Why is my cat's eye hair causing pain, tearing, and closed eyes?

It is a little difficult to assess this based on the picture, but if that is a hair growing from the lid or the eye, this is what we call distichia. It is more commonly seen in dogs, but is rarely seen in cats. If untreated, the condition will eventually result in dry eye and ulceration of the corneal surface. While it is generally a surgical procedure to resolve the issue, the surgery is typically curative and something that you will not have to deal with ever again. Some veterinarians will not perform surgical procedures of the eye, so depending on where you go you may be referred elsewhere. In the meantime, try and keep Blueberry's eye nice and moist with artificial tears. Do not use anything medicated until you and your vet have determined that there is no ulceration on the eye's surface. Good luck with Blueberry!

I would recommend an appointment with a ophthalmologist or dermatologist in order to investigate the underlying factors when this is recurring. Mites, chronic skin infections, inturned eyelids or abnormal eyelashes could all be causing ongoing inflammation which is causing repeated discomfort and flare ups

This sounds uncomfortable for Gandalf! If you can see an obvious hair, you can try to flush his eye with a sterile saline based eye wash. However, if Gandalf is still closing his eye or showing any sensitivity after you flush his eye, he needs to be seen by his vet. There is a chance that the hair or other foreign material may have scratched his eye, causing a corneal ulcer. Make sure he is wearing an e-collar (cone) to prevent any further scratching or rubbing of his eye.

HI, thanks for using PetCoach! Most cats and dogs that get thick mucous or a hair stuck on their eye are just fine. They eventually are able to blink enough to get the hair off the eye. These animals do not even notice it meaning the eye is open and not red. If Oliver is keeping his eye closed and seems painful then he needs to see a Vet. It could be something stuck irritating the eye or he could have a scratch on his eye, uveitis or glaucoma. You can use an eye safe flush to try and rinse the eye but other wise he needs a Vet to examine the painful eye. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1229 I wish you the best!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. It is difficult to say for sure what the cause is based on the pictures you provided, but I suspect that the hairloss around the eye is secondary to Magic scratching / pawing at the eye. There may be something in the eye causing irritation / discomfort or an infection that needs treatment. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Magic so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I am sorry to hear about Onyx. I would wonder with the change in location if this could be allergy related. We can sometimes see irritation/inflammation around the eyes due to allergies. We can also see this with some mites, bacterial or viral infections, or autoimmune diseases. I would recommend an examination by a veterinarian to try to pinpoint the underlying cause. They can then prescribe either oral or topical medications depending on what they determine the cause of the hair loss to be. Best of luck to you and Onyx!

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! The hair loss around the eyelids we see here is not a normal hair loss. I would be concerned about possible allergies, ectoparasites such as mites, or bacterial infection. I would recommend bringing Cairo in for an examination by the vet. They can test for parasites and determine the appropriate treatment for him based on examination. This may include topical medications, oral medications or injections depending on what they find on his physical examination and history.