My dog while a sleep seems to twitch in his hind end

My cat is having small tremors My cat Shadow (13 yrs old) loves to jump up on top of my daughter or I when we're lying down. He'll sit down, do "piddy paws" (kneading), then eventually he'll lay down right there on top of us and go to sleep. Lately though when he does this, he seems to twitch in his hind end and won't sit completely on his hind end. He doesn't appear to twitch or not sit properly at any other time. He does not appear to be in pain.Thanks for your time, Michelle

  • Vetinfo

    By: Julie Ann El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    Some mild twitching while a pet is sleeping is considered normal, for cat sleep and dog sleep.  Excessive twitching or any lameness (limping) may be due to arthritis.  Trembling can be a sigh of pain.

    Arthritis is often missed during a physical exam or during a discussion with a geriatric cat owner.  Why?  Because cats with arthritis do not act like people or dogs.  Arthritic cats often do not limp like a dog.  Rather they just stop moving around as much as normal which is often just attributed to age.  The most common joint for arthritis in cats is the elbow joints,  Reluctance to jump up and down from furniture may be noted.  Opting to lay on the floor rather than the sofa may occur.  Sometimes cats will change sleeping locations rather than be bumped or rolled about as their owner sleeps.  Watch closely for any such signs. 

    Another thing to check for just in case would be fleas.  This has been a bad year for fleas and many people are battling them that normally do not have a problem.  Use a flea comb and comb the cat from head to toe.  Fleas often congregate on the back just in front of the tail.  Look through the hair closely for live fleas or flea droppings which look like coffee grounds.  If you find any treat with a high quality flea product from your veterinarian.

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