Cat Shaking or Trembling: Causes & When to Worry
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Cats can shake or tremble for harmless reasons like being cold, excited, or dreaming — but trembling can also signal pain, fever, low blood sugar, poisoning, or a neurological problem. Shaking that is sudden, persistent, or comes with weakness, vomiting, disorientation, or collapse is an emergency. Knowing what else is going on helps tell the difference.
When shaking is an emergency
Call your vet or an emergency clinic right away if trembling comes with any of these:
- Twitching that progresses to a seizure — paddling, collapse, loss of awareness, or loss of bladder/bowel control.
- Weakness, wobbliness, disorientation, or collapse.
- Signs of possible poisoning — drooling, vomiting, tremors after contact with a plant, chemical, medication, or insecticide.
- Trembling with rapid or labored breathing, or pale or bluish gums.
- A very low or very high body temperature, or trembling in a kitten that has stopped eating (risk of low blood sugar).
Certain products are especially dangerous — permethrin (in some dog flea treatments) is highly toxic to cats and can cause severe tremors. Keep the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or Pet Poison Helpline number handy.
Harmless reasons cats shake
Not every tremor is a crisis. Common benign causes include:
- Cold: shivering to warm up, especially in thin, hairless, young, or elderly cats.
- Excitement or anticipation: a little quivering at mealtime or during play.
- Dreaming: twitching paws, whiskers, or ears during deep sleep — normal and easy to wake from.
- Stress or fear: trembling during a car ride, vet visit, or after a fright, easing once the cat feels safe.
These typically stop quickly once the trigger passes and the cat is otherwise bright and normal.
Medical causes to take seriously
When shaking is new, persistent, or paired with other signs, look to these:
- Pain: from injury, arthritis, a urinary problem, or abdominal discomfort — often with hunching, hiding, or reluctance to move.
- Fever: shivering as part of an infection.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): weakness and trembling, especially in small kittens, diabetic cats on insulin, or a cat that hasn't eaten.
- Poisoning: many toxins cause tremors — insecticides, certain plants, human medications, and permethrin products meant for dogs.
- Neurological disease: conditions affecting the brain or nerves can cause tremors or seizures.
- Nausea and some metabolic diseases like kidney disease.
Clues that help pinpoint the cause
| What you also notice | Likely direction |
|---|---|
| Cold room, thin or wet cat, stops when warm | Shivering from cold (usually harmless) |
| Twitching only during sleep, wakes normally | Dreaming (harmless) |
| Hunching, hiding, reluctance to move | Pain — see vet |
| Weakness, diabetic cat, or skipped meals | Possible low blood sugar — urgent |
| Drooling, vomiting after a toxin or dog flea product | Poisoning — emergency |
| Collapse, paddling, loss of awareness | Seizure — emergency |
What to do at home
If your cat is simply cold or briefly stressed and is otherwise bright, warm them up or remove the stressor and watch. Otherwise, contact your vet. For a suspected seizure, don't restrain the cat or put anything in its mouth — clear the area of hazards, keep it calm and quiet, note the time and length, and call your vet.
Practical take: Brief trembling in a happy, warm, otherwise-normal cat is usually fine to watch. Trembling with weakness, vomiting, disorientation, or a possible toxin is never something to wait out.
Why tracking episodes helps
Trembling and seizure episodes are hard to describe from memory, yet the details — when they happen, how long they last, and what came before and after — are exactly what your vet needs. Logging each episode, along with appetite, medications (especially insulin), and any possible exposures, turns a scary blur into a useful record that speeds diagnosis.
Capture every episode while the details are fresh
Tavi lets you log trembling and seizure episodes, medications, appetite and vet visits in one place and track them over time — so you can hand your vet an accurate timeline instead of a guess. Free for your first pet.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my cat shaking but acting normal?
If your cat is otherwise bright and eating, the shaking is often harmless — being cold, excited, mildly stressed, or twitching during a dream. Warm the cat or remove the stressor and watch. If the trembling persists, returns, or is joined by any other symptom, contact your vet.
Is my cat cold or is something wrong?
Shivering from cold usually stops once the cat warms up and is more common in thin, hairless, young, or elderly cats. If trembling continues in a warm room, or comes with weakness, hunching, hiding, vomiting, or disorientation, it points to pain or illness and needs a vet.
Can low blood sugar make a cat tremble?
Yes. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause trembling and weakness, especially in small kittens, diabetic cats on insulin, or cats that haven't eaten. This can become an emergency, so contact your vet urgently — and if advised, offer food.
What toxins cause tremors in cats?
Many, including insecticides, certain houseplants, human medications, and especially permethrin-based flea products made for dogs, which are highly toxic to cats. Tremors after any such exposure are an emergency — call your vet or a poison control line immediately.
How do I tell trembling from a seizure?
Trembling is fine shaking while the cat stays aware and responsive. A seizure usually involves loss of awareness, collapse, stiffening or paddling of the limbs, and sometimes loss of bladder or bowel control. Seizures are an emergency — note the time and length and call your vet.
Tavi's guides are informational and not a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis or treatment. When in doubt, call your veterinarian. Sources: Cornell University Feline Health Center; International Cat Care; VCA Animal Hospitals; ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center; Merck Veterinary Manual