Cats never close their eyes (except when they’re dozing) because they’re hunters.
They’re known for their wide-open, alert eyes, so if your feline closes one eye often, there’s probably a good reason.
So, why is one of my cat’s eyes closed?
A cat blinking repeatedly or closing one eye usually means discomfort. Your cat can keep one eye closed for temporary irritation, infection, pink eye, glaucoma, or other reasons.
Below, you will learn about multiple medical conditions possibly responsible for your cat’s closed eye. I will also provide cat care tips, especially if you happen to notice your kitten with one eye closed, so let’s dive right in.
Why is My Cat Keeping One Eye Closed?
Typically, cats close one eye because of infections, such as conjunctivitis.
Therefore, if you see your cat squinting and pawing their eyes or one eye, they likely have conjunctivitis. However, don’t worry, as it’s a common eye infection in cats.
Conjunctivitis inflames the mucus membranes of your cat’s eyes, becoming itchy. Other symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness and swelling.
If you see these signs in your cat’s eyes, schedule a vet appointment and see what your vet says.
Other eye conditions, injuries, and infections can make cats close one eye, such as the following.
1. Eye Infections
Your cat can experience eye discomfort because of different eye infections. If your cat has a red, swollen, and irritated eye and keeps that eye closed, they’re likely suffering some eye infection.
Common symptoms of eye infections include rubbing or pawing at the eye, yellow or green discharge, and excessive tearing.
Eye infections can result from bacteria entering the eye, but they can also be viral if your feline gets infected with a virus, like feline herpes. (*)
The treatment of eye infections depends on the cause. For instance, if your kitty has a viral eye infection, diagnosing and treating the underlying condition can take more time and effort than treating one eye.
When examining your cat’s eyes, look at their pupils; the Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry says that mismatched pupils signify a condition known as anisocoria. (*)
Lastly, consider the condition of the iris. If you notice discoloration, like brown spots, your kitty probably has melanosis. However, don’t fret, as it’s a common condition in senior cats. And it’s usually harmless.
Now, let’s discuss the different types of eye infections in cats.
Types of Bacterial Eye Infections in Cats
Prescription medication can treat eye infections successfully.
Signs of a bacterial eye infection include excessive tear production, redness in and around the eye, constant winking or blinking, and eyeball protrusion.
You can treat most bacterial eye infections with prescription antibacterial eye drops. However, you should never take matters into your own hands and treat your feline’s bacterial eye infection with human eye drops.
Most felines make a full recovery in a short time, so there’s no room for panic. Just don’t prolongate the vet appointment. Otherwise, the infection can worsen.
Here’s a description of common eye infections and other eye conditions in cats.
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
You can quickly notice if your cat has pink eyes, as they will have a red, swollen, and inflamed eye. Additionally, your cat will feel pain, hence run and claw at their eyes.
The American Veterinary Medical Association Journal says conjunctivitis can affect both eyes. Your kitty can have conjunctivitis because of allergies or getting infected by another feline. (*)
You can successfully treat conjunctivitis with anti-inflammatory eye drops; your kitty will feel better within two days of treatment.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma appears if you don’t treat bacterial eye infections.
Cats must drain the liquid through their trad ducts. And if something interrupts that process, pressure builds up and causes eye pain.
Moreover, cats with glaucoma can’t open their eyes because it’s too painful.
If you notice these signs in your kitty, schedule a vet appointment immediately, as if left untreated, glaucoma can permanently damage their eye.
Other signs of glaucoma include dilation of the pupils, discharge, clawing or pawing at the eye, visible eye swelling, and cloudy or discolored iris.
Veterinary Pathology says uveitis (you can find more about this type of inflammation below) is a lead cause of feline glaucoma. (*)
Unfortunately, there’s no permanent cure for glaucoma; you must manage glaucoma for the rest of your cat’s life with steroidal eye drops.
Dorzolamide and timolol can help manage pain and swelling.
Now, let’s review other common eye conditions in cats.
Corneal Ulcers
Cats get corneal ulcers when layers of the cornea diminish. Main symptoms of this condition include a clear film over the eye, excessive ocular discharge, and light sensitivity, causing the closing of one eye in bright conditions.
Causes for ulcers include infections and trauma. Your vet will administer treatments for pain and antibiotic eye drops. If it’s a deep ulcer, your vet will suggest surgery. If it’s surface-level, your vet can quickly remove it with a swab.
Cataracts
Older cats experience cataracts, as it’s a natural part of aging.
A cataract resembles a cloudy blockage, which prevents light from getting into your cat’s retina. Cataracts reduce eyesight and eventually cause blindness in cats.
However, don’t worry, as cats can still have a good life with cataracts. In this case, they survive thanks to their other senses.
Fortunately, there’s a possibility for surgical removal of cataracts.
Blepharitis
Chronic inflammation of the eyelid or blepharitis typically starts with irritation caused by insect bites or trapped foreign objects.
Blepharitis makes the eyelid flaky, dry, and leaking pus. Additionally, your cat’s eye will swell, so they won’t be able to open it.
Luckily, you can treat blepharitis with a cotton pad and warm water. Soak the cotton pad in warm water and keep it over your cat’s eye for about 15 minutes.
If you repeat this process daily, the swelling will disappear. However, remember that you must take your cat to the vet as soon as possible and treat the underlying cause of this condition with antibiotic eye drops.
2. Eye Injury
Cats can hold one eye shut if they’ve suffered some eye trauma or have something trapped in their eye.
I’ve discussed the results of eye trauma (corneal ulcers) above but haven’t touched upon trapped foreign objects.
Trapped Foreign Objects
When cats have foreign objects trapped in their eyes, they don’t blink a lot. You can quickly tell if your feline has a trapped foreign object by the following signs:
- Squinting
- Excessive tear production
- Rubbing face on the floor
- Pawing at the eye
Common objects trapped in cats’ eyes include stones, ingrown hair or fur, dust or grit, etc.
If you see something trapped in your cat’s eye, you can easily remove it by washing it. Just saline solution with warm water and use this mixture for eye washing.
Extra tip: Avoid using tweezers, as you can hurt your cat. Also, cats have sensitive eyes, so they’re easily irritated by air fresheners, dust, and cigarette smoke.
Minor Ocular Trauma
If your cat has experienced minor ocular trauma, you will see red around their eyes. Maybe they’ve poked themselves in the eye or walked into a branch.
In this case, don’t worry, as your cat’s eyes will normalize quickly.
If your cat’s eyes stay red for more than two hours, visit your local vet clinic, as they probably have conjunctivitis or eye infection.
3. Eyelid Problems
Eyelid issues typically occur in dogs. However, cats can also experience problems with their eyelids.
For instance, cats can have entropion (I will discuss it in detail below). It’s a genetic condition that pushes the eyelid inwards, making the eyelashes touch the eye.
Additionally, eyelid growths can develop and irritate their eyes. Luckily, surgery can fix your cat’s eyelids.
4. Dry Eye
Dry eye or KCS (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) occurs in cats whose eyes don’t produce enough tears to keep them lubricated.
This condition can cause pain and irritation, forcing your cat to hold one eye closed. Other signs of KCS include excessive blinking, dull eyes, yellowish discharge, etc.
A dry eye can be caused by other things, like viral herpes. Your vet can determine if your feline has dry eyes and provide proper treatment.
5. Allergies
Another common cause why one of your cat’s eye closed is allergy.
Like humans, cats can be allergic to different things, like food, perfumes, parasites, pollens, cleaning supplies, etc.
As a result, they can have watery, itchy, and sore eyes, hence closing their eyes or blinking frequently.
Other symptoms of allergies in cats include itchy skin, wheezing, sneezing, swollen paws, or vomiting. Moreover, allergies can also cause conjunctivitis.
So, if you suspect your feline has allergies, consult your vet. Your vet can examine your cat and determine what’s causing the allergic reaction.
6. Entropion
As I stated earlier, entropion isn’t a disease, inflammation, or infection. It’s a genetic condition characterized by inverted eyelids that fold inside against the eye.
Entropion can make your cat close one or both eyes when the eyelashes and fur rub on the eyeball and irritate the eyes.
If untreated, entropion can cause corneal ulceration and blindness.
Cats with this condition usually keep their eyes closed and squint. Sometimes, they also have red eyes with mucus or pus discharge.
It’s good to know that this condition is most common in short-nosed breeds, like Himalayan, Persians, and Burmese cats.
Since it’s a genetic problem, entropion can’t be cured. It’s something felines get at a young age. So, if you have a senior cat keeping one eye closed, you can rule this condition out.
However, entropion could be why your young cat keeps one eye shut.
Entropion is typically diagnosed when cats reach the age of two. If it’s mild, you can treat it with lubricant, but your vet will suggest surgery if it’s severe.
7. Uveitis
Inflammation of parts inside your feline’s eye, like the uvea, can cause severe pain and discomfort.
The uvea consists of three parts, including the iris (circular part of the eye that gives color), the ciliary body (responsible for fluid production), and the choroid (the middle part of the eye).
If your kitty has uveitis, one or all of these components of the uvea will be inflamed by high blood pressure, chemical irritant, eye trauma, diabetes, or infections.
Most of the symptoms of this condition resemble those of glaucoma and cause cats to keep the affected eye closed. However, since uveitis isn’t the primary cause, your vet must treat the underlying condition first.
They will also provide pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicine.
Should I Worry if My Cat is Squinting One Eye?
If your cat keeps closing one eye, there’s probably a reason why; however, you shouldn’t fret, as most causes for this condition can be easily treated.
Also, take your cat to the local vet clinic as soon as possible, as if untreated, some causes for your cat closing one eye can worsen and cause long-term damage.
Here’s a list of care tips for cats who keep closing one eye.
Schedule a Vet Appointment Immediately
Consult your vet if you notice a sudden change in your cat’s eyes, as eye conditions can cause permanent damage and blindness if not treated properly.
I suggest you visit your vet even if your feline has a problem that’s not serious, such as a foreign object stuck in their eye, because the thing can cause a scratch in their eye, which can later get infected.
Additionally, if you’re thinking about forcing your feline’s eyes open so that you can check if they’re irritated, don’t. Cats don’t like anyone touching their eyes, especially when experiencing discomfort.
If you try to examine their eyes, you can only make things worse and cause further harm. Instead, have a professional examine their eyes and provide treatment.
Lastly, while at the vet, ask for specific care tips. Kittens with eye issues usually eat less because they’re in distress, so ask your vet for feeding advice, etc.
Provide Proper Home Care for Your Cat’s Eye Infection
Your vet will probably share helpful care tips if your cat has a mild or serious issue with their eyes, but I also have a few tips that will help your cat’s recovery.
First, if your cat doesn’t like collars, but your vet advises you to use one, just do it. Otherwise, their eye condition can worsen if your cat has a serious eye infection or injury and they’re touching their eyes.
Moreover, if there’s a discharge, clean it as frequently as possible with a clean, wet cloth and avoid scrubbing the inner portion of your cat’s eyes.
Lastly, follow your vet’s tips and administer the treatment they provide. Sometimes, vets advise hot or cool compress over the eyes, along with medication.
Whatever the case, do the needful so your feline can recover quickly.
Take Safety Precautions
Whatever’s causing your cat’s eye condition, you can help by optimizing their environment and protecting the well-being of other pets in your home, if any.
For instance, if you have more than one cat, isolate the sick one, especially if they’re suffering infections, like conjunctivitis, as it’s contagious.
So, unless you’re looking for trouble, keep your other cats in a separate room, away from your affected feline.
If your feline doesn’t have a contagious infection but has experienced eye trauma or injury, I suggest you keep your cats separate, as when cats play, they can hurt each other, so keep that in mind.
Lastly, keep a dim light in your kitty’s room; turn off any bright lights, as they can worsen your cat’s eye pain and discomfort.
Moreover, if your cat is visibly distressed, I suggest you keep all lights off and block natural light from the windows until they completely recover.
Final Tips
In a nutshell, if your cat’s keeping one eye closed, that’s probably saying something about their health. Now, there could be different reasons for this eye condition.
However, you must consult your vet for advice and have your feline’s eyes checked as soon as possible.
Otherwise, whatever’s happening can worsen and cause further damage. Now, let’s learn things that can hopefully prevent future eye problems.
Yearly Vaccinations for a Healthy Cat
Yearly vaccinations for feline calicivirus and herpesvirus can prevent cat flu in cats. And since flu can cause feline conjunctivitis, make sure your feline is vaccinated. (*)
Lastly, vaccinate your cat against the Chlamydia Felis bacteria and feline leukemia because the former can cause conjunctivitis, while the latter can weaken your cat’s immune system and open the door to different infections and inflammation. (*)
Keep Your Cat Indoors
Small stones and grit can injure your cat’s eyes, and there’s plenty of that outside, so I suggest you keep your feline indoors. Additionally, remove anything sharp that could cause eye injury indoors.
Avoid Some Cat Breeds
I love every cat on the planet, but some breeds, such as Burmilla, British Shorthair, Himalayan, and Persian, appear more sensitive than others.
In fact, they’re more likely to experience eye issues than other breeds because of their unique skull shape. Therefore, if you worry about your future feline developing eye conditions, avoid these cat breeds.
And if you already have one of these cat breeds at home, ask your vet for care tips.
*image by tomwang/depositphotos