How to detect, react to, and treat seizures in cats

Disclaimer: This article, its content, and its related references do not constitute veterinary advice and should not be considered a substitute for veterinary care. If your pet is showing any symptoms that could indicate a medical emergency, please seek immediate emergency care.

Seizures, though uncommon in cats, are the most common neurologic condition affecting them. Knowing what to do in the case of a seizure can help cat owners stay calm, and keep themselves and their pets safe. If you have a cat, read on to discover:

• What seizures look like in cats
• What to do if your cat has a seizure
• Medical conditions in cats that can cause seizures
• How feline seizures are treated

Cats can have generalized seizures that cause uncontrollable muscle movement in the entire body, or partial seizures, known as focal seizures, that affect only one area of the brain.

If your cat has a seizure:

• Time the event
• Move any hazards out of the way
• Look around for potential causes of the seizure
• Contact a veterinarian

Seizures might be idiopathic, meaning no underlying cause can be identified. Treatment for seizures in cats varies depending on the underlying cause, and not all seizures require treatment. If treatment is necessary, it may involve anti-seizure medication, toxicosis treatment, surgery, or management of an underlying disease.

A seizure is abnormal electrical activity in the brain that results in abrupt, uncontrollable muscle activity. Seizures are rare in cats compared to dogs but are one of the most common neurologic disorders in cats. There are different types of seizures that can occur:

• Generalized seizure (grand mal): Affects the entirety of the brain
• Focal seizure (partial): Affects only one side or part of the brain

Grand mal seizures are more common in cats than partial seizures. In addition, a partial seizure can become a grand mal seizure.

Clinical signs of seizures in cats

Symptoms of a seizure can be different depending on what kind of seizure it is, what part(s) of the brain are affected, and the underlying cause (if one can be identified). Grand mal seizures commonly result in loss of consciousness, sudden uncontrollable movement of the entire body, and possible loss of bladder or bowel control. Focal seizures cause only part of the body to move uncontrollably and may or may not result in a loss of consciousness.

Signs of a seizure in cats may include:

• Extended, paddling limbs
• Biting, chomping, or licking at the air
• Loss of consciousness
• Loss of bowel and bladder control
• Excessive salivation or foaming at the mouth
• Muscle contractions
• Unprovoked aggression

An affected cat may behave abnormally for hours or days before the seizure episode. Strange behavior for 24 to 48 hours after a seizure can be normal and is called the postictal phase. During this phase, a cat may be hyperactive, circle, pace, head press, or display other abnormal behaviors.

“There usually isn’t anything you can do to make your cat’s seizure stop sooner, so it’s normal to feel helpless,” explains Dr. Jo Myers, a veterinarian on the Vetster platform. “Instead, focus on making sure your cat doesn’t get hurt during the seizure and making observations that may help determine the cause of the seizure.”

It’s important to stay calm in the event of a seizure, and knowing what to do beforehand can help. If your cat has a seizure, gathering information and ensuring their safety are the most important steps you can take. Information such as the length of the seizure, additional symptoms, and potential causes, such as recent application of a flea and tick product, can be helpful. It’s also important for cat owners to keep themselves safe and understand that their cat cannot control their actions while having an active seizure.

Note the time and symptoms

Noting what time a seizure starts can help keep track of how long it lasts. It’s difficult to accurately estimate how long a seizure lasts because time can seem to move slower during an upsetting or stressful event. Most feline seizures last less than a couple of minutes.

Describing what the seizure looked like to the vet may aid in diagnosis and help identify what kind of seizure your cat had. A video of the event can be helpful in timing the seizure and showing a vet what it looked like.

Depending on the underlying cause of the seizure, a cat may have a single seizure or they may start having another seizure quickly after the previous one subsides (cluster seizures). Cluster seizures and single seizures lasting more than two or three minutes are much more likely to be emergencies.

Clear the area and look for hazards

A cat having a seizure doesn’t have control over their movements. It’s important to clear the immediate area of items they can hurt themselves on, such as:

• Items that can be knocked over and fall on the cat
• Anything the cat might become entangled in

If a seizing cat must be moved, throw a heavy blanket over them and pick them up within the blanket to avoid being bitten or scratched. Look around the immediate area for toxins or poisons that may have triggered the seizure, such as rat bait, antifreeze, flea medication, or human medications.

Avoid touching or petting your cat

Touching or petting a cat while they’re having a seizure puts you at risk for injury. The mouth of a seizing cat often opens and closes with significant force, so they’re likely to bite anything within reach. In addition, muscle spasms can result in outstretched, unsheathed claws and paddling limbs. Only touch or move a seizing cat if absolutely necessary, such as moving them away from hazards like water or stairs, and use a thick towel or blanket to protect yourself.

A cat having a seizure is unaware of petting or comfort, and touching them during an event puts you at risk of injury. Pet owners often want to attempt to soothe their cats. However, petting or attempting to soothe a cat during a seizure will not help stop the seizure or calm the cat because a cat having a grand mal seizure is unconscious and unaware of their surroundings.

Contact a veterinarian

Contact a veterinarian in the case of an unexpected seizure in your pet. An individual seizure may not turn out to be an emergency, but a vet should still be alerted about the event even if your cat appears fine afterward. The vet may or may not recommend that the cat be brought in right away. Any decisions on how to treat a seizure are made based on the cat’s history, how often they have seizures, and what is thought to be causing them. Cat seizures may be short and occur only once without a clear reason why and not need treatment. However, only a veterinarian should decide whether treatment is warranted.

Seek emergency care if:

• The seizure lasts longer than five minutes
• Your cat has recurrent seizures without returning to normal in between
• There was possible toxin exposure or traumatic injury that led to the seizure

Seizures in cats can occur for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Idiopathic epilepsy or primary epilepsy
• Toxin exposure, such as to antifreeze, rat bait, or flea medication
• Infectious disease, such as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)
• Head trauma
• Brain tumor
• Metabolic diseases, such as thyroid, liver, or kidney disease
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially in cats being treated for diabetes mellitus

Cats with idiopathic epilepsy are expected to have seizures from time to time, since the goal of medication is to reduce the frequency and severity of the seizures, not eliminate them entirely. The other underlying causes of seizures range in severity. It’s important to diagnose the underlying cause of a seizure in order to determine appropriate treatment.

When a cat seizure is a medical emergency

A seizure is considered a medical emergency if:

• The seizure lasts longer than five minutes
• Three or more seizures occur without the cat returning to normal in between
• There was a possible toxin exposure or head trauma that led to the seizure

Seizures lasting more than five minutes cause body temperature to rise dangerously high. This can lead to permanent brain or organ damage. If you’re unsure if your cat’s seizure activity is an emergency, it’s best to seek veterinary care right away. When seizure activity is an emergency, the underlying cause can be life-threatening. While many seizures in cats turn out not to be emergencies, it’s always best to contact a vet right away.

Treatment of seizures in cats depends on the underlying cause. If treatment is needed, it may involve:

• Anticonvulsant medications to stop or manage seizure activity
• Treatment of toxicosis
• Management of underlying health conditions or disease, including adjustment to treatment for diabetes mellitus
• Surgery

Some seizures are idiopathic, meaning there’s no identifiable cause. Not all seizures will require treatment. Sometimes a cat may have a single, mild seizure that never happens again. The purpose of treatment for idiopathic epilepsy is to decrease the frequency and severity of the seizures, so an affected cat may not need treatment if they only have occasional seizures.

If your cat has a seizure or has been diagnosed with a seizure disorder, talk to a veterinarian to learn more about the best course of action for your pet. An online vet is a great resource for tracking seizure activity and symptoms in cats as well as triaging cats who are having an active seizure.

What can be done for a cat having a seizure?

Unless your cat has been prescribed anti-seizure medication for recurring seizures due to idiopathic or primary epilepsy, there’s nothing you can do to stop or shorten a seizure in your pet. The most helpful things to do are timing the seizure, observing symptoms, clearing the area of hazards, and looking for clues about what may have caused the seizure. A veterinarian should be notified if your cat has had an unexpected seizure, even if they seem to recover quickly.

What is the best treatment for seizures in cats?

Treatment for seizures in cats varies depending on the underlying cause of the seizure. It may involve medication to stop a seizure, treating toxicosis, addressing underlying medical conditions, surgery to remove brain tumors, or treatment for traumatic injuries.

What should I do after my cat has had a seizure?

It’s important to connect with a veterinarian after your cat has had a seizure, even if they seem normal after the episode. Cats who have recently had a seizure may also behave abnormally as they recover, so you should be patient and careful with your cat following seizure activity. If your cat is expected to have seizures from time to time because they’ve been diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, follow your veterinarian’s instructions about giving medications and when it’s time to seek emergency care.