Do you have a jumpy cat? It could be Tom and Jerry syndrome

IF the sound of crinkling tin foil or a rustling crisp packet sets your teeth on edge, spare a thought for your cat.

High-pitched or metallic sounds can actually trigger seizures i n the animals, vets have found.

The rare disorder has been named Tom and Jerry syndrome after the way the cartoon cat reacts when he is injured in his endless pursuit of the mouse. It causes spasms similar to those of epileptic fits.

Concerned owners have reported their cats reacting to a range of sounds, including tin foil being crumpled, a metal spoon clanging in a feeding bowl, glasses clinking, plastic bags rustling and even the tap of a computer keyboard.

The charity International Cat Care first raised the alarm in 2013 after receiving enquiries from owners who said even brief s ounds were s ending t heir c ats into spasm.

Vets did not recognise the condition, with many refusing to believe sounds could be triggering the seizures the owners described.

Now, however, three British vets have compiled evidence to show Tom and Jerry syndrome does exist and have even found a drug that seems to treat it effectively. Writing in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the researchers – two from a vet surgery in Hertfordshire and the third from University College London – conclude the condition is most likely to affect old cats. Taking evidence from 96 pet owners, they found that the average age cats first experienced seizures was 15, but in some cases they started as early as age ten. The most common symptom was a myoclonic seizure, a brief shock-like jerk of the head or upper body. But some cats can fall unconscious, stiffen and jerk around for several minutes.

The disorder affected a wide range of breeds, but it was most often seen in Birmans, a long-haired pedigree cat.

The team found that levetiracetam, an epilepsy medication, was effective at treating the fits, which are officially called feline audiogenic reflex seizures.

Lead researcher Mark Lowrie, of Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, said they were ‘overwhelmed by the response’ to their work.

A second study will soon be published about the success of levetiracetam. Mr Lowrie added: ‘Our experience is that it can completely rid a cat of these soundinduced seizures.

‘One owner reported that it had “truly been a miracle drug for my cat’’.’

International Cat Care’s chief executive, Claire Bessant, said: ‘How wonderful to be able to go back to those worried owners who came to us for help with a problem previously unrecognised ... with not only an explanation for their cats’ behaviours, but a way to help them as well.’