# Tremors in the Legs..?



## Lucky Dragon Zi (Jul 5, 2007)

Okay, shazam. A bit of backstory.

I have a bombay kitty, about a year old (my best guess); a male.
Lately he has been getting tremors in his back legs. They just.. shake. Perhaps shake is a bad word - more like a large vibration, because as far as I can tell its involunary. I cannot figure out why.

He seems very, very, veeeery happy. He is snuggly and pleasant and very much a lap-cat. He is not declawed. He runs around the house like the devil is chasing him and plays like his life depends on it. He's very needy and spunky and energetic.

Yet his back legs have horrible tremors and he appears uncomfortable with me touching his back feet/legs (perfectly happy with the front ones). However, another thing, as far as I have seen it is only when he is laying with me, so I thought perhaps it was another happy-quirk-thing (he used to drool a lot when he was happy :B dork).

In short, I'm so confused.
Has anybody heard of/dealt with this before?


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Does it happen at any particular time? I seem to remember one of my cats having "spasms" like that when he was younger--and there was another cat on this list that did the same thing--but it only happened when they were very relaxed and purring. If it's happening when he's trying to walk across the room--call the vet!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

He sort of sounds like my Reilly, whom I recently lost.

Rei had always been a 'clutzy' cat. We got him as a yearling in 1999 and he was never very coordinated, always seemed sort of 'goofy'. About the summer of 2003 I noticed he was having a bit of trouble landing when jumping down. Ocassionally his head would twitch slightly.
Vet exam showed no abnormalities. 
This progressed to where his back legs were 'wobbley' when he walked down the hall. If he ran, his back end would sort of fish-tail back and forth. He could knock your leg out from under you if he tried to run past you as you were walking. He just could not control it.

...anyhow, short story is: This back leg weakness progressed from 2003 until this June 2007, to where he could only walk, was limited to the couch, bed or recliner and could not go higher because he would sommersault if he tried to get down. Back legs became so weak, he could walk only if leaning against the wall or furniture, then it was only a few steps before he would sit down and have to spin in a circle before he could claw into the carpet and pull himself up again and finally he could only pull himself along with his front feet as his back end was useless. IF we held his tail and pulled his back end up, he could appear to walk normally, but he could not hold his own back end up himself.
Progressive and degenerative. Steroids did not help. We never did determine exactly what it was. Tests came back normal, but the vet asked about his symptoms at an online veterinary forum and the consensus was that it was a type of tumor of the spinal column. 

We lost him when his difficulty in urination spread to difficulty in defecation to the point of near impaction and he was horribly uncomfortable. We gave Rei a great life, for much longer than usual...and I am happy that we were able to do so.

I don't know what to suggest to you, other than to take your kitty to your vet and see what they say.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I wanted to add:

Rei would sometimes extend his back legs and they would shake. Sometimes he would spread his toes wide while doing this. It looked like he was having a Charlie Horse...
BUT, it always seemed as if he was unaware it was going on and he never appeared to be in pain. I could massage his leg muscles and they would relax, but it never appeared to bother him.


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## Lucky Dragon Zi (Jul 5, 2007)

Awh.. my heart to you, friend.
We're going to take him to the vet soon anyhow, just to be safe.

From what I observed, they only do shake when he's relaxed and happy, but he's touchy on his back legs too so I'm very confused. Hubby looked him over tonight and he thinks he's only hurting in one leg, and he also watched him walk for a while and said he limps on that foot, too.

Also, something I forgot.. I don't know if it matters or if its even abnormal or not.
His back claws don't seem to retract fully. :?:

I hope he's a happy-shaker.. heh. :3
He's not clumsy at all and he has no problem with jumping all over the place.
I'm calling the vet on monday and asking about prices and whatnot.
We'll pay whatever we need to, its just a matter of getting it. :/


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## ChevyIIMan (Nov 8, 2006)

Dusty has a weird twitch in her abdomen sort of like shes clenching her stomach a few times. It too happens involuntarily but does not affect her behavior in any way.


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## Lucky Dragon Zi (Jul 5, 2007)

.. in fact, to add, Zander bolts through the house and bounds around like an idiot, and Anthony thinks he might've landed funny and bruised himself or something. Oo;


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I just noticed your location! Isn't that the truth? It's their world, we just live in it.  

Welcome to the Forum!


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

Feline Restless Leg Syndrome??? 8O 

Not being able to retract his claws, maybe he has a little nerve or tendon damage. Hope you find out what it is and that it's not serious at all. Good luck.


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Rear claws don't really retract like the front; it's normal.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## Lucky Dragon Zi (Jul 5, 2007)

drjean said:


> Rear claws don't really retract like the front; it's normal.
> 
> Cheers,
> Dr. Jean


 nekitty 
Thank you.
I read around and you're always so helpful.




marie73 said:


> I just noticed your location! Isn't that the truth? It's their world, we just live in it.


Its true indeed. 
He's a great landlord, too - I pay him in tuna and kisses. :lol: 

PS, thanks. I hate going places and never really fitting in.


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