Cat Shaking Back Legs When Walking

"Cat shaking back legs when walking" is a cat behaviour trait which I have seen in one of my cats (now deceased). However, before I say why my cat did it you'll have to think of health issues because 'cat shaking back legs' can mean a lot of things. The description does not say for how long the cat shakes her back legs or how vigorously.

I don't want to be facetious but I think this topic concerns a behavioural trait signifying mild irritation and not a health issue

It could be a nervous system health problem for instance. I am not qualified to provide advice of feline health matters so it's up to your veterinarian to clear up any possible health issues but I mention a couple of possibilities below.

Having got that out of the way my experience tells me that when a cat shakes her back legs, or more accurately shakes one of her back legs while walking, she'll do it very briefly and it is a deliberate act. Moreover, the action of shaking a back leg is one of short sharp flicking movements as if she is throwing something off her paw such as water. This is the kind of action that I am referring to.




It's similar to back twitching which signified irritation. Hind leg shaking indicates irritation too in my opinion. It means something wider than that actually. It's a body language which means, 'I have had enough of that' and she walks away from what is irritating her.

I wonder whether back twitching and leg shaking have similar mental origins. I don't know but it is entirely possible. My former female cat did it when she had had enough of the food that I had given her. She'd walk away and shake one of her back legs. So, I am describing a feline behaviour trait.

On a medical note, insecticides in flea treatments can cause paw flicking apparently. I have not seen it in my cats. Maybe a cat reacts badly to one of the spot-on flea treatments and as it affects her nervous system, she involuntary shakes one of her hind legs. Flea treatments are essentially poisonous to cats as they contain insecticides.

Leg tremors can be caused by an injury. However, I don't want to go down the medical route and, in any case, I think that cat owners are referring to a non-medical cause which for me points to mild irritation being the cause.