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by Anonymous on June 8th, 2008

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I have a kitten that is a little over a month old and her head is leaning over to the left side and she twitches alot but other than that she acts normal(eg. Eating,sleeping,drinkingetc)I don't know when somthing could've happend to her(She'sanoutsidecat)

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Answers. 3 helpful answers below.

  • by eternal0void on June 8th, 2008

    eternal0void

    Rabbits have a condition they can get called Tilted Head Syndrome. A tiny protozoa gets into their balance regions of their brains, and causes them to tilt their heads all the time. The protozoa can kill the rabbit so it is important to treat the condition, but the changes can be permanent. Many rabbits with permanent Tilted Head Syndrome can get used to the condition and cope with it in their daily lives, romping and eating with other normal rabbits.

    You may want to discuss this possibility with your vet, to see if something similar exists in cats.

    Incidentally, if at all possible you should keep your cats indoors. Outdoor cats live about half the lifespan of indoor cats. Keeping your cats indoors extends their lives without reducing their happiness.

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  • by Infojunkiefriends on July 24th, 2008

    Infojunkiefriends

    I have a 10 and a half year old male mix and last year, out of no where his head tilted and he was way off balance. I thought he had a stroke. I took him to the Vet and he had what they called "Vestibular" disease. His eyes were also twitching back and forth. He would fall down a lot and even fall out of the litter box. He got anti biotics at first because it could have been caused by an ear infection or a polyp behind the ear drum. My Vet suggested that I take him to the local University Vet hosptial and have tests done on him, they wanted spinal fluid and an ultra sound "just to find out what was wrong" and they wanted $1,500.00 for this. We could not afford that, so we just took it one day at a time with him and he is just fine now. His head still tilts, some days it's better than others but his balance is back. They learn to compinsate for it. He would not drink any water for two weeks when this first happened so I gave him canned food mixed with water (this is also good for cats with urinary problems). He is all back to normal with the exception of the head tilt which may last for the rest of his life, the only thing he can no longer do it jump up on our new higher kitchen table! Which is OK with me! But I would keep my cat inside! I had a very bad experience with my very first cat and believe me, neighbors do not appreciate your out door cat! Neighbors can be very mean when annoied by someone's roaming cat. Besides if you keep you cat in side it will live a lot longer and not bring home fleas or diseases!

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  • by jaklynrose on June 9th, 2008

    jaklynrose

    Ear infections are very common in cats and will cause head tilting. This can be cured with antibiotics prescribed by a vet. I have a degree in Animal Science and Medical Technology but my advice doesn't replace that of a vet. However I realize that many pet owners, as much as they love their pet, may be in a situation where they just don't have the resources to treat their pet, and I am of the opinion that it is better to help the owner try to help their pet rather than let it perish, but please, if you can come up with the resources at all to take your kitten to a vet.

    That being said, you can buy antibiotics over-the-counter at feed stores. They are labeled for use in cattle and swine, but can be used "off label" for cats, but you must be very careful to calculate the dosage. If you want information on how to do this let me know but you must be able to give injections either intramuscularly or intradermal (under the skin). I don't advocate doing this unless the owner absolutely has no means to seek vet care.

    Unfortunately, head tilting and twitching can also indicate brain damage which can be caused by an infection in the brain. If your catis an outdoor cat, it is possible that it is infected with the FLV (feline leukemia virus) which can get into the brain. Only a vet can test for FLV and tell you if that is the case. If there is no money for this, about all you can do is keep an eye on the cat. There are several different ways this can go but the prognosis is generally not good. Some cats can work through the virus (it takes about 12 weeks) and recover, but usually need nursing, such as antibiotics to ward of secondary infections, hand feeding etc. Some cats recover and then develop fatal leukemia in a few years. Unfortunately, when it gets in the brain most will succumb. I had an outdoor cat that this happened to and it did well for a time on it's own-eating, drinking, sleeping but eventually I had to bring him in and hand feed him with a liquid diet and syringe, and take him to the litter box and hold him up periodically because he could not stand. I kept him on antibiotics, and kept him clean by sponge bathing him, and comfortable with clean fresh bedding. He did eventually work through it, but it took several weeks of nursing and he was left with a head tilt, but otherwise did well. I had another cat at the same time that looked like she was going to make it but then started having convulsions and had to be put to sleep. It is very heartbreaking. I had a vet working with me who was very supportive and would help by giving prednisone shots which would alleviate some of her symptoms.
    This happened in our barn cats and the vaccination for FLV is not that helpful in prevention. If your kitten has FLV it will be sleeping a lot more, really all day, than it used to.

    Only you can decide how you want to deal with this but I urge you if at all possible to seek veterinary care. Please bring him in for the time being and do everything you can to make him comfortable and give him the best shot at beating this. Take a box and make a comfortable and clean little bed for him, changing bedding often. They are not hard to bring in because generally they sleep all day in their little box. Take him to the litter box occasionally; after they eat is a good time, or when they first wake up from a long nap. Place a high quality food nearby and a little bowl of clean, fresh water daily. If he doesn't seem to be eating or drinking much, buy a 30-ml syringe at the feed store. Get a high quality canned food like Science Diet and thin it down with water until you can draw it up in the syringe. Be patient and feed it slowly to him, about 10 ml per feeding. Also give him water with the syringe and try to get about 50 ml of water in him daily. No matter what the outcome he will reward you with love and appreciation. Good luck.

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You're reading I have a kitten that is a little over a month old and her head is leaning over to the left side and she twitches alot but other than that she acts normal(eg. Eating,sleeping,drinkingetc)I don't know when somthing could've happend to her(She'sanoutsidecat)

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