Narcolepsy in cats: causes and what to do to help your cat
Does your beloved feline suddenly fall asleep? Perhaps he may have a sleep disorder. Let’s see what narcolepsy in cats is and what to do about it.
The Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that can affect both humans and animals. While this problem can rarely occur in felines, there are cases where cats have also suffered from narcolepsy.
Although this disorder is generally not dangerous for our furry friend, it is advisable to know how to recognize it and know what to do to help cat. Let’s see together what are the main signs of narcolepsy in cats and what to do about them.
Narcolepsy in cats: symptoms and causes
Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disorder and we can diagnose it in both animals and humans.
This pathology comes from the inability of the brain to control the wake-sleep cycle of the cat, causing the latter daily fatigue and above all a sudden sleep at any time of the day.
There is not yet a precise cause of narcolepsy in felines, however this condition usually occurs during or after a moment of great excitement in the cat.
Although it is difficult to tell if Kitty is narcoleptic, as cats normally sleep 13 to 16 hours a day, it is good to observe your feline carefully for other symptoms, such as:
The cat falls asleep while climbing and consequently falls
The Cat suddenly falls asleep while eating, walking or standing
Presence of excessive fatigue in the feline
The cat collapses or does not move during or after a moment of strong arousal
Narcolepsy in cats: what to do about it
If your furry friend often has episodes of sudden sleepiness, you need to take him to the vet.
The latter will carry out blood tests on the cat to rule out any pathologies, will observe the behaviour of cat for a period of time and will excite the cat to present the episode.
In addition, the specialist may ask to record the various episodes of narcolepsy in the cat that occur during the day, in order to understand if there is a precise moment in which the cat falls into a deep sleep.
Being a chronic disorder, there is no cure for narcolepsy in cats. However, the vet may prescribe medications to help control the frequency or duration of the episodes.
Furthermore, to manage this disorder, it is very important to protect the cat from any physical damage, such as accidental injuries in the cat that could be caused due to a fall from the tree as it fell asleep suddenly.
For this reason it is necessary for the narcoleptic cat to spend its time indoors to reduce the chances of any accidents due to a narcolepsy episode.
