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Hi, my question is about cat behavior. Smokey, my shorthair male cat, is 4 yrs. He has a tendency to twitch back legs, appearing as if he just stepped in water or something sticky, and he’s shaking it off his toes. It’s usually after he finishes eating and walks away from his bowl. It does not look like a pain response. My concern is as follows: Smokey had kidney injury early in life from trauma in the wild – lack of food/water, exposure to freezing temps. For a couple years his rehab included IV fluids to assist kidney function, though we have discontinued those, experimentally; our vet regularly monitors his creatinine & BUN. And his diet is formulated for kidney health. Question: Could something associated with compromised kidney function cause his legs to tingle or fall asleep when he sits in one place to eat? I’m speculating about the nervous system in his rear quarters. I notice that in the winter, on cold linoleum, he’s more likely to ‘shake a leg’. To clarify, the behaviour is not constant or chronic. I see it once or twice every couple of days. There seems to be a mild level of discomfort or distraction, but no pain. I really appreciate what you do for animals, doctor, and for all of us who love them. Thank you.

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