cats eyes They are a key tool for their survival and well-being. At home or in the wild, their eyes allow them to explore, hunt and connect with their environment. Although they usually take care of keeping them clean with their paws, there are times when, as owners, we must intervene to avoid infections, discomfort or more serious eye problems. Learn how to clean a cat's eyes properly is essential to preserve your health and quality of life.
Why do cats' eyes get dirty?
The eyes of a healthy cat are usually clear, bright and slightly moist. However, in some cases, we may notice dirt, eye discharge or secretions. This can be due to several reasons:
- Colds or flu: These common conditions can cause excessive tearing or accumulation of eye mucus.
- Exposure to allergens: Dust, pollen or chemicals in the home can irritate the eyes.
- Low defenses: A weakened immune system can make a cat more susceptible to eye infections.
- Underlying problems: Diseases such as Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) and feline leukemia They can also cause ocular symptoms.
It is important to look closely at your cat's eyes. If you notice abnormal secretions, squinting eyes or the presence of a third eyelid, it is essential to go to the vet. These signs may indicate a more serious condition that needs immediate attention.
Main eye diseases in cats
Just like humans, cats can suffer from various diseases. eye diseasesThe most common ones include:
Conjunctivitis
La conjunctivitis It is the inflammation of the conjunctiva. It presents with redness, tearing and discharge which may be watery or purulent. It may be caused by underlying viral, bacterial, allergic or even porcular infections.
Uveitis
It is an inflammation inside the eye that can be very painful. It is usually associated with trauma, infections or systemic diseases like cancer. If left untreated, it can cause vision loss.
Keratitis
Keratitis affects the cornea, causing pain and sensitivity to lightIf not treated in time, it can lead to partial or total blindness.
Glaucoma
This condition is caused by an increase in pressure in the eyeWithout treatment, it can damage the optic nerve and lead to permanent blindness.
Chlamydiosis
A highly contagious bacterial infection. Symptoms include eye redness and dischargeAlthough there is a preventive vaccine, it is not always 100% effective.
Steps to clean a cat's eyes
Cleaning your cat's eyes doesn't have to be complicated if you follow these steps:
- Prepare the environment: Choose a quiet place where the cat feels comfortable. Wash your hands thoroughly to avoid contaminate your eyes with germs.
- Gather the materials: You will need to sterile gauze, physiological saline solution (or a chamomile infusion at room temperature) and, if necessary, disposable gloves.
- Gentle cleaning: Moisten a gauze with the chosen solution. Clean from the inside of the eye to the outside with delicate movements to avoid drag dirt in.
- Repeat if necessary: If dirt is stuck, use a new gauze to repeat the process. Never use cotton, as it can leave a residue. residues that irritate the cat's eyes.
If the problem persists or you notice that the symptoms are getting worse, consult a veterinarian. In some cases, the use of specific eye drops may be required.
Additional tips to keep your eyes healthy
Prevention is always better than cure. Here are some tips Tips to keep your cat's eyes in optimal condition:
- Keep the environment clean and free of dust or allergens.
- Avoid contact between your cat and chemicals or irritants.
- Performs periodic veterinary check-ups, especially if the cat has recurring eye problems.
Clean, healthy eyes are a sign of a happy, healthy cat. By following these guidelines, you can detect any abnormalities early and prevent major problems.
A question what is gauze to clean the cat's eye
Gauze is a normally sterilized white tissue to clean wounds or delicate areas that you can buy in pharmacies or other stores. The article says to use gauze not cotton because the cotton falls apart, it breaks, it can leave traces while the gauze is like a fabric that does not leave residues that can remain in the eye of the animal. I use some that are sold in a pharmacy to clean people's eyes, eye, without being impregnated in product, only gauze. And to clean the eyes of cats (external area) you can soak the gauze in olive oil. You can also use this method to clean the nose, ears, etc. In addition, the cat licks the olive oil and in turn it is useful to eliminate the hairballs. I know that you wrote this message more than a year ago, but since they did not respond to you, I do it now. Greetings.
Great, if it no longer worked for him, at least it did for me, it was just what I wanted to know, thank you!
Hello;
I am taking care of three kittens who are almost 3 weeks old and two have problems with their eyes ... In fact, I think that they are very serious because they can no longer open their eyes, they have them as glued (more than a week ago they had opened but now they they have closed again…) Would I have to use eye drops? What are eye drops and where can I buy?
Thank you very much.
Hi Joana, go to a vet and ask him the question. I don't think that's why I charge you. Being so small I can't tell you. But precisely I am feeding some cats of about 2 months and one also has a little eye glued to it. Since he's wild, I can't get close but I'll ask the vet. Eye drops are eye drop medications. They can be purchased at any pharmacy. But if it is for cats, it is better to ask a vet. You can also ask at an animal shelter or at a university veterinary clinic. Good luck. Normally at that age they are with their mother who cleans them, were they orphans? Greetings
Hi carmen,
The kittens are already healthy, as I have seen your message very late I have gone to the pharmacy
and I have taken the eye drops without asking a vet, but it seems that they have gone very
well. The cat died when the kittens were one week old and now I have to take care of them. Of the four only one has died, the others are growing and appear to be healthy.
Joana, something similar has happened to me, I have three two-week-old kittens that have been orphaned, their mother was killed by a Doberman and now I take care of them. Could you give me some advice? Please. You say your kittens survived and are healthy. What eye drops did you use? They have their eyes closed, but when I clean them with serum they open them but tend to close again and create a green mucus. What I can do? Please help.
Hello!!! I hope I can help you ... I have a cat and I work in ophthalmology ... I would tell you to go to the pharmacy and buy an eye drop (they are worth 3 euros approx.) Type Oftalmowell ... first you clean his eyes with a gauze soaked and drained in chamomile ( cold or warm) IMPORTANT EYE: ONE FOR EACH EYE !!! because it can be contaminated from one eye to the other ... gauze (not cotton since it releases lint and is counterproductive) ... Once they are clean, 2 drops are put in each eye (the eyelid is carefully opened making sure that the drops enter and keeping it closed for a few seconds)… .the duration of the treatment is one week and the drops are put every 6 hours the first 2 days, passing every 8 hours the rest of the days until the week is completed. We must be careful to wash our hands well before touching the cats' eyes and after having practiced the cure ... I also advise you to do the chamomile every day (a bag and let it cool and covered).
I hope I can help you ... if in a week it does not improve ... take them to the vet since consultations of this type are cheap and the health of our pets is our responsibility and I think they deserve it for all the good and the love that we they contribute !!! Greetings and thank you!!
hello I have a kitten roast a few days and has the right eye with something like yellow but the left is healthy…. : / As I clean it better so that it does not happen again and cleaned it for two days but it comes out again.
Hello, I have a dog, who had that green mucus in his eye and the vet recommended him to use the eye drops, and we bought it, well the dog is fine, but we realized that it spread to my cat, about 5 years old , and we also put the same eye drops, because in the box it was intended for cats and dogs, and my mother put a drop in her sick eye ... but that is not the problem, I would like to ask if the eye drops are toxic or bad for the health of the cat, because as cats always do, he washed his eye (as cats do, he licked his paw and then his eye, and then his paw again) and if I ingest it, I would like to know if it is toxic .
Hello, I have my cat that is two months old and has the right white object and the left is healthy, how can I clean his eye or what can I do so that he no longer has that in his right eye
hello I have a cat of 2 years with 5 months and she has an eye which can not open well what can I do
Hi yonas. You can clean it with a gauze moistened with water, but if it does not improve, I recommend taking it to a vet, since something could have gotten inside it.
A greeting.
Sorry I have 4 kittens of a week and a half .. 3 have already opened their eyes but the biggest one has not yet .. it has like some dry lagañas and I don't know if it will be normal .. what would you recommend?
Hi Marianela.
No, it's not normal 🙁. I recommend cleaning his eyes with a gauze moistened with chamomile infusion, between 3 and 4 times a day. If you do not see improvement in a couple of days, maximum 3, go to the vet to see if something more serious happens.
A greeting.
Much encouragement, and patience. Eye infections can take a long time to heal; I can tell you that one of my cats had conjunctivitis for several months. In the end he recovered, as your kitty sure will.
thanks to that comment and helped my furry and is better than ever
I'm very happy, Elena 🙂
Hello, good night, look, today I took my two-year-old cat to the vet and they made me buy steroid eye drops because they found an ulcer has a pimple on the outside, you would remove my doubt if that will heal or if it will not do necessary to operate it has me worried and another question he wipes his injured eye with his paw, is it normal? Oh, it's fine? thank you I hope you answer me
Hello Priscila.
Eye drops will most likely cure you.
Regarding your question, it is normal for him to wipe his eye with his paw, don't worry.
A greeting.
After sleeping or yawning, my cat has her right eye closed, but she opens it without helping herself with her paw or anything, is that normal for that to happen?
Hi Mara.
If you do not observe any other symptoms and the cat leads a normal life, yes, it could be.
Anyway, and as it will not do any harm, I recommend you wipe it with a clean gauze moistened in chamomile, three times during five days.
A greeting.
Hello! My kitten came back yesterday with a closed and teary eye, I just today took her to the vet and he recommended some drops for her eyes ... my problem is that when I put the first drop on her it was like a transparent spot in her eye ... well? Is this how it works? I am afraid that my eye has worsened, I was very worried ... I am waiting for your answer!
Hello Angie.
You mean it stayed like a small droplet in his eye? If so, it is normal.
If you see that he has a normal life and that he does not complain, do not worry 🙂
A greeting.
Good,
What do you recommend that I do with a kitten of about 5 months that is very, very scary? He barely lets me get close to him, and at most he lets me caress him a bit, but immediately he runs off as if something was scaring him off. I do not know how to clean a cat that has this behavior, because it is impossible to hold it.
A greeting.
Hello Daniel.
The first thing I recommend is that you earn their trust: feed him wet food, play with him, stroke him when he is concentrating on something ...
Later you can wrap him in a towel and clean his eyes.
A greeting.
My vet recommended this homemade recipe to me, make the infusion with chamomile but with a tablespoon of salt, and wait for it to cool, also sent me some drops for his eyes since the disease he has is conjunctivitis
Terrible that they recommend using chamomile. Chamomile is ASTRINGENT and dries the eyes, plus an infusion is not a sterile solution and can complicate and worsen the situation. Before recommending something, RESEARCH, do not be irresponsible, because many people believe that being on the internet is reliable and true and they listen to them, putting their cats' eyes at risk.
Yolanda, before recommending something like this, I have tried it with my own cats (I have 4 at home and another 5 in the garden). And I've never had a problem.
Although of course, it is best to go to the vet.