Shivering eye

[Lizzie]

One of my FIV+ boys, Raven, is a very shy social feral and I've only recently been able to fuss him. He's a very sweet and gentle cat who is playful with other cats, in other words a real bonus to the household. He still panics very easily when I'm near him and when put my hands around him to place him on my lap (I'm kneeling) so I won't be able to scoop him into a carrier anytime soon. I've noticed since I adopted him a few months ago that one of eyes "shivers" sometimes. It's not a twitch and he doesn't close his eye or rub at it, and there's no redness or signs of irritation/infection. The eyeball simply quivers gently for a few seconds and then stops. Has anyone else seen this symptom in their cat? Any idea what it could mean?

[kimlovescats]

Is he blue-eyed by chance? Cat eyes that twitch from side to side, some times have what is called Nystagmus. People can have it as well. It is very common in oriental breeds. However it can also be a sign of different types of vestibular diseases. Do a google search on nystagmus! ;)

[Catlady711]

Pooky's eyes do that sometimes. He's blue eyed and point marked, not FELV+ though, and I do believe he's ragdoll mix not siamese. Doesn't seem to effect him any though, although he is a klutz, but he's always been a klutz. He gets to zooming around without paying attention. lol Vet has looked him over and said Pooky was healthy and not to worry about him. Dunno if Pooky's 'twitching eyes' is the same as your kitties though, ask your vet and see what he/she says.

[Lizzie]

I definitely want to get Raven to the vet as soon as I can but I think he's still at the stage where he would go into a total panic. I will use Ace if I have to but I'd rather avoid it. I don't know if it's the kind of thing that a vet could only assess if the cat was fully alert. The eye doesn't seem to bother him at all. It is as wide open as the other and he appears to see well. He's not blue eyed and is a black DSH. I used the word shiver because I am having a very hard time describing what I see. It's a very transitory motion, over by the time you realize there is a motion. My concern is that there is something going on within his eye.