Tremors in elderly cat

[Lizzie]

Ginger, whose picture I hope (probably against hope) appears along with this post, will turn 20 in June. I've noticed over the past several months that she has slight tremors, sometimes in her body and sometimes in her face. They last only seconds and don't bother her at all. Has anyone else experienced this in an elderly pet? Any idea what it means?

Ah well! A thumbnail and an avatar in one morning is some sign of success.

[catmandu]

Tremors Are Sadly Not A Good Sign,as Your Cat Is Starting To Wind Down.
Smokey Had The Same Problems At 20,though And With Medications He Lived To 23.
The Only Advise I Can Give You Is To Make Movies Of Your Older Cat,as You Will Always Have A Nice Keepsake.
I Wish I Had Some Of My Cat Angels.
We Are Praying For Your Dear Old Friend.

[tomkatzid]

WOW, cats that live to 20 and 23.
My leroy passed after he had lived with me 20 years. He was a stray so in his mid 20's vet said.
Kelcee will be 17 on May 5th. About a year ago, vet said she would'nt last a yr. She is still with us. She probably won't make it to 20, but is living the good life now.
She might have what you call 'a' tremor, or sort of a 'tick'. Vet noticed it also, but didn't say what he thought it was.
Katz

[Catty1]

Like in people - might be caused by mini-strokes or seizures. Best to ask your vet about possible causes too.

[Lizzie]

I don't think it's mini-strokes because it only happens when I am stroking her - I should have mentioned that in my first post. Her sister, Simka, probably had a mini-stroke that affected her eyelid which twitched down quite often, but it wasn't affected by my touch or not. (Considering Simka also had cancer of the liver and CRF, it was a minor point.) It's more as though Ginger's nerve endings have become super sensitive and I see a kind of rippling through her skin and fur. She's been to the vet 3 times in the last 3 months, for other minor matters including a full geriatric panel which came back with excellent results. I'll mention it to my vet when I go in again, which with my lot is quite frequent, but I don't want to stress her with another visit.

Considering the long and comfortable life Ginger has had, I am content with the knowledge that her life is drawing to a close. If I woke up to find her dead beside me, I'd consider that she'd been a very lucky cat, and I'd been fortunate not to have to go through the steps of "should I treat?", "should I treat more?" "should I euthanize now or wait?"