Can Cats Have Schizophrenia?

If you've ever experienced a cat's abrupt behavioral change from cuddling and sweet to hissing and clawing, you likely have wondered about the root cause. What is driving these behavioral changes? This sudden shift can be surprising and confusing for some cat parents. You might even have asked yourself, can cats have schizophrenia?

In people, schizophrenia is a mental disorder that causes problems in a person's relationship between thought, emotion and behavior, leading to apparent shifts in personalities, violent behavior when threatened and hallucinations. But, can cats be schizophrenic? Read on to learn whether cats can have schizophrenia or if their behavior is indicative of something else.

Can Cats Have Schizophrenia?

If you've spent any time around furry feline friends, you know that sometimes their cat behavior may warrant a visit to Google and in some cases, you may be tempted to search, "Can cats be schizophrenic?" Cats can sometimes appear to have rapid shifts in their personalities, from friendly and purring to aggressive and biting. They can also freeze and stare blankly at walls or ceilings. However, there are no studies or research that proves cats have schizophrenia; we simply cannot get inside their minds enough to know.

But, there is an unexplained disorder in cats called feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS) that can mimic a lot of the signs of schizophrenia. For example:

• FHS can affect both male and female cats equally, and it usually starts early in life.
• FHS can cause cats to abruptly shift from happy to upset without apparent provocation.
• Cats with FHS can display freezing behavior.
• Genetics seem to be at play in both human schizophrenics and cats with FHS. While FHS can be seen in all cat breeds, the Siamese, Abyssinian, Burmese and Himalayan breeds appear to be predisposed to FHS.
• FHS may also be a seizure disorder in cats.

No one knows what causes FHS in cats. FHS could be a behavioral problem, seizure disorder or sensory neuropathy that causes the cat pain, or it could be a combination of all three. What is known is that cats who are nervous or irritable seem to be at higher risk for FHS.

Clinical Signs of Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome

In addition to the behaviors listed above, a cat may be suffering from FHS if the following clinical signs are displayed, especially after petting a cat with FHS:

• Episodes of skin twitching down the back
• Skin twitching accompanied by violent tail swishing
• Unexpected growling or aggressive vocalization
• Dilated pupils
• Sudden unprovoked attacks

In between episodes, a cat with FHS appears completely fine, and physical examination of the cat by a veterinarian is usually normal. FHS is treated by minimizing the cat's stress in the household as stress tends to trigger episodes. Environmental enrichment is often enough by itself to successfully reduce episodes, according to the Drake Center for Veterinary Care. In severe cases, several medications have been used successfully by vets to treat FHS, including gabapentin, SSRIs like fluoxetine, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and anti-seizure medications. Your vet will be your best resource to determine the best treatment for your cat.