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Terri, Feline Healthcare Expert
Category: Cat
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My cat keeps falling over, it seems like it has no ...

Customer Question

My cat keeps falling over, it seems like it has no control over its back legs. What should I do?
Submitted: 9 years ago.
Category: Cat
Expert:  Terri replied 9 years ago.

He may have had a stroke, seizure, or been injured if he was outdoors.

"Seizures can be caused by any insult to the brain such as trauma, infection, or a drug overdose. Detectable causes of seizures are those commonly associated with toxins, infections, drug overdose, trauma to the head area, and other metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus and kidney or liver failure. In some instances, they are inherited. Most seizures in the cat are not due to detectable causes such as trauma, but are caused by idiopathic (unknown cause) epilepsy, a condition veterinarians generally refer to only as epilepsy.




Epilepsy in cats is very rare- seizures are often cause by ingetion of a toxin or a metabolic change:

She may have had a disturbance to her equilibrium called Vestibular syndrome. many times that disorder simulates a stroke but is less serious.

It is sometimes caused by an ear infection and is simlar to our motion sickness.It can be treated with antibiotcs but often resolves on its own.

Here is info on high blood pressure and stroke that can lead to seizures.

There is also a condition called hyperestesia.Authorities think is it caused by a nerve that makes the cat supersensitive or an allergic reaction.

I printed the following for you:

Treatment of cats affected with hyperesthesia syndrome is directed at the underlying disease, if determined, and the signs presented by the affected cat. Symptomatic treatment may include anti-seizure medications, corticosteroids, or anti-anxiety agents. Often these medications are tried therapeutically in series (one after the other) to determine which drug works best for the specific patient. Acupuncture has also been used for some affected cats.

You can read about it here:SOURCE:

This ailment can be caused by stress, allergies, hormonal imbalences, etc. Many DVM's have never even heard of it but it does exist. It is treated by first removing the allergin and sometimes with tranquilizers.

Please read and print all the links and show them to your vet.

Try to remember if you recently applied flea control, used cleaners or carpet powders or anything she may have been able to get into.

I will be happy to discuss this further with you until we isolate the cause and your baby is better.

Very sincerely,


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