![]() Around half the cats in the FARS study were also found to be deaf (or at least partially deaf). The FARS study found that cats typically developed the syndrome at around 15 years of age. How the condition develops in a cat is unclear, although it is seen more commonly in older cats and in certain breeds (Birmans), suggesting there may be an inherited component. However it has also been dubbed ‘Tom and Jerry syndrome’ after the cartoon character Tom who has a strong startle reflex and often reacts with involuntary jerks to sounds (see below for more information about myoclonic seizures). The name given to this syndrome is feline audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS) with ‘reflex’ referring to the fact that the seizures are brought on by a stimulus, and ‘audiogenic’ referring to the fact that this stimulus is a sound. This scientific paper was published in International Cat Care’s veterinary journal (the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery) and is freely available to read by clicking this link: click here Naming FARS The team has now been able to publish a scientific study describing the condition, which is now a recognised and distinct syndrome in cats. The team, working with International Cat Care, were able to identify hundreds of owners across the globe with cats affected by the condition, and were able to collect detailed information about many of these cats. After looking into the cases, the team found this was a new, previously undescribed problem in cats. ![]() The charity sought help from veterinary neurologists at Davies Veterinary Specialists (UK) in looking into the problem. International Cat Care had received a number of enquiries about cats having seizures, seemingly in response to certain high-pitched sounds. It appears to be more common in older cats and Birmans, and is triggered by various high-pitched noises. Feline audiogenic reflex seizures (or FARS, also known as ‘Tom and Jerry syndrome’) is a recently discovered and important type of epilepsy in cats.
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