A cat’s eyes are among the most beautiful features that they display, and they also happen to be among the most important. They are extremely helpful when it comes to communicating with other creatures (including humans). A cat’s eyes also play a crucial role when it comes to deciphering the world, so you’ll need to take steps to keep your cat healthy. Here are facts, tips, and more to consider!
Top 4 Tips to Keep Your Cat’s Eyes Healthy
1. Keep Them Clean
Regularly wiping your cat’s eyes is crucial, as it will help ensure that discharge doesn’t become a problem. Regular wiping also helps clean away contagions, thus reducing the risk of infections. All you need is a clean cloth that’s been dampened with warm water. Alternatively, you can use a grooming cloth that’s designed specifically for use on cats.
Using your preferred type of cleaning cloth, gently wipe the gunk out of the corners of your cat’s eyes, and make sure no discharge (or “sleep boogers”) above and below the eyelids is left behind. Regular eye wiping should help keep tear stains to a minimum in predisposed breeds.
2. Perform Visual Checkups
While checking if your cat has any eye discharge, take the opportunity to visually inspect their eyeballs for signs of problems. Their eyes should be bright and clear. The conjunctiva should be transparent, and the sclera should appear white and not pink or red. Their pupils should be close to the same size. They should not be producing excessive discharge. If the eyes look glazed over, are expelling noticeable discharge, or are not white or the pupils are not sized similarly, it’s time to contact your veterinarian for advice and to schedule a checkup appointment.
3. Commit to Proper Nutrition
Nutrition plays a big role in the health of a cat’s eyes, just like it does for the rest of their body. You’ll need to provide your cat with high-quality complete and balanced commercial food that contains real meat as the first ingredient. It should be made specifically for the stage of life that your cat is in—kitten or adult.
4. Schedule Regular Veterinarian Checkups
An extremely important thing that you can do to ensure your cat’s eyes are healthy is to schedule regular checkups with your veterinarian. This is the only reliable way to catch problems as soon as they start and before they become too serious, so action can be taken to correct the problems or ensure that they don’t progress. Have your cat’s eyes checked at least once a year or so to stay on top of things.
What to Know About Discharge From a Cat’s Eye
Your cat’s eyes might be producing discharge for various reasons, and it can vary in texture, color, and amount, including being watery, mucusy (like yellow or green snot), or even bloody. Eye discharge is always an indication of an ocular problem. Common causes of feline eye discharge include:
- Upper respiratory tract infections
- Conjunctivitis of various origins
- Corneal scratches or foreign bodies
- Allergies
Treatments for these problems can include lubricating drops, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, antihistamines, antivirals, and maybe even surgery. The sooner that you have the discharge checked out by a vet, the sooner treatments can begin and the easier it will be to overcome the discharge problem.
Conclusion
Keeping your cat’s eyes healthy is extremely important and should be part of your normal routine. Consistent eye cleaning, regular vet checkups, and visual inspections at home should be the foundation of your eye care regimen. Everything else should fall into place as you get to know your pet’s eyes and how they should look/perform at their finest.
Featured Image Credit: Janmarcustrapp, Pixabay
