Rare disorder causes felines to have seizures when they hear high-pitched sounds
- Vets conclude condition is most likely to affect old cats, over the age of 10
- It was dubbed 'Tom and Jerry Syndrome' after cartoon cat’s startled jerk
- Official name of the disorder is Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures (FARS)
If the sound of crinkling tin foil or a rustling crisp packet sets your teeth on edge, spare a thought for your cat.
Vets have discovered a rare feline disorder in which a seizure is triggered by high pitched or metallic sounds.
The condition - which they have named ‘Tom and Jerry Syndrome’ after the cartoon cat’s startled jerk - was completely unrecognised until a pet charity raised the alarm.
Vets have discovered a rare feline disorder in which a seizure is triggered by high pitched or metallic sounds. Experts have concluded the condition is most likely to affect old cats (stock image pictured)
The charity, called International Cat Care, received a handful of enquiries from pet owners who said the briefest sound was sending their animal into spasms.
Some cats were even falling unconscious as they jerked around.
But no vet recognised the condition - and many refused to even believe that a sound had triggered the seizure.
Now, however, three British vets have compiled evidence that Tom and Jerry Syndrome does exist - and have even found a drug which seems to effectively tackle the problem.
Writing in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the three vets - two of them from a vet surgery in Hertfordshire and a third from University College London - conclude that the condition is most likely to affect old cats.
Taking evidence from 96 pet owners, they found that seizures could be triggered by crinkling tin foil, a metal spoon clanging in a ceramic feeding bowl, chinking or tapping of glass, rustling of plastic bags or even the tap of a computer keyboard.
The syndrome - which they have officially termed Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures or FARS - causes similar seizures to those seen during an epileptic fit.
The vets found the most common symptom to be a myoclonic seizure - a brief shock-like jerk of the head or upper body - but some cats fall unconscious, stiffen and jerk around for several minutes.
They discovered most examples of the syndrome among Birman cats - a pedigree breed with a silky coat and blue eyes - but other cases were reported among a wide range of breeds and non-pedigree cross-breeds.
Seizures first struck from an average age of 15 years, but in some cases started as early as age ten.
The team found that levetiracetam, an epilepsy medication, proved effective at treating the problem.
Dubbed 'Tom and Jerry Syndrome' after the cartoon cat’s startled jerk (illustrated), the disorder's official name is Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures (FARS). It causes similar seizures to those seen during an epileptic fit and the common symptom is a brief shock-like jerk of the head or upper body
Most examples of the syndrome were found among Birman cats (stock image pictured) but other cases were reported among a wide range of breeds and non-pedigree cross-breeds
Lead researcher Mark Lowrie, of Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, said: ‘We have been overwhelmed by the response to our work.
‘A second study is soon to be published suggesting that levetiracetam is an excellent choice of medication in managing this condition. ‘Our experience is that it can completely rid a cat of these sound-induced seizures, including the myoclonic twitches - one owner reported that levetiracetam had “truly been a miracle drug for my cat’’.’
Claire Bessant, chief executive of International Cat Care, added: ‘How wonderful to be able to go back to those worried owners who came to us for help with a problem previously unrecognised by the veterinary profession with not only an explanation for their cats’ behaviours, but a way to help them as well.'
Taking evidence from 96 pet owners, vets from Hertfordshire and London found that seizures could be triggered by crinkling tin foil, a metal spoon clanging in a ceramic feeding bowl (stock image left), chinking or tapping of glass (stock image right), rustling of plastic bags or even the tap of a computer keyboard