# Cats leg twitching



## catlover

i've noticed more and more recently that when i have my cat sitting on my lap that her front right leg randomly twitches.

I've looked it up and people seem to put it down to them being asleep. But she was just in my lap and it happened again, she was definitely not asleep.

Could this be down to just the way she's sitting, kind of like getting a 'dead arm' from when you sleep awkward on it

She eats, sleeps, plays, jumps and runs around like mad, it doesnt seem to happen any other time than when she is resting, she does not seem to be in any pain at all.

Opinions


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## ErbslinTrouble

i wouldn't worry too much about it as it could be nothing, but unfortunately none of us can see or know your cat so the best thing to do if you're worried is to take kitty to the vets! It sounds like kitty just has a reflex this could be due to a lot of things. a vitamin deficiency, a neurological muscle spasm, a cramp, a shortened tendon, a pinched nerve or a stressed muscle. sometimes just like people do when the body relaxes the muscles will spasm randomly. this is completely normal and harmless. but really none of us can really help you with out veterinary degrees or seeing the cat. i hope this helps you make your decision on what your options are sorry i couldn't be a more help.


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## catlover

ErbslinTrouble said:


> i wouldn't worry too much about it as it could be nothing, but unfortunately none of us can see or know your cat so the best thing to do if you're worried is to take kitty to the vets! It sounds like kitty just has a reflex this could be due to a lot of things. a vitamin deficiency, a neurological muscle spasm, a cramp, a shortened tendon, a pinched nerve or a stressed muscle. sometimes just like people do when the body relaxes the muscles will spasm randomly. this is completely normal and harmless. but really none of us can really help you with out veterinary degrees or seeing the cat. i hope this helps you make your decision on what your options are sorry i couldn't be a more help.


thanks for the reply, i've just read this

Anyone have a cat with a reoccuring spasm in the front leg? - Yahoo! Answers

which suggests it could be an early symptom of something very serious. I'm trying to get through to my vets now 

EDIT - oh well, the vet just palmed it off as being normal and if it keeps happening take her down. Despite me telling her it has already been happening for weeks.

They know best i suppose........


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## ErbslinTrouble

catlover said:


> thanks for the reply, i've just read this
> 
> Anyone have a cat with a reoccuring spasm in the front leg? - Yahoo! Answers
> 
> which suggests it could be an early symptom of something very serious. I'm trying to get through to my vets now
> 
> EDIT - oh well, the vet just palmed it off as being normal and if it keeps happening take her down. Despite me telling her it has already been happening for weeks.
> 
> They know best i suppose........


be very careful what you read on the internet with pet care hun you have to think. most of the ones that are on here are the bad ones that people want to tell people about so the ones that are nothing never get mentioned! that was a very rare and serious case but i doubt it has anything to do with you. try not to play doctor if you can as it can make you more worried and more confused looking up symptoms on the internet. you'll end up being a bit of a hypochondriac! which I'm sure you don't want. As an idea...sometimes foods will not have enough nutrients in them and it will cause a deficiency in your pet, mild mind you but enough to cause a muscle twitch or spasm. similar to what we have when we don't have enough potassium or magnesium in our bodies so then we get cramps or aching jaws. eat a banana or a magnesium supplement and it subsides. i'm sure cats can have the same. with a lot of the diets out there not being the best for them it's possible kitty is needing something kitty isn't getting. but this is just an idea and may not be the case. so it could be something as simple as finding a really healthy well balanced diet for kitty to help? or it could just be nothing as i said before and just like when we relax and start to nod off we twitch, even when we are awake!

oh and also if your vet has put it off as nothing and normal and you feel that this isn't what you wanted to hear. get a second opinion, but do it with cat and see a new vet and let them have a listen to the heart see if they feel anything is abnormal and maybe mention what you read to them. see what they say? though don't be surprised if they say the same that i did and that you shouldn't believe everything on the internet pertains to you and your pets. but it might put your mind at ease.  vets can make mistakes as well but usually they know what they are talking about.


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## catlover

ErbslinTrouble said:


> be very careful what you read on the internet with pet care hun you have to think. most of the ones that are on here are the bad ones that people want to tell people about so the ones that are nothing never get mentioned! that was a very rare and serious case but i doubt it has anything to do with you. try not to play doctor if you can as it can make you more worried and more confused looking up symptoms on the internet. you'll end up being a bit of a hypochondriac! which I'm sure you don't want. As an idea...sometimes foods will not have enough nutrients in them and it will cause a deficiency in your pet, mild mind you but enough to cause a muscle twitch or spasm. similar to what we have when we don't have enough potassium or magnesium in our bodies so then we get cramps or aching jaws. eat a banana or a magnesium supplement and it subsides. i'm sure cats can have the same. with a lot of the diets out there not being the best for them it's possible kitty is needing something kitty isn't getting. but this is just an idea and may not be the case. so it could be something as simple as finding a really healthy well balanced diet for kitty to help? or it could just be nothing as i said before and just like when we relax and start to nod off we twitch, even when we are awake!
> 
> oh and also if your vet has put it off as nothing and normal and you feel that this isn't what you wanted to hear. get a second opinion, but do it with cat and see a new vet and let them have a listen to the heart see if they feel anything is abnormal and maybe mention what you read to them. see what they say? though don't be surprised if they say the same that i did and that you shouldn't believe everything on the internet pertains to you and your pets. but it might put your mind at ease.  vets can make mistakes as well but usually they know what they are talking about.


thank you again for your reply, just when i saw what was written on that link it jolted me a little. I wasnt really concerned before reading that because as i said she's eating, playing fine etc.

I feed her on James well beloved dry food, which i'm under the impression is quality food. 

She will not touch wet food at all. Despite me giving it to her everyday up until the age of 11 months, i've had her since 3 months. 
Where i would give her a bowl of dry and a bowl of wet every day, she would just nibble at the wet and scoff down the dry. So i decided it wasnt worth it.

Although i still try tempting her once a week with sheeba, which she hasnt once even so much as chewed.

She is due for her first booster in December, i will just monitor her until then and mention it during that visit perhaps.

Thanks


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## ErbslinTrouble

catlover said:


> thank you again for your reply, just when i saw what was written on that link it jolted me a little. I wasnt really concerned before reading that because as i said she's eating, playing fine etc.
> 
> I feed her on James well beloved dry food, which i'm under the impression is quality food.
> 
> She will not touch wet food at all. Despite me giving it to her everyday up until the age of 11 months, i've had her since 3 months.
> Where i would give her a bowl of dry and a bowl of wet every day, she would just nibble at the wet and scoff down the dry. So i decided it wasnt worth it.
> 
> Although i still try tempting her once a week with sheeba, which she hasnt once even so much as chewed.
> 
> She is due for her first booster in December, i will just monitor her until then and mention it during that visit perhaps.
> 
> Thanks


no probs it's so easy to read stuff on the internet and get worried. i know i'm guilty of it as well!! but at the same time put it into perspective then you don't worry so much. as for JWB it is a great food but different cats need different things just like we do. a bowl of cereal might be fine for me and you but for joe shmoe it might not be enough? I feed a mix of dry with JWB, Hills T/D and Royal canin Indoor 27. but my ocicat still twitches in her back leg because she has a wire and screws holding her hip and pelvis together!!! haha  
i wouldn't worry about it too much to be honest just have them check when you go into the vets and if you are really worried get them to do a blood test when you are there! but call them before you go so they can advise you how to get kitty ready for the blood test if it's a fasting test so you don't have to make more than one trip.


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## catlover

ErbslinTrouble said:


> get them to do a blood test when you are there! but call them before you go so they can advise you how to get kitty ready for the blood test if it's a fasting test so you don't have to make more than one trip.


i was intending to ask them to do a blood test when i go in december, but hadnt thought about fasting beforehand, thanks for making me think of that


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## ErbslinTrouble

catlover said:


> i was intending to ask them to do a blood test when i go in december, but hadnt thought about fasting beforehand, thanks for making me think of that


yeah also some places will require that the cat is sedated for blood draw so might need to be in early.  glad i could help.


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