Mary Allen
Caring for a cat’s eyes is not actually a task that you as the owner have to take care of. However, there are exceptional cases in which your velvet paw needs your help.
Cats are very clean animals. Personal hygiene is part of everyday life for the velvet paws. The cat’s eyes are never neglected either: You have probably already observed how your cat first licks its paw and then strokes it over your closed eye. However, eye care can be quite complicated for some cat breeds, so you should take some help.
Caring For Cat Eyes in Persian Cats
The long-haired Persian cat, for example, naturally has a rather flat face, its eyes are quite large and bulge outwards – this makes it very difficult for this breed to do thorough eye care. In addition, the tear duct in these animals is quite narrow, so the eyes often water. You should remove the tear troughs every day, and not just for visual reasons. You could also get infections if you don’t. A cotton swab is a right tool for this.
Inflammation of the Eyes
Most other cat breeds don’t usually need help with eye care unless there’s infection or inflammation. Signs of this are, for example, increased tears or even crust formation. However, if your cat frequently wipes its eye with its paw or keeps pinching it shut, it can also be inflamed. In this case, you should consult a veterinarian who can prescribe eye drops or an ointment.
To administer the medication, place your cat on your lap, hold him loosely and tilt his head slightly up while sliding the lid back so you can get a good look at the cat’s eyes. Now you can apply the drops or ointment. The procedure should be as quick as possible so that your cat can go through it more often in an emergency. It is best to try without the medication at first – this way your velvet paw will get used to the procedure.