# My kitty is shaking, a lot



## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

I have come to the pet forum, looking for kitty experts.
I have a 2-3 month old kitten, and over the last 2 weeks she has been shaking progressively worse. She is even having issues keeping her balance. When she sleeps she is perfectly still. Her eyes are steady, clear, nose is clear, she wants to run and play with her sister, but falls frequently.
I know that the obvious thing to do is take her to the vet. There is where we hit a bump in the road. Right now I owe the vet about 200$. About a week before she began this I had to rush her mother to the vet because she was having seizures. I had put flea drops on mom and 4 kittens (2 different litters) and the house dog, mom kitty decided they all needed to be licked clean (including dog) and began seizing from the drops. We nearly lost her.
Now, I don't know that the vet would refuse to see the baby, but I just want to research a bit before I go begging for more credit. (things will be better in a month) 

I have researched online and cannot find any symptoms that mimic what she is doing. I am totally confused. I have no idea what could be causing this. My husband suggested an ear infection?? Could I use my otoscope for people and look in her ears?
If she were a dog or goat or chicken I would know what to do, but cats are so funny about what meds they can and can't have, I just am clueless.

The my teenage sons said I should come on here and ask the experts 
They know HT is my first resource on all the other homestead stuff.

I am sure hoping someone has a clue what could be going on. This is a very slow progression. The first week I kept thinking she was shaking because of the cold spell we got (her hair isn't real thick) and just in the last few days I noticed the unsteadiness on her feet.
Thnx in advance


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

Google cerebellar hypoplasia, maybe that's what's going on in a kitty that age. Are there other kittens from the same litter? 

Could be ear mites and/or infection-are the ears full of gunk?


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Her ears look good and clean, I checked her the other day.
I did think about ear infection, and if I knew what she could have, I have antibiotics for the other animals. I just don't know what cats can and cannot have. I am afraid I will finish her off.
Could worms do this?? I have not wormed them.

The litter mates bring up some odd issues... There were 6 in her litter. Only 2 lived. The last one to die lived until about 6 weeks. Each one died suddenly, no warning. Just stopped eating one day, was dead the next.

Same with the litter before her. There were 5 in that litter, only 2 lived. Those 2 are huge, happy, healthy 7 month olds now.

Her mom came to us from our Pyr. She brought her up 2 summers ago, as a newborn kitten. Now, I don't know if my pyr wanted her for a snack or a baby. But my kids found her and next thing you know we were bottle feeding a kitten. I was more than surprised that she made it.
Anyway, her history is the problem. My neighbor has about 100 cats. Really, I am NOT exaggerating. They are all ferrell. He does feed them, but there are tons of them, and they run all over the place out here. I am sure that my cat is a product of much inbreeding, and her kittens the same. My dogs had never let cats come on our property. Until Mom Pyr brought the kitten. Now we have a big black Tom ( obviously dad to one of my kittens) and the 5 that live at the house. 
I have spayed/neutered mom and the 2 oldest kittens. The 2 babies were going for spaying this spring...
anyway I keep thinking the massive inbreeding may be why we lost so many kittens. I will look up your suggestion, thnx lots.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Golden mom, thnx so much. That was the nugget I was looking for.
I found several video's on youtube, and my kitty seems to have this.
She tremors and walks just like the cats I saw in the videos. 

May call the vet to just talk.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I would like to suggest getting Mama Kitty fixed. If her litters are not surviving, it would be best that she not have any more. I would be more than happy to help with the cost of having her spayed.

I hope you can find something that will help your kitty.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

ravenlost - I did get her done already. After litter #2. I actually intended to do it before litter #2, but the vet wanted over 100$. Finally found a place that did mom and the first two kittens for 120$. They already have scheduled to do the other 2 in February. I am hoping my shaky girl can be fixed... without any problems.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Thank you for taking care of your cats so well! I hope your shaky girl will be okay.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

I had a cerebellar hypoplasitic cat that lived a great (if shaky) life until she was 15 - Flopsy Mo was a dear and managed very well - she died of cancer 

she was fine to spay though we recovered her in a smaller than normal kennel so she couldn't thrash around too much as she woke up


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## Willow101 (Feb 20, 2008)

When a kitten has cerebellar hypoplasia it is evident almost from birth, or at least from the time it starts to move around, and does not get progressively worse. From what you wrote....this kitten was normal and then starting shaking and the problem is getting worse.

According to what I read, the condition can occur because of an external source (disease or toxin)and I can't help but wonder if this kitten had a bad reaction to the flea product. Just thinking out loud but the diagnosis of cerebellar hypoplasia doesn't quite fit the information provided. Obviously, it could be but I wouldn't make that assumption just yet.

Willow101


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## Missy M (Mar 2, 2007)

Did you put flea meds on the dog at the same time? Does the kitten play with the dog. Dog flea drops will cause nerve trouble in cats,(even death) if they are exposed to it. The over the counter flea meds with the pyrethren (sp) is not recommended. Even though it is supposed to be safe-for some animals it just isn't. If you haven't already I would wash this and all flea products off your kitten and make sure he ( or she) has no exposure to any for a while and see if he doesn't improve. Hope your kitty gets better soon.


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## quietstar (Dec 11, 2002)

Ms. Johnson:
For what it's worth to you finding a cause, my good vet placed flea drops on my mature, healthy country cat. It damaged her central nerve system, made her deaf as a stump and she bobs and shakes when lowering he head to eat or drink and struggles to maintain good balance. Her flea treatment was from Bayer and called Advantage ,I believe. After force feeding for 2 weeks, she began eating on her own, and has learned hand signals. Cats are tough and bright when called to be...Glen


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Well, I am beginning to not know what to think. It seems her balance is getting worse. Her head shaking is pretty constant. Reminds me of parkinson's disease in people.
When my mom cat had the seizures, while older DS and I were at the vet I called #3 son and he bathed all the cats, because I was worried about them reacting like their mom did. Mind you, that was _before Thanksgiving_.
It has been a good while. It was about 2-3 weeks ago that I first noticed subtle changes in her, just a little quiver at first. Every few days it would seem worse, until the stumbling began.
I am to the point that I may call my vet and ask him to see her, and maybe ignore my 165$ that I owe him right now. 
I am really worried, and we all really adore this little girl. 
I am wondering if the flea stuff has slowly affected her, even though she was bathed within hours of it being put on her.

The really baffling part is, she still wants to run and play, and is eating well, drinking water well. Sometimes she pees the floor, but I had trained all the cats to go outside, no litter box. I have to carry her down the front steps, they are fairly steep. She has taken a tumble down them once or twice. I am sure that doesn't help matters any.
Thnx for all the replies. I will let ya'll know if/when I find something out.


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## Missy M (Mar 2, 2007)

If she's peeing on the floor have her checked for an infection. They can have funny side affects. Make sure you also get the flea stuff off the dog if the kitty is near it. The dogs flea stuff can cause these effects.


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