Why Does My Cat Twitch In Her Sleep
It’s completely normal for cats to twitch in their sleep, but there are several reasons why they might do so. It’s important to monitor your cat’s twitching and get her to a vet if it becomes too frequent or severe.
Dreaming.
Your cat is dreaming. Cats dream just like humans do, so it’s not unusual for your furry friend to twitch or move around in her sleep. It’s likely that she is dreaming of either hunting experiences or daily life—possibly even both!
She may be dreaming of her favorite places and people, too. She might also be thinking about her toys or the family members who love her most.
REM sleep behavior disorder.
REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder that causes people to act out their dreams. It is most common in people who have narcolepsy, but it can also be caused by stress, depression or anxiety.
RBD can make you act out your dreams and cause you to do things you’d never do when awake, such as punching someone or kicking furniture. This can be dangerous for both you and others around you. For example, if your dream involves jumping off a cliff into water and swimming away from sharks — which sounds like something out of an action movie — you might end up doing exactly that while asleep!
Pain/illness
Cats can experience pain in their sleep. The twitching is a sign that your cat might be experiencing pain, which is why it’s important to get her to a vet for a check-up if you see her twitching. However, there are also some other things to consider when trying to figure out what’s going on with your cat:
- Does the twitch happen regularly? If so, this could indicate an underlying health problem like feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS).
- Is it happening during one specific activity or position? For example, does she only twitch when she’s sleeping on her side? If so, it could just be something as simple as sleeping position that makes her twitch rather than any underlying illness or injury.
Twitching as your cat ages.
As your cat ages, the twitching may become more frequent and intense. This is because as the brain ages it becomes increasingly hard to control muscle movements. Muscle weakness occurs in older cats due to a variety of reasons including arthritis, peripheral neuropathy (where nerves don’t work properly), spinal cord diseases or disorders and multiple other conditions.
What you need to know:
- If you notice that your cat is waking up with a twitch or spasm after she has been sleeping for awhile then there could be something wrong with her brain function or nervous system.
Seizures.
Seizures are the result of an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain. There are a number of different types, which can be caused by a range of conditions from head trauma to brain tumors and infections. They’re not all the same—some cause convulsions, others don’t—but most result in altered consciousness, confusion, or loss of balance.
It’s important to note that seizures aren’t always dangerous; they can also be a symptom of something more serious like epilepsy or even sleep apnea. However, they can also be life-threatening if your cat has uncontrolled seizures without treatment (which is rare). In this case you should take her to see her vet immediately!
Seizures usually happen for no reason at all: sometimes cats will have them just once in their lives; other times there may be multiple episodes within a short period.”
There are a number of reasons why your cat might twitch in her sleep, but it’s important to monitor the twitching and get her to a vet if it becomes too frequent or severe.
There are a number of reasons why your cat might twitch in her sleep, but it’s important to monitor the twitching and get her to a vet if it becomes too frequent or severe.
If your cat is twitching a lot, she might be having a seizure. If she’s twitching excessively, she might be in pain from an injury or disease like feline distemper.
If your cat is twitching in her sleep and it’s not a normal behavior for her, it’s important to get her to the vet. There are a number of reasons why your cat might twitch in her sleep, but it’s important to monitor the twitching and get her to a vet if it becomes too frequent or severe.
