Ruby’s Feline Hyperesthesia

**Warning: Cat lovers / parents may find the video below distressing.** 

However, I post this here to increase awareness of the rather common, but not well known feline condition called Feline Hyperesthesia, otherwise known as “rippling skin disease”.

When Ruby has an attack, she starts frantically licking and biting herself, and often runs around as if stung by an invisible scorpion. Attacks can last anything from 30 seconds to a few minutes, and it’s so heartbreaking to see her suffering!.

When I am home and I see she is having an attack, I can almost always successfully distract her with toys, catnip or even giving her back a brush, as strange as the latter sounds. I realise though that the main factor in Ruby’s case must be nutrition. Since she has been eating mostly Royal Canin’s Exigent (and stealing some of the renal food that my old boys eat!) for the last few months, the severity and frequency of her attacks has been so much worse than when on 100% raw food, so I am going to put her back on that, or at least a mixture of raw and “junk food”.

Sometimes, in very severe cases, vets will prescribe anti-epileptics, some or other natural/holistic remedy, or try a change in food, but in mild cases I find that distraction methods like the ones described above will temporarily make your cat “forget” that she’s having an attack, and before she knows it, it’s over.

You can find out a bit more about feline hyperesthesia here.