic here and there? Are his pupils dilated, is he salivating, is any other part of his body twitching, what position is he in when this occurs (laying down or sitting up, etc)

Unfortunately, if these are mild seizure episodes, only your vet can diagnose and treat appropriately. Seizure activity should never go unattended, undiagnosed, there are various health conditions that can cause seizures and without diagnosis and treatment, they can become more frequent and very severe, causing a great amount of damage.

Please, find a way to get your kitty seen by your vet immediately...be thorough with your description of the events, your vet very well could make an educated guess on exam alone, but be prepared for at least a general blood analysis. It may not be seizure activity at all, but could be other things like an inner ear infection, or a neurological defect or something else entirely, only your vet can say for sure.

[john]

thanks for the reply

my cat has no other symptoms, no other weird or disturbing things, no drooling or saliva...

He's only been doing it for a day or so, and he doesn't always sneeze.
He does it lying down, sitting and standing. It's not a major tremor, just a neck tick.

Other than the head twitching, he's fine, has a good appetite, cuddles, plays with the other cat...

I can't find any description of a cat having tremors/shaking without other symptoms.

I'm going to take him to the vet on monday, I think, but I wonder if it could just be a head cold or minor poisoning? He hasn't thrown up or seemed sick.

It seems to happen mainly when he just wakes up. When he's totally awake, it's much more subdued. When he's totally asleep, he doesn't twitch at all.

It's not like a seizure (I had an epileptic dog). He's totally awake and alert, just twitching every few seconds. He doesn't seem disturbed by it or even notice it. He's just his happy self.

Thanks again.

[Traci]

John, a kitty cold wouldn't present these signs...an inner ear infection maybe. Since it started suddenly, I wouldn't take any chances here.

A toxicity of any kind could cause the symptom, but so can a variety of other hidden illnesses, too numerous to mention (anything from something lodged in the oral cavity to megaesophagus to any other primary disease).

Going only on the written word here, it is truly best to advise you see your vet. Hopefully it is nothing serious, but you will have peace of mind finding that out.

[Traci]

On another note....since you mentioned sneezing and tics here and there....are the tics occuring right before the sneezing....or, is the neck extended back before a sneeze? If this is the case, this would be a pre-cursor to the actual sneeze. (picture yourself ready to sneeze, instinctively, your head and neck jerk slightly upward, your nasal passages feel a sensation/irritation, and you react to histamine, you sneeze)

If this is not how you are describing the tics and timing, then again, please see your vet, kitty could have an upper respiratory infection or a foreign embedded object in the nasal cavity (amoung other things)