Why is a cat squinting in one eye?

The health of a cat's eyes is indicated by their shine, cleanliness and absence of discharge. However, in some breeds of cats, such as Persians, British and Scottish, it is normal for their muzzle structure for a cat to have a small amount of brown eye discharges if it is not squinting, and there is no damage, cloudy film or pus discharges.

Why does a cat squint when looking at its owner?

Today we bring you a new article from the pen of our longtime acquaintance Ami Shojaei. And she is known to know everything about cats! So every article by this author is a feast on the streets of fans of these animals. The topic of conversation is interesting: why does a cat sometimes squint its eyes? What would that mean? We look forward to explaining it!

Why does a cat do that? To begin with, the cat's signature "squint" is an integral part of the cat's natural behavior due to the peculiarities of the eyelid structure. Experienced cat people will confirm: their pets can actually talk with their eyes. One close look at a cat, made by an experienced, understanding owner, can tell you a lot. And for our less sophisticated readers let us note: cats show all kinds of emotions through their gaze. These emotions can be addressed both to people and to other cats.

Here she looks with a long, "unblinking" look. It is a gesture of intimidation used by strong cats with leading positions: when a weaker cat meets this gaze, it should move aside or leave altogether.

Aggressive cats with a strongly developed territorial instinct have their own "special" look with which they suspiciously examine the "entrusted" territories. The other cats are well aware of the consequences if they inadvertently find themselves there. It's too bad for you! You have to wag your tail and walk away.

Here you meet a cute kitty on the street and decide to make friends with it. Many people make the "classic" mistake of starting to stare directly at the animal. It perceives it as an act of aggression, instantly gets scared and runs away. Next time you will get acquainted more carefully!

Cats also cannot be blamed for the lack of acting talent; if necessary, they masterfully hide their emotions. As a rule, these emotions are called "fear" and "fright". What's the best way to hide a strong consternation? That's right, squint your eyes, pretend to be quite ready for external challenges. True, the cat's squint has a purely practical purpose – by squinting the cat tries to protect its eyes from the claws of a potential adversary.

Why do cats squint?

All cats occasionally squint their eyes. They squint because:

• They want to hide fear from others. This peculiarity was inherited by modern animals from their wild ancestors, who, in order to survive in harsh conditions and not to fall prey to predatory animals, used any tricks, including squinting to prevent enemies from thinking that potential prey is in a weak position.
• Trying to protect their eyes from the claws of their enemies.

• Demonstrate complacency to those around them. Sometimes animals send their owners peculiar air kisses, squinting slightly. Similar signs felines give other four-legged inhabitants of the house, informing them of their peaceful mood and complete trust (suspicion is manifested by widely opened eyes with dilated pupils).
• They protect their eyes from too bright light.

Why can a cat squint just one eye?

It is important to distinguish between when an animal squints for pleasure, covering both eyes, and when he has only one squint. If it only covers the left or right eye, then something is preventing it from opening completely. It is necessary to find out the cause of this problem as soon as possible. The slightest delay in a number of cases can lead to the loss of a pet's diseased organ.

Foreign body in the eye

During a walk when exploring a secluded corner, a tiny particle or dirt can get into the eye of a four-legged pet. The foreign body will prevent him from blinking, so he will cover the affected organ. You can tell if something has gotten into your pet's eye by the following signs:

The waiting position in this situation is unacceptable. Trying to remove the foreign body on its own can seriously traumatize the affected organ. In addition, the more time it is under the eyelid or on the cornea, the higher the probability of developing an inflammatory process.

Eye trauma

If the animal closes one eye, it may have been injured while exploring high bushes, fighting with congeners, or falling from a height. Profuse lacrimation and redness are the main symptoms of eye injuries. They can be joined by:

Read also: Kidney inflammation in cats: symptoms and diagnosis of pyelonephritis, tests, treatment and prognosis

If the injury is serious, the pet will meow pitifully and avoid touching the diseased organ. There may also be:

• Mucus or pus secretion;
• Disorientation in space;
• Color changes in the iris;
• Changes in the shape of the eyeball and bulging of the eyeball;
• Deformation of areas around the eye socket;
• refusal of food and water;
• lethargy.

Injuries

Unilateral injury occurs most often in a fight, and also occurs when a cat is stung by a bee. One side is swollen and the eye is covered. The pet injures the eye when chasing prey or when a splinter or small hard particle gets into the soft tissue. Ophthalmic drops are used for treatment.

If the use of external means does not lead to the desired results. Veterinary help is sought.

Inflammation of the third eyelid

The blinking membrane in an active cat is invisible. A transparent membrane protects the eye sphere from dust and debris. Due to the inflammatory process, the membrane hypertrophies and no longer fits under the eyelids.

Most often observed unilateral inflammation due to the following causes:

Persians, Britons, as well as mestizos and cats of related breeds are most often affected. Treatment is surgery. To prevent eyelid inflammation, you should buy a pet from proven breeders and not engage in spontaneous breeding.

Causes

There are many reasons why your cat may squint or close one eye. However, it is usually a common sign that the eye is infected or severely irritated. Both viral and bacterial infections can cause similar symptoms. Sometimes the cause may not be very serious, and you can deal with it at home, as you will see below.

1. Scratched cornea.

Your cat may scratch another cat's eye while playing or during a fight. Scratches can also be caused by spikes or rubbing against a rough surface. Although not very common, this can cause irritation, swelling, and discomfort in the cornea.

You will notice that your pet struggles to keep the injured eye open, and there may be other symptoms such as lacrimation, redness and excessive blinking or winking.

Most cats will not want you to touch their eyes if it hurts. However, if you manage to examine the eye, you may notice that there is some blood inside. If you notice swelling around the eye, the cat may have suffered an eye injury.

It is important to know that corneal tears are very painful and require immediate medical attention. If left untreated, these eye injuries and lacerations can develop into serious conditions such as ulcers.

2. Feline Blepharitis.

Blepharitis can also affect cats. You may notice its symptoms in one or both eyes, depending on the level of infection. Anything that can cause eyelid irritation can also lead to blepharitis. However, the most common causes are inflammatory conditions, allergies, eye infections, tumors and even congenital disorders.

Because of the constant irritation, you will notice your feline friend squinting to relieve the pain. This spasmodic blinking is usually called blepharospasm.

Care

Treatment will depend on the reason why the cat is squinting. After examination and diagnosis, your veterinarian will choose the appropriate treatment option.

• Antibiotics may be prescribed if the inflammation is caused by a bacterial infection (bacterial conjunctivitis).
• In the case of viral pink eye in cats, the infection may go away on its own, although antiviral medications may be prescribed to relieve symptoms.
• Your veterinarian can also help you identify the allergens causing the inflammation. Generally, the best solution to an allergy problem is to remove the irritant, which can be certain foods, perfumes or dirt in the house.
• Removal of a foreign body in the eye is usually done under anesthesia, depending on the severity.
• Your doctor may also prescribe cat eye drops to help soothe the eyes and reduce inflammation, especially if the strabismus in one eye is caused by glaucoma.

It's best to see a veterinarian as soon as you notice something is wrong with your pet's eyes.

Cat's eye is half-closed

If you see that your cat's eyes are half-closed, he may have conjunctivitis due to an upper respiratory infection or other conditions such as anisocoria or symblepharon. Upper respiratory tract infections usually cause swelling of the mucosa around the eyes.

Blepharospasm swelling can cause the eye to appear half-closed. When a cat's eye appears half-closed, your furry friend may need urgent care. It's time to visit the vet.

What should you do if your cat is squinting one eye?

Call your veterinarian. You can flush the cat's eyes with an eye wash solution. If you are going to flush both eyes, use separate sponges when doing so. Ask your veterinarian for a phone consultation before rinsing your eyes with an eye wash solution.

Diagnosing the condition

If a pet is constantly covering its eye, a veterinarian will find out the cause. If alarming symptoms are found, the cat or cat should be taken to a clinic.

• checking the visual acuity;
• assessment of the general condition of the body;
• examination of the visual organs for damage;
• comparison of symmetrical signs (size and shape of pupils, eyelids, eyeballs and slits);
• Ultrasound of the affected area;
• staining test;
• CT or MRI scan of the brain;
• X-ray of the skull.

Ophthalmologic pathology may be a consequence of craniocerebral trauma. Therefore, examination should be comprehensive.

It is recommended to take blood, urine and feces for analysis. Pathologies of internal organs or parasitic diseases can provoke eye problems.

Ways to treat eye disease in cats

If the cat is squinting or squinting, he should be seen by a veterinarian. The specialist will find out the cause of this phenomenon and prescribe treatment.

However, not everyone has the opportunity to immediately take the pet to the clinic. In this case, it is recommended to examine the pet at home and give him first aid.

Without the doctor's permission, it is forbidden to use antiseptic solutions or antibiotics for irrigation and treatment. Medicines, eye drops and ointments are prescribed only by a veterinarian after diagnosis.

In severe cases, surgical intervention and stitches are required. Such treatment is carried out under hospital conditions.

Preventive measures

Owners of their cute furry animals, wonder why their pets squint their eyes and what to do. To avoid serious consequences that could lead to veterinarian intervention, preventive measures should be followed. In fact, it's not all that complicated and no one else but a loving owner can help a kitty avoid suffering.

• checking the cat's eyesight;
• assessing the general condition of the body;
• examining the cat's eyes for damage;
• inspection of the eyes for foreign bodies;
• regular vaccinations;
• avoiding hypothermia of the animal;
• flushing the mucous membranes and eyelids with saline solution if wounds are found on them;
• Contact the veterinarian in a timely manner;

1. Take the pet in your arms so that it is not nervous and does not scratch the owner, wrap it in a towel;
2. Soak a cotton swab, fragment of gauze or sterile cloth in a therapeutic solution;
3. Rinse the visual organ with saline solution or warm boiled water, in the direction from the outer corner of the eye to the inner corner;
4. Remove moisture from the eye (remnants of the solution) with a dry piece of cloth;
5. Treat the fluffy pet with something tasty and let it go.

1. Leaf tea, brewed no more than 10-12 hours ago – moderately strong;
2. Infusion of chamomile, calendula, St. John's wort: 1-2 teaspoons per 200 ml of water, infuse for 10 minutes. The infusion should be cooled and filtered;
3. Furacilin solution: either buy ready-made, or dilute two tablets per glass of boiled water until dissolved;
4. boric acid solution: 1 teaspoon per 250 ml of water;
5. saline solution;
6. pure boiled water;
7. eyebright drops

Why a cat has watery eyes: causes

Tearfulness can occur both for natural reasons, and as a result of disease.

• After the animal wakes up. This is a normal reaction of the body. Tears are removed by the cat itself by washing the muzzle. Kittens can wash the organs of vision with a tampon moistened with boiled water.
• If the cat belongs to a certain breed. In a Persian, British, or Sphynx, tears are a feature of the body. Persians are too fluffy, and in the Sphynx breed, doctors often diagnose a disease called "eyelid-tear". In such a case, the animal can only be cured by resorting to surgery.
• If hair lint gets on the cornea. This symptom often occurs in long-haired small carnivores. The only remedy to help the cat is regular eye care.

• Mechanical damage, trauma. A pet can damage the eyelid, eye, cornea in a confrontation with another member of its breed, while playing, walking. A sharp blade of grass, a twig, scratched the eye organ, can cause serious inflammation.
• Foreign objects. A small dust particle, a piece of tree bark, a crumb of plastic is enough to cause an inflammatory process in the cat's eye. Treatment in such a case includes procedures for treatment with solutions from antibacterial preparations.
• Burn. Curious animals often "stick their noses" into everything they find at home. Aggressive household chemicals, solvent, wood polish can be a curiosity, resulting in a chemical burn. Thermal burns can occur when a pet becomes interested in cooking in the kitchen.
• Allergic reaction. Allergies – the scourge of the modern world, manifestations of allergies to various irritants are subjected not only to people, but also animals.
• Improper growth of eyelashes. Sometimes the cat has a pathology – the eyelashes grow incorrectly, causing the pet a lot of suffering: the eyelid is inflamed, tears are oozing continuously. In this case, the help of a veterinarian is required.
• Helminth infestations. One of the signs of the disease is an increased secretion of tears.
• Conjunctivitis. The infection is caused by chlamydia, only a veterinarian can cure a small raptor.
• Colds. A cat often cries if it has a cold.

A cat has tears in one eye and squints at it: normal or pathology?

Sometimes the cat's one eye swells up briefly, does not open, tears and leaks. This is a normal situation after sleeping. Just rinse it out with warm black tea or running water.

Abundant clear tears often appear in pedigree long-haired pets. Their tear ducts are irritated by long hair. To prevent the animal from suffering, he should be periodically brushed, trim the hair on the muzzle and treat the eyelids with special drops.

Small tears are considered normal in Scottish, Persian and British cats. These breeds "cry" because of the anatomy of the cranium. They have shortened nasal and lacrimal ducts. Tearfulness usually does not make the pet uncomfortable. Only hygienic treatment and observation are required of the owner.

If the cat's eye is already swollen, very heavily teary and closed, and pus has appeared, these are symptoms of an infectious process.

What should I do if one of my cat's eyes is watering and squinting?

These symptoms occur with many diseases. The most common ones are:

It is usually recommended that cats with this process put tetracycline eye ointment in both eyes under the eyelid 0.5 cm 3 times a day. If there is no improvement within 5-7 days, take the cat to a veterinary ophthalmologist. Unlike diamond eyes, tetracycline has a therapeutic effect and is indicated for both diseases.

Hello, you will need to see a veterinary ophthalmologist. You will need to take a cytology from the conjunctiva, and undergo a course of treatment. There can be many causes, but chronic viral infection or chlamydia lesions are the most likely.

Find the cause and treat it. Virus or eyelid congestion, allergic reaction or mechanical damage.The most. Read more

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Without a diagnosis, the consequences of home treatment can be unfortunate. You need an ophthalmologist to take mucous membrane swabs for an eye profile and perform an examination for an accurate diagnosis.

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