# Hi everyone!



## Neko11 (Dec 27, 2011)

Hello, I am so glad I found this site.
I am in the process of possibly adopting a 3 year old Siamese /snowshoe mix .
He seems so sweet and would be a great fit, but I'm concerned. 
When I went to visit him at his foster home I noticed something weird.
It seems that his eyes constantly move side to side in a horizontal fashion. I looked it up and apparently it's called nystagmus. 
Does anyone have experience with this?
Any of you out there have a cat with this?
If so, has it caused any medical issues or anything of that sort?
What causes this?
Can this occur only when he/she is nervous ?
Reason I ask is that when I asked the foster mom about it she said that she had never noticed it?
Please help!!!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Welcome!

I've had two cats with this, a Birman and a Himalayan. It may be a breed-specific thing, but it's nothing to worry about. 

A 3 year old Siamese /snowshoe mix sounds like a wonderful cat to adopt! Not a kitten (they're adorable, but HARD work), and young enough to be playful and fun, although that can be said for any age with some cats.

*****

just found this:



> In Siamese, Himalayan and flame point Persian cats, the eyes may be somewhat cross-eyed. This mild convergent strabismus may also be accompanied by a slight bobbling of the eyes (called wandering nystagmus) when the eyes are at rest. The strabismus and nystagmus in these cats are due to some abnormal wiring between the eyes and the brain, that is caused by the influence of the Himalayan gene that the cats carry. These conditions are accepted traits in these cats and do not cause major problems for them. The traits are considered a normal feature of these cats.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I've never seen a cat with it, but my ex husband had it  and I have a cousin with nystagmus. Didn't effect them at all.


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## Neko11 (Dec 27, 2011)

*It's me*

It's me again. Thank you all for the responses.
I was curious when you say you have two cats with this disorder, had it ever caused any medical issues? Any vet visits?


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## kwarendorf (Oct 12, 2009)

Neko11 said:


> apparently it's called nystagmus.
> Does anyone have experience with this?


Yes, but not related to my cats  I have bouts of nystagmus. As Marie posted it is "abnormal wiring between the eyes and the brain". The muscles that control eye movement get garbled messages from the brain. In my case it's caused by MS.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

> I was curious when you say you have two cats with this disorder, had it ever caused any medical issues? Any vet visits?


No medical issues at all. I was never sure if it affected Cinderella's or Gigi's eyesight, but they sure saw treats well enough to chase them, so I don't think so! :grin:


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