If your cat starts twitching, it’s essential to diagnose the problem.
Some animals’ twitches are caused by an underlying medical condition. Others may be driven more by behavior.
Whatever the underlying cause, you need to act as quickly as possible to help your feline. So, what leads to a cat dying twitching?
When a cat dies twitching, it typically dies from ingesting a toxin of some kind. The toxin could be from eating a rodent or plant that contains a poison.
The toxin could also be from eating a poisonous rodent or bird. Finally, it could come from eating a poisonous human food that the cat has eaten before.
For example, if a cat dies twitching after eating tuna from a can, it likely died from eating a toxin in the tuna.
What Leads To A Cat Dying Twitching?
Twitching cats are often caused by neurological problems.
Cats often twitch when they’re in pain, so it’s common for them to twitch when they’re sick or injured. Cats also twitch when they’re nervous, frightened, or excited.
However, twitching can also be a sign of underlying neurological problems. For example, twitching sometimes occurs after a stroke or after a cat suffers from a head injury.
Other neurological conditions that might result in twitching include multiple sclerosis, feline infectious peritonitis, and rabies. Twitching can also be caused by various medications.
For example, some antibiotics and painkillers can cause twitching in cats. If a cat twitches frequently or violently, it’s best for owners to take it to a veterinarian.
Why Is A Dying Cat Twitching?
Muscular Failure
This is a frequent cause of death in elderly cats that haven’t eaten properly for some time.
In general, a cat’s muscles will continue to contract for up to 48 hours after death if they aren’t stimulated by nerves or by food in the stomach.
As a consequence, the cat may move its legs, tail and head around during rigor mortis — the stiffening of muscle tissue after death — making it appear as though it is twitching.
There are numerous instances when the cat is actually dying while twitching: a stomach obstruction; an intestinal blockage; a stroke; or a heart attack.
This might be upsetting for cat owners, but as long as it’s known that the cat isn’t conscious, it probably won’t cause undue stress to the animal.
A cat dying twitching will be stiff and rigid for up to 24 hours — even after the convulsions have stopped.
Feeling Concerned
When it comes to the health of your pet, it’s wise to be concerned when things seem out of the ordinary.
Their symptoms may be related to the central nervous, respiratory or digestive systems.
Because of their underlying anxiousness, cats will sometimes vomit before convulsing — which can also be a sign that something is seriously wrong.
Because the cat feels weaker and in pain after the seizure, it should have access to food and plenty of fresh water after it recovers from the attack.
This might deteriorate into chronic epilepsy that may need medication to control it — which is best discussed with your veterinarian.
As a result of their seizures, some cats can become more irritable and even aggressive at times.
Chronic Pain
This is going to be a heartbreaking one for most cat owners to hear — but your cat might be suffering from chronic pain.
The cat will have to cope with its pain by adjusting its lifestyle to avoid activities that cause it discomfort or pain, such as jumping down from high places or walking around on slippery surfaces.
This implies that the discomfort will get worse over time and the cat will have to manage this by restricting its activities even further.
Depending on how the central nervous system reacts to chronic pain, a cat can develop depression and/or anxiety as well.
Twitching has been seen in cats with back pain, and it is often associated with spinal nerve damage or spinal cord damage.
The cat will grow restless and agitated if it becomes immobile due to pain and discomfort in the back area.
Central Nervous System Issues
The primary explanation is that the pain causes the nervous system to malfunction, leading to poor circulation to the limbs and extremities.
This implies that the muscles will lack sufficient oxygen and nutrients to function properly.
This is due to the neurons in the cat’s brain sending incorrect signals to the muscles when in pain.
The problems start in the spinal cord, where the nerves exit and enter the spinal column, transmitting messages to and from the brain to the rest of the body.
The problem will deteriorate with the passage of time until the nerves become permanently damaged — at which point the pain won’t go away completely, but it will become bearable.
Cat owners should be aware of the signs and symptoms so they can take the necessary steps to help their pet as soon as possible.
Also Read: Why Does My Cat Lick Me Then Bite Me?
Final Words
The majority of cats will recover from a spinal cord injury without lasting harm or permanent disability, although in some cases they may never regain full mobility.
When it comes to various muscle fibers and tendons, the cat’s spinal cord is divided into 8 sections that carry messages to different parts of the body.
Any problems in this delicate system can have serious effects on your cat’s ability to move around and function normally.
This is why it’s critical to determine the extent of damage to the spinal cord as soon as possible.
The knowledge you will get from the vet will enable you to understand how and why your cat is suffering and what you can do to help it recover fully from this condition.
You should not ignore these signs as they can be signs of a spinal cord injury in cats.
Don’t expect the symptoms to suddenly disappear overnight, since even a mild injury can take a while to heal completely.
It is your job as a cat owner to ensure that it gets proper medical attention and help to overcome its condition.
Whether employing calming advertisements, prescription medications, or massage for back pain relief, it is important to evaluate all potential solutions carefully and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision on what method is best for your pet’s particular situation.
