Is it hyperesthesia?

blumarine916

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Hi again. So I recently noticed my 7 year old cat Meimey is acting strange. She would start running about then looking around like something is chasing her and her tail/back a few times. When this happens, she just looks startled with dilated pupils and keeps going from one room to another until the episode is over.

I looked this up it seems to be symptoms of hyperesthesia. Is it dangerous? I feel so bad when she looked so agitated because she’s usually quite a lazy butt, mostly sleeping and eating.

Is it also possible for it to be caused by fleas? I don’t use regular flea treatments (once every 2-3 months) because they’re strictly indoors.
 

MissClouseau

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A video would help (to show to the vet too.) Based on your description, cats sometimes do that when they have fleas too indeed. They bitten by the flea and try to "run away" from it.

I would use an effective flea treatment like Stronghold/Revolution, clean the house for fleas and see how it goes.
 
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blumarine916

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A video would help (to show to the vet too.) Based on your description, cats sometimes do that when they have fleas too indeed. They bitten by the flea and try to "run away" from it.

I would use an effective flea treatment like Stronghold/Revolution, clean the house for fleas and see how it goes.
Thanks for replying. It’s just like this video This isn’t my cat but it’s the same behaviour and less biting.
I will try a flea treatment. It’s very sudden so I’m sure something must have triggered it.
 

denice

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If it is hyperesthesia it isn't dangerous. It does need to be diagnosed by a vet to be sure that is what it is if the flea treatment doesn't take care of it. There are medications that can help. Reducing any stress also helps. Keeping a routine helps because it reduces stress.
 

MissClouseau

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As far as I'm aware of there isn't a test for hyperesthesia and this behavior in the video can happen with fleas. Possibly due to allergies too. So I would first take care of them and see how it if will fix it. Effective treatment for fleas. And reducing the allergens at home.
 
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blumarine916

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Now she’s hiding in my room. She also slept there in the afternoon, something she almost never done. She won’t go into the room which she often hung out/sleeps. It’s basically a room which we kept our clothes and some boxes and she’s always made it her safe place. But at the same time, I haven’t seen her episodes for a few hours since she’s been in my room.

Should I be worried?
 

FeebysOwner

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You still can't rule out fleas. When Feeby, who is an indoor cat - but with access to a screened in patio - started out with her flea debacle, she started finding new places to hang out and abandoned her more usual locations. This was because she was trying to get away from the fleas. She also exhibited behaviors much like those in the video you posted. Again, trying to run away from fleas. I would flea comb Meimey and see what you find.

If you don't find any fleas, then start looking for changes in her environment around the time she started behaving strangely. Cats can be super-sensitive to changes of any kind - including ones that we humans take for granted. New furniture, carpeting/flooring, cleaning products, litter, noises/animals outside, and on and on and on. Any change can induce nervous habits with some cats, or it could be related to an allergy based on food, and/or everything else mentioned above. Allergies can occur at any time in a cat's life, even with things that never had an effect on them before.
 

Lulu&Finn

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I just ordered CBD oil for my cat who I suspect has hyperesthesia. I talked to the vet about it and if this doesn’t calm her when this is going on then I’ll bring her in. There is a lot of testing to be done to rule out other things and it will be very expensive.
 

Lulu&Finn

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Also, Lulu just went through an episode for two days. Now she’s perfectly fine.
 

fionasmom

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Chelsea definitely has hyperesthesia dxed by vet. She has no fleas, nothing different in her environment, has been thoroughly examined by her vet, does have a serious condition which she is being treated for. However, you do have to rule out all those other things which might be under your control and are just making the cat miserable.

Hyperesthesia is mostly harmless but startling unless the cat really went crazy and self mutilated. When Chelsea has her episodes, she clearly does not know that her tail is a part of her and I have had to watch at times. I feel that it is a seizure disorder although that can be argued and has been by the major veterinary schools.

I will say that in answer to your second post, Chelsea seems to not know that she has these episodes and it has never affected her behavior once they are over and has never made her avoid a favorite part of the house.
 
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blumarine916

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So I’ve applied the flea treatment to both cats and closely monitored Meimey for about 3 days. She still has an episode once a day but didn’t last long. I’ve spoken to the vet which I normally take them for their shots however I’m surprised she’s never heard of it. There also hasn’t been any changes in the house whatsoever. I’ll just keep a close eye on Meimey for now. Her little episodes sometimes agitates my other cat too because of the sudden running around.
 
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