Helping a cat get something out of his eye?

Billy's eye is a bit watery , and he's not opening it all the way. He's definitely going to the vet in the morning if it doesn't look better - but if its just a bit of dust or something is there a way I can help him get it out?

Also: does anyone know if they can treat eye infections with a pill? If Billy does have an infection, its really bad timing because I'm leaving for a research convention on Wednesday. Someone's coming in to look after the cats every day, but the boys don't like strangers anyways, and it would be nearly impossible for her to catch Billy and apply an eye cream every day...

Doubtful - seems like ointment is the usual way of doing things. Could you board him at the vet during your trip? They usually offer boarding at a fairly reasonable rate, and they could administer the medicine properly.

That is possible, but I hate to separate him from his brother for so long - Wednesday through Sunday.

Its looking better now, though he still squints a bit in bright light. With any luck, it was just something in his eye and he's gotten rid of it. He's not rubbing it like its uncomfortable anymore, and where its a bit dim his eye is fully open.

A few months ago, Oliver was walkin around lookin like a pirate (as my boyfriend put it, haha) he was squinting one eye... he's quite good with me pokin and prodin at him, so I baby-held him in my lap and carefully tried to look in his eye... to me it looked as though he just had some eye goopies (clear, not green, and just like one splotch) that he couldn't blink out... I wear contacts so I have saline solution around, so I opened a clean bottle and CAREFULLY put a few drops into the eye (figured it couldn't hurt and was worth a shot before going in to the vet)... well this worked for Ollie and his eye was better within minutes (PS: don't attempt this if you're not ok doing so... I've worked in animal hospitals and shelters, so I didn't like feel nervous or anything)

However, if your cat's eye is like REALLY goopy (kinda like when people get pink eye), red or his third lid is showing, something more serious is going on and he will probably need meds and they will most likely go directly in the eye... if this is the case and you don't think your pet sitter can handle that, maybe you could board the boys together and maybe if you explain to them why they need to stay together they'll give you a bit of a break (hey, worth a shot, haha)...

Well, his third eyelid was showing a tiny bit earlier and it was red, but it looks a lot better now. Its happened to him once before, after digging ferociously in his litter box, and that time, thankfully, he was better before the night was over (I was back home then and away from our regular vet).

No more showing third eyelid, area around the eye doesn't look so red anymore. Still a little watery, but this is clear liquid. He still squints it a little when he turns to look at me (the lamp is on behind me and he would be looking at it to look at me), but he doesn't appear to be squinting when looking away from the lamp.


This was saline solution and not contact solution, correct? I wear contacts, but I don't keep plain saline solution around...maybe I should. It would be useful if I got something in my eye too.


Billy's a lilac-point, so his color is a sort of greyish-pink around his face. He's had an eye infection before for sure, but sometimes his eye will look a tiny bit pink around it, and I can't tell if its a problem or not. He had some white goopy in his eye his morning, but he's always got goopies (usually dark, but I think the white stuff darkens as it gets older). The vet says the eye goopies are normal, at least the dark ones.


Argh, I can't tell if he's got an eye problem, or if its normal stuff and just coincidental timing!! Billy's my "problem child" - I'm always agonizing over taking him to the vet, but most of the time, if I do take him in, there's nothing wrong with him. He's my little hypochondriac kitty...

We call them "eye poohies" at our house - our white cat gets them too.

A word of warning - I had a cat get an eye problem years ago and it turned out that she had somehow managed to get a small abrasian on her eye and they had to cauterize it. She had to have her eye sewn shut for a few days while it healed too - boy did she really look like a pirate then! Anyway, if it still looks sore tomorrow, I'd definitely have it checked out.

Most definitely. I can't take the chance that there's something really wrong with me leaving on Wednesday if it doesn't look better by tomorrow morning.

Originally Posted by Sandtigress

This was saline solution and not contact solution, correct? I wear contacts, but I don't keep plain saline solution around...maybe I should. It would be useful if I got something in my eye too.


Billy's a lilac-point, so his color is a sort of greyish-pink around his face. He's had an eye infection before for sure, but sometimes his eye will look a tiny bit pink around it, and I can't tell if its a problem or not. He had some white goopy in his eye his morning, but he's always got goopies (usually dark, but I think the white stuff darkens as it gets older). The vet says the eye goopies are normal, at least the dark ones.

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Yeah, just saline solution... if you don't have any, vets usually have small bottles and maybe would give one to you to keep around... as far as eye goopies: my cat gets the "regular" eye goopies, ya know a little crusty after sleeping and the occasional white glop (I usually gently wipe them away if he doesnt get to them).... when your cat's got a serious infection it will usually be very thick goop with a green or yellow color and there would be quite a good amount of it... as far as I know, cats aren't subject to the pink eye virus that humans get (I *think* pigs are the only non-humans that we can get it from/give it to.... possibly poultry too? OK, farm kids, time to chime in here haha), but I'm quite prone to pink eye and the goop that comes with it is what bad kitty eye goop would look like, haha, it was just a reference point... to me it sounds like your cat just had some minor irritation, but if I was going away without Oliver and his eye still looked bad tomorrow morning, I'd take him in just to be sure... again, would rather pay to be safe....

Okay, the eye goopie news is good. His is definitely a small amount, and white, not yellow or green.

If it still looks bad in the morning, I'll definitely take him in, and my friend is stopping by tomorrow evening to run through all the boys' stuff before I go. 'll make sure to mention keeping an eye out for his eye while she's here. At least for right now she can still reach my cell phone at any time while I'm gone (I'm going out of country in a few weeks and she's watching them then too.)


Thanks so much for all the advice guys!

Sounds like things aren't too bad!

Make sure you leave all the vet info for your pet sitter and you might want to like write a signed note giving her permission to get your cats medical help and possibly leave like a credit card or blank signed check in case she needs to take the kitties to the vet for some reason when you're away (I'm thinking especially when you're out of the country and only if you trust this person to handle your money)... just a thought

Yeah, I've been thinking about that. I think I'm going to talk to the vet and give them her name and such - they allow 45 days for payment, and I certainly won't be gone that long. So I think if I give them her name and permission to treat them or what not, I'm just going to make arrangements to pay when I get back.

My parents are also going to get me an international phone card to leave with her in case of an emergency - I'll have a cell phone there, just a different number.


His eye looks better this morning, no more squinting or runnyness, the area around his eye looks good, but the third eyelid is still a little pink looking, so I'm going to give the vet a call and see what they think.