Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are hyperaesthesia behaviors in healthy cats
By Avril, M et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2025·Centre Hospitalier Vé, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of behavioural signs commonly associated with feline hyperaesthesia syndrome among healthy cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that 73% of healthy cats showed signs of feline hyperaesthesia syndrome, which can include behaviors like rolling skin and excessive licking or biting of their tails and flanks. This was observed in both indoor and outdoor cats, with many displaying these behaviors even when their owners didn't notice anything unusual at home. Interestingly, some cats reacted to touch in their lower back area during vet visits, even if they didn't show signs of the syndrome at home. This suggests that these behaviors might not always indicate a problem, and a better way to assess them could help distinguish between normal and concerning behaviors.
People also search for: cat hyperaesthesia syndrome signs · why is my cat licking its tail · feline behavior problems · cat skin rolling behavior · signs of healthy cat behavior
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The most common clinical signs of feline hyperaesthesia syndrome are rolling skin and behavioural abnormalities (e.g. licking or biting the tail, flanks, anal region or lumbar region). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of behavioural signs commonly associated with feline hyperaesthesia syndrome among healthy cats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional bicentric prospective study included 208 healthy cats that presented for vaccination. A survey about the cats' behaviour was completed by caregivers and six general practice veterinarians. RESULTS: Seventy-three per cent of the cats presented at least one behavioural sign of feline hyperaesthesia syndrome. Only 26.9% of the caregivers report zero behavioural of feline hyperaesthesia syndrome at home. Eighty per cent of the indoor-only cats and 65.3% of the outdoor cats had at least one behavioural sign (odds ratio 2.08, 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 3.88). Thirty-one per cent of the cats reacted to lumbar palpation by veterinarians, and 18.7% of these cats were not reported to present signs of feline hyperaesthesia syndrome at home. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In this population of healthy cats, 73.1% of cats consistently displayed at least one behavioural sign of feline hyperaesthesia syndrome at home. Adverse reactions after lumbar palpation by a veterinarian were also reported in healthy cats, including cats without behavioural signs at home. The results suggest that many of these behavioural signs have no diagnostic value in isolation. A scoring system could be used to differentiate cats with feline hyperaesthesia syndrome from cats with normal behaviour.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40317771/