The brain responds by interpreting these signals and transmitting appropriate instructions back through the brain stem and spinal cord to the appropriate destination via the peripheral nerves. These processes are facilitated by the instantaneous delivery of electrical signals that are transmitted, via the peripheral nervous system, from tissues throughout a cat’s entire body to its spinal cord and brain. In a healthy animal, the entire arrangement works harmoniously to enable and control vital processes within a cat’s body and to allow the animal to function effectively in its environment. The feline nervous system, like yours, is made up of two components: the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system, which comprises the cranial, spinal, and other nerves, as well as muscles. According to Curtis Dewey, DVM, an associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, he and his colleagues typically treat four or five neurologically compromised cats each week at the university’s animal hospital. Sad to say, a cat’s neurologic system also resembles yours in the wide variety of serious disorders with which it can be afflicted, sometimes with fatal consequences.

After all, you like to read books and watch movies your cat likes to torment mice and play with balls of yarn. Of course, a cat uses its brain and the other components of its neurologic system to address needs and desires that are often different from yours. Here's what to look for.Īlthough it’s only the size of a golf ball, your cat’s brain is just about as complex and, when it comes to matters of vital concern, just about as capable as your brain. A wide variety of nervous system conditions can put your cat's life at risk.

Signs of head trauma in cats