The cat is shaking as if she is cold: causes of tremor

When a cat suddenly starts to tremble, it alarms and sometimes even frightens the owners. This phenomenon is called tremor, it is caused by involuntary contraction of one or all muscle groups. There are physiological and pathological reasons for its occurrence, which can only be accurately determined by a veterinary specialist. But in order to provide timely help to the pet, the owner must know the reasons why the cat is trembling.

What is tremor in cats

Tremor in cats is a convulsive contraction of the muscles of the animal’s body, which is visually expressed in the form of small tremors. Sometimes the cat's whole body trembles, but certain parts of it may also shake. Involuntary muscle contraction, called tremor, can also occur in a state of complete rest, indicating maximum relaxation of all muscle groups. However, trembling often indicates that the cat has serious health problems and the animal requires urgent treatment.

Important! If long-haired cats shake with small tremors, then you can only feel it if you put your hand on the animal. But sometimes the tremor is clearly visible and is accompanied by other alarming symptoms.

Cucumbers and cats

Many people are still interested in knowing why cats are afraid of cucumbers. Now let's try to understand this issue. Nowadays you can see many videos where the owner puts a cucumber next to the cat, and she gets scared of it. Why is this happening? Most likely, if a person gives the pet some other unknown object or vegetable, the reaction will be the same. The thing is that the animal simply did not expect to see a cucumber in this place. After all, the cat regards the place where it eats as safe. That's why she's calm and relaxed here. The appearance of a long, green, incomprehensible object at a very close distance is perceived as a threat. Also in appearance this vegetable resembles a snake. She is also the cat's worst enemy.

So, why are cats afraid of cucumbers? After analyzing the situation, zoologists came to the conclusion that such a reaction is natural for the animal. It’s just that cats are not used to cucumbers; they rarely come across them. If a green vegetable appears at the time of eating, that is, when the animal is completely relaxed, then this causes severe fear, which is manifested by a standard reaction - a sharp jump, flight or hissing.

Physiological causes of trembling

Sometimes a cat trembles due to external factors such as a sudden change or decrease in the temperature of the surrounding area. Physiological factors of tremor also include stress, sexual arousal, deep sleep or some reflex processes in the animal’s body.

Cold

You will often notice that your cat will shiver after swimming or spending a long time outside on a cold day. This tremor is a mechanism of thermoregulation and does not allow the animal to freeze for a long period of time.

Pampered domestic cats get chills even with a slight drop in ambient temperature, while a pet hardened by frequent walks can stay outside for a long time, even in severe frosts. Owners should take into account such individual characteristics of their cats’ bodies to determine the duration of the walk, since hypothermia easily leads to the development of colds and inflammatory pathologies.

Important! Even if the room is warm, the animal's fur must be thoroughly dried after bathing. It is also important to ensure there are no drafts and not to allow the cat to lie on a cold surface.

Emotional excitement

The cat may tremble as if it were cold when there is strong emotional arousal, positive or negative. Both during fear and during times of great joy, a large amount of certain hormones enter the animal’s bloodstream, which provoke muscle tremors.

By this sign you can determine the mood of your pet. For example, when nervous, a cat shakes as if frozen, arches its back, hisses or meows loudly. Sometimes the readiness to attack is expressed only in the shaking of the tail raised up. At the same time, sitting on the lap of its beloved owner, the animal may tremble slightly and purr with pleasure.

Sexual arousal

During the period of sexual heat, all the senses of male cats become more acute. In the absence of a sexual partner, animals are constantly nervous, strive to get out of the house, and may show aggression or excessive intrusiveness. The cat is shaking from the powerful release of sex hormones into the blood. This condition leads not only to mental disorders of the animal, but also provokes the development of malignant tumors of the reproductive organs and mammary glands. Therefore, the most humane way to get rid of the suffering of cats and female cats that do not take part in breeding is castration.

Other reasons

Some cats may experience tremors as a reflex after eating food. It is especially common to notice how a well-fed kitten trembles in its sleep and does not show signs of anxiety.

Sometimes owners have a question about why the cat trembles when he sleeps. Experts even have a special term “sleepy tremor,” which indicates maximum relaxation of all muscles.

A cat may also shiver in its sleep when sleeping indoors with low air temperatures. This is indicated by the animal’s posture - the cat curls up into a tight ball, “burying” its nose as deeply as possible into the fur or under the paw.

Important! If the cat is shaking in its sleep, trying in vain to warm its frozen limbs, but at the same time the room is quite comfortable and warm, then you should measure the pet’s temperature. Her sharp decline indicates a very serious pathology that is life-threatening.

Poor and restless sleep, which is accompanied by periodic twitching of the limbs and tremors in the body, may be a consequence of stress or prolonged physical exertion. Most often, owners observe this condition in their pet after he “defended his rights” to a female during the period of sexual heat.

“Senile tremor” can also be considered normal. Poor circulation and innervation is the reason why an elderly cat shakes when lying or sitting in a relaxed state.

Main reasons

Fear or extreme fright

A common reason why a cat shakes with small tremors. The animal shudders nervously, shakes its tail, and breathes rapidly due to the release of adrenaline, the fear hormone, into the blood. Due to tension, a tremor develops, which goes away as soon as the animal calms down.

If your pet is cold

Sometimes trembling in a cat occurs as a reaction of the body to hypothermia. When an animal is cold, it trembles in different ways, for example, small. In this case, it is impossible to visually notice the trembling, but if you put your hand on the body, you can feel how it vibrates. If a cat's chills are noticeable to the naked eye, then the cat is trembling violently. Often this condition is observed after washing the fur, when the animal’s body and head are wet, it actively shakes them, but cannot warm up because the room is not warm enough. Hypothermia often occurs when a cat walks outside for a long time in winter in severe frosts. Once inside the house, the pet winces, its muscles tremble, its legs and tail shake.

Stormy emotions

Trembling in an animal occurs at the moment of fright, while the cat arches its back and shakes its tail.

During overexcitation, you can also notice that the cat is trembling all over its body. This reaction can occur to both negative and positive emotions. If an animal senses danger, adrenaline, the fear hormone, enters its blood. When walking, the cat shakes its tail, its back is arched; if its nerves are at the limit, you can notice how the eye twitches.

Many owners note that a pet’s tremor occurs during games, affection, or a long-awaited meeting with the owner. If the kitten trembles after eating, this is also normal. Experts explain this phenomenon by the fact that when an animal eats its favorite food, many muscle groups contract due to positive emotions, which is why trembling appears.

Hormonal surges

Heat is a common reason why a female cat or tom will shiver. The cat's sexual desire is so strong that the animal during this period becomes unlike itself. It constantly yells, does not eat, follows on the heels of its owner, shakes its paws, tail, and shifts its hind legs. From overexcitation there is a tremor of the head and back, chills can bother you even in your sleep. If the owner does not plan to breed offspring, it is better to save the four-legged friend from such suffering by castrating or sterilizing him.

Trembling when a cat sleeps

Therefore, if cats sleep, involuntarily jerking their legs, head, tail, this is considered the norm, because at this moment the animal experiences certain emotions that contribute to the contraction of muscle tissue. But when the pet wakes up, everything goes away. Sometimes support is required from the owner so that the cat can calm down and forget about the nightmare.

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Diseases

Trembling can be a symptom of a dangerous disease in which the animal is bothered by tremors and chills. If a kitten or an adult cat constantly experiences trembling throughout the body, the following diseases may be occurring in the body:

• Rhinotracheitis. An infectious pathology that affects the eyes and respiratory organs, and if treatment is not timely, the musculoskeletal system is involved in the pathological process. The animal's temperature rises, the kitten is vomiting due to severe intoxication, and is also worried about tremors and fever.
• Helminthiasis. They often cause a cat's hind legs to shake.
• Renal dysfunction. A dangerous pathology that negatively affects the functioning of internal organs and systems. If your pet is trembling even when lying down, and there are problems with urination, it is better not to hesitate to visit a doctor.
• Epilepsy. A serious and dangerous disease that can begin to bother the animal as early as 2-3 months. During an attack, the pet is unconscious. Due to involuntary muscle contractions, the cat shakes its tail and head, its paw may tremble, its eyes become glassy, ​​and the animal is completely disoriented.
• Exhaustion of the body. This condition is often observed due to poor nutrition, after a serious illness, or after surgery. A lack of vitamins causes the cat to tremble, so if such a symptom is bothersome, the owner should review the diet and give the pet additional vitamin supplements.

Pathological causes of tremor

The reason why the cat is trembling as if he is cold, although he is at home in comfortable conditions, may be pathological factors. In this case, tremor is often accompanied by the following clinical symptoms:

• photophobia;
• inactivity and lethargy;
• aggression;
• pain syndrome;
• increased body temperature;
• diarrhea or constipation;
• vomit;
• purulent discharge from the nasal cavity or eyes;
• impaired coordination of movements.

Often, the presence of pathology in a cat is indicated by trembling of individual parts of the body or muscle groups, when only the head, front or hind limbs shake.

Important! Tremor must be distinguished from convulsions, which are always accompanied by pain. In kittens up to 5-6 months of age, when their central nervous system is intensively developing, seizures can be physiological in nature. In other cases, seizures indicate the presence of serious disorders of brain function caused by infectious or traumatic factors.

There are many pathological reasons why kittens and adults tremble.

A deficiency of calcium and B vitamins in the body provokes degenerative processes in muscle tissue in cats.

The reason that the kitten is trembling may be infectious rhinotracheitis. In addition to tremor, this disease is accompanied by cough, purulent discharge from the eyes and nose, a significant increase in body temperature and digestive disorders.

With the development of helminthic infestations, when helminths clog the pet's intestines and release a huge amount of toxic products of their vital activity, the kitten experiences symptoms of intoxication, it becomes lethargic and trembles all over its body.

The body's response to the introduction of general anesthesia. If the cat shakes for more than 6 hours after surgery, this may indicate the development of internal bleeding. In this case, urgent medical intervention is necessary.

Body tremors in cats are provoked by acute inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system and attacks of urolithiasis.

Otitis media, caused by ear mites or other factors, leads to frequent head twitching. The cat scratches the sore ear, hits it, tilts its head towards the affected organ. As a result, scratches and hematomas appear in the ear area. Lack of treatment leads to inflammation spreading to the inner ear and meninges, which provokes death.

During acute liver failure, the cat develops vomiting and diarrhea; at the initial stage, it trembles slightly, and at the stage of failure of the affected organ, it trembles all over.

Head tremor may indicate traumatic brain injury, encephalitis, cerebellar lesions, or drug overdose.

If a kitten walks poorly and his whole body shakes, this may indicate spinal column injuries caused by congenital pathologies, compression or bruises. In adult cats, such symptoms are the result not only of injury, but also the development of tumors or deformation of the intervertebral discs.

If a kitten suddenly becomes lethargic, begins to tremble, first slightly, and then with increasing amplitude, then such tremors and lethargy most often indicate poisoning. If the baby is not taken to the clinic, he will develop seizures and die.

The cause of tremor may be borreliosis, which occurs after a tick bite. The insidiousness of the disease lies in its long latent period, when clinical signs may appear several months after infection.

Tremor combined with lethargy may be one of the signs of toxoplasmosis in cats.

If a kitten walks poorly, shakes, spins in place, or is poorly oriented in space, this may indicate that he has such a serious congenital pathology as hydrocephalus.

Tremors of the limbs, turning into convulsions, can occur in a cat during childbirth or within a week after it. This phenomenon is called eclampsia. It indicates an acute lack of calcium in the animal’s body. If left untreated, your cat will develop seizures, which can be fatal.

Physiological tremors

Physiological tremors do not occur very often in cats, but they do occur, and treatment for this condition is not required. Most often, in such a situation, trembling of the cat’s paws may begin first, and then trembling from the hind limbs gradually spreads to the pet’s back and sometimes completely covers the entire body. The main natural causes of trembling in a cat are as follows:

1. Strong excitement with frequent rising on its hind legs - this behavior is usually observed when the cat smells a favorite treat on the table. The animal tries with all its might to show its owner that it needs to get a treat, without which it simply cannot live. From excitement and strong tension in the hind legs, on which the cat constantly rises, trembling develops, which goes away within 10-15 minutes. The condition is not dangerous and completely natural;
2. Prolonged exposure to cold - if a cat that walks freely on the street has been sitting in ambush for a long time in the cold season, it can easily experience tremors in its hind legs. It is in them that blood circulation is most disrupted by exposure to low temperatures. In such a situation, trembling is necessary in order to restore blood circulation as quickly as possible. As soon as the animal's blood flow is restored, the trembling will go away. This cause of concern does not cause concern, unless, of course, the cat is very cold and is not in danger of catching a cold;
3. Strong sexual arousal in a cat - this phenomenon is observed if a young cat smells a cat in heat, but does not have access to it. The animal begins an active search for a female, meows loudly, and from excitement its paws begin to tremble slightly. Most often, the phenomenon affects the hind legs, due to their close location to the genitals, and therefore an excited cat on shaky legs in such a situation does not look and is not sick. The front legs and head usually do not tremble.
4. Fear - sometimes it is not clear to the owner, when, for example, a cat sitting on the windowsill begins to tremble as if for no reason. The problem is not ill health at all, but the fact that she saw an unfamiliar cat or dog.

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When to see a doctor

If a cat's tremor is accompanied by fever, indigestion or pain, the animal must be urgently taken to the clinic or a veterinarian called to your home.

Also, a cat whose trembling turns into convulsions or epileptic attacks requires immediate hospitalization.

Sometimes the owner cannot understand why a kitten or an adult cat is shaking violently, and at the same time she arches her back, meows quietly, and tries to burp. Such signs usually indicate ingestion of a foreign object that is causing pain or discomfort. In this case, the animal can only be saved in a clinical setting if the object is surgically removed in a timely manner.

Signs of imminent death

You can know that a cat is dying by the presence of a combination of certain symptoms. If your pet is over 12–14 years old, then you need to carefully monitor its behavior and health. Some felines live up to 25 years, but this happens very rarely.

Before you prepare for the worst, you should take him to the vet. It is likely that the pet is simply seriously ill, but it can be cured. Timely therapy is important for recovery, so do not delay going to the clinic or calling a specialist at home. For example, older cats often develop chronic pathologies that are similar to signs of impending death. However, if remission is achieved, the animal can live several more years without suffering or pain.

But even if medical intervention does not help, the doctor will advise how to properly care for your friend and prescribe medications to relieve symptoms. If you don’t have enough time to carry out supporting manipulations yourself, the cat can be placed in a clinic where he will be provided with the necessary care.

Loss of appetite is an alarming symptom

A cat's eating behavior changes dramatically before death. She eats little or refuses food at all, and then even water. The following signs should alert you:

• untouched food in a bowl;
• absence of excrement in the tray for two or more days;
• feces containing blood;
• darkening of urine.

After some time, hunger makes itself felt with sunken sides and physical exhaustion. The hair begins to fall out, the pet is no longer active and constantly lies down. Due to weakness, control over the muscles of the intestines and urinary tract is reduced. There may be traces of feces left on the floors of your home.

Difficulty breathing is a sign of the approaching end

Other symptoms of a cat dying are changes in breathing. The heart can no longer work fully, so the amount of oxygen entering the lungs and blood decreases. The pet draws in air heavily and rapidly, trying to make up for the losses. In a healthy animal, the frequency of breaths per minute is 20–30. Shortness of breath, weak or infrequent breathing are symptoms of imminent death. It is not difficult to determine the indicator; just use a stopwatch and count the number of chest rises per minute.

Decreased heart rate and blood pressure are dangerous symptoms

Signs that a cat is dying include a slowing heart rate (normally 140–122 beats per minute) and a decrease in blood pressure. Changes in these indicators occur due to difficulties in pumping blood by the heart and, as a result, overload. You can measure an animal's pulse like this:

• place your palm on the left side behind the front paw;
• count the number of beats in 15 seconds;
• calculate the heart rate per minute by multiplying the resulting figure by 4. If the number of beats is less than 60, then this sign indicates the cat’s approaching death.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to measure your pet’s blood pressure at home without special equipment.

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A specific smell is a sign of imminent death

A dying cat emits an unpleasant odor. This happens due to a decrease in the performance of internal organs. The elimination of toxins slows down or completely stops. Harmful substances gradually accumulate in the body, a symptom of which is the unpleasant aroma of the animal’s body and mouth.

Reduced temperature

When checking for signs of death in a cat, be sure to measure its body temperature:

• a special ear thermometer;
• a rectal digital device, the tip of which is carefully inserted into the rectum.

The body temperature of a dying cat is significantly lower than 37.7 ⁰C, which indicates a weak heart. When you don’t have a thermometer at hand, you can feel the animal’s paw pads. If they are cool, then this is also a bad symptom.

Diagnostics

You can decide what to do if a kitten or adult cat is trembling only after determining the causes of the tremor. In most cases, it is impossible to do this yourself at home. However, you need to carefully monitor the animal’s behavior in order to answer the following questions for your veterinarian:

• frequency of repetitions and duration of attacks during the day;
• the presence of accompanying symptoms;
• events preceding the onset of tremor;
• dates of the last deworming and vaccination.

It is also necessary to remember whether the cat was bitten by a tick during the year.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the following studies may be prescribed:

• general and clinical blood test;
• Analysis of urine;
• fecal analysis for the presence of helminths;
• radiography of the head, spine, chest and abdominal cavity;
• MRI or CT scan of the brain;
• myelography – to detect spinal tumors and intervertebral disc pathologies;
• electromyography.

A cerebrospinal fluid tap may be taken to confirm encephalitis.

Situations that do not cause concern

Tremor is not always the cause of the disease. There are a number of reasons when this phenomenon does not cause much concern.

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Cold

The most common factor that causes trembling in an animal's body is cold. No one is immune from hypothermia - and cats are no exception. If she is cold, she can tremble in different ways: large (this can be seen with the naked eye) or small (it is easy to notice the trembling by placing your palm on the pet’s body).

Emotional excitement

The cause of your pet's periodic trembling can be certain emotional states. For example, severe fear, discomfort from the appearance of strangers in the house, aggression. The tremor in this case is explained by the tension engulfing the cat. The animal is like a stretched string that is about to snap, and this is why it begins to tremble.

Not only negative emotions can cause this condition. A cat experiencing bliss may also tremble periodically. Many owners notice that when they return from work in the evening and a bored cat rushes towards them, rubs against their legs and purrs contentedly, it literally shakes with joy. This is fine. You should not leave your pet alone for a long time if she is experiencing separation so hard.

Sex hormones

A very common reason for a cat to tremble is hormonal storms. They shock the animal's body when it needs mating. During such periods, the male frantically marks everything around him, screams heart-rendingly, demanding a bride, and suffers from a tremor that covers his entire body - from the ears to the tip of the tail.

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The same goes for cats. During estrus, they also often tremble. It is better not to allow the animal to suffer in such a way. If kittens are not in your plans, sterilize your pet or at least buy pills that reduce libido.

"Sleepy" tremor

Sometimes owners notice that the cat trembles when it lies with its eyes closed. The tremor in this case is not constant. Rather, we can talk about periodic shuddering of the body or its individual parts (for example, paws).

There's no need to worry. If there are no other symptoms, such trembling only indicates that the animal is as relaxed as possible and receives true pleasure from rest. True, sometimes a cat trembles from a nightmare in which, for example, a huge dog is chasing it, or a coveted sausage has been taken away. It's not scary. The animal will wake up and everything will be fine. In extreme cases, you can wake him up.

Trembling as a warning sign

There are many different pathologies in which a cat trembles. The most common:

• Kidney dysfunction often becomes a provoking factor for tremors in a cat. They require mandatory medical intervention, otherwise the animal may develop chronic pathologies (for example, urolithiasis).
• Rhinotracheitis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system. It usually causes the limbs to twitch. If left untreated, it can be fatal.
• Epilepsy is a fairly serious disease that requires the help of a veterinarian. The cat's body trembles slightly in front of him. In addition, there are symptoms such as “glassy” eyes, increased salivation, as well as decreased appetite and apathy. If left untreated, your cat may become paralyzed.
• Parasite infestation is one of the most common causes of trembling in cats. Diseases in this group include, for example, toxoplasmosis and flea infestation. If the animal periodically jerks its head, most likely it is being pestered by ear mites.
• Otitis media or ear plugs also cause head twitching.
• Exhaustion of the body. If a cat is shaking with small tremors, she is not active, indifferent to games and other entertainment, perhaps she lacks nutrients, vitamins or beneficial microelements. A deficiency of B vitamins and calcium has a particularly detrimental effect on a pet’s health. Reviewing your diet can solve the problem. With normal nutrition, the cat will stop trembling.

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In search of an answer to the question of why a cat trembles like a leaf, you should analyze all the factors and take a closer look at the pet. Are there other symptoms and, if so, what are they? Is the animal’s emotional state stable? does it want to “walk”; trembling occurs when the pet is sleeping or awake; etc.

All this is of great importance. If time passes and the situation does not normalize or there are accompanying alarming signs, the cat should be shown to a specialist as soon as possible.

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