What Are the Causes of Feline Seizures?

When a cat is having a seizure, the neurons in its brain are misfiring, causing the feline's muscles to contract uncontrollably. The incident can last anywhere from one to five minutes as the cat progresses through three phases of the seizure. The first phase is the aura phase, which includes nervous behavior; the second is the ictus, when the feline is actually seizing. The cat enters the postictal phase at the end of the seizure and is disoriented temporarily.

  1. Epilepsy

    • Epilepsy is a very common cause of cat seizures. The disease is incurable and generally presents its first signs when the cat is 2 or 3 years old. Epilepsy becomes life-threatening to the feline if the seizures last longer than five minutes, a condition referred to as status epilepticus. Fortunately, for the cat and its owner, epilepsy can be controlled by anti-seizure medication.

    Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

    • Feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline AIDS, may also cause cat seizures. As with humans, the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) suppresses the feline's immune system, leaving it vulnerable to a host of viral and bacterial infections. FIV-related seizures occur for two reasons: as a result of the viral or bacterial infections, or FIV itself.

    Feline Infectious Peritonitis

    • Feline infectious peritonitis is a viral disease caused by the feline coronavirus. This virus has two different forms: feline enteric coronavirus, which is not dangerous and generally causes only a mild case of diarrhea, and the feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIP), which goes on to attack various systems in the cat's body. If FIP attacks the feline's neurological system, the cat may suffer from not only seizures, but also paralysis and urinary incontinence.

    Feline Leukemia Virus

    • The feline leukemia virus "is one of the most commonly diagnosed causes of disease and death in domestic cats," according to the ASPCA. The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and FIV have one thing in common--both severely compromise a cat's immune system. Cancer is commonly associated with FeLV, but it may also cause infection, anemia and kidney disease. FeLV causes neurological disorders that may result in the cat suffering from seizures.