What could be causing an irritation in my cat’s eye?

Hi Ally,

Thanks for your question. It is challenging to give you specific advice because there is limited information in your question so I unfortunately have to give you a generalized answer.

Cats will often go away and hide when they are uncomfortable or in pain. They could also do this when they are stressed or scared, but if there have not been any environmental changes then this is unlikely. You mention her eye in the question but you don’t elaborate much. There are many scenarios where a cat can have ocular pain. When this occurs they often squint their eye (also known as blepharospasm) and it can discharge some material. A scratched cornea is particularly painful and would result in some of these symptoms. If an infection as set in, you may see a yellow to green discharge from the eye. I want to say that you could pick up an anti-bacterial eye drop from a pharmacy and start giving it because it’s relatively safe, but I feel really uncomfortable with offering that advice because I could easily be wrong. I would highly recommend that you see your veterinarian and have a physical exam performed because it’s obvious that something is wrong. The longer it goes on without treatment could make it worse and harder to treat later. For example, I have seen simple scratches on the eye progress to such a serious condition that the eye has to be removed in the worst case scenarios that have been allowed to progress chronically.

Avoiding a veterinary visit for reasons of expense or preventing the stress your cat experiences when they visit the vet can result in a more serious situation down the road which can cost more or cause more visits. It’s my recommendation to have this issue looked at as soon as possible.

I hope this helps and good luck.

Dr. Clayton Greenway