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My cat's eye is watery, pink, and swollen shut again. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 5 months and 16 days old | 5 lbs

My cats eye looks watery, slightly pink and slightly swollen shut. It was like this for about a day a month ago but cleared itself before I could take him to the vets, but now has returned tonight. Could you let me know what this could be? Can’t see any obvious signs of a scratch

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Kevin Sanada, DVM

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 14th, 2017

The pictures are quite dark, so it's not possible to actually see the eye, but this type of case is usually due to a scratch to the outside of the eye, or a foreign body stuck under the eyelid. Scratches to the outside of the eye are not usually easy to see and we often need to apply a special stain to the eye in order to detect it.

For now, it's best if you can flush the eye with normal saline. Saline flush can be bought at the pharmacy, or supermarket in the eye care section. Flush the eye 3-4 times daily and gently wipe away the discharge with a warm/moist cotton or cloth. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates how to flush the eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lXVNMcPzhs

If the eye is still swollen tomorrow, then it's best to take him to the vet for an exam. It's also possible that there is an infection in the eye, or conjunctiva that is causing this. The vet should be able to narrow-down the cause of this rather quickly and provide the necessary treatment.

I hope that helps and Simba gets better soon.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 16th, 2020

    Hello,

    Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this about Tito! The most important thing you can do right now is to keep him from further traumatizing the eye by scratching. You can do this by putting a cone collar on him.
    When the eye is held closed, this is a sign of pain called blepharospasm. Pinkness and puffiness is a sign of inflammation. I would recommend getting Tito into a veterinarian for a physical exam as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours. A corneal ulcer is when there is damage to the outermost layer of the eye. This can be caused by a physical trauma, like a scratch, or an underlying viral component. He may also be experiencing conjunctivitis from allergies or an unrelated infection.
    Tito's veterinarian will recommend something called a fluoroscein stain, to check for a corneal ulcer. If they see other signs of eye disease, they may recommend taking intraocular pressures and a tear production test as well to determine what is going on. When they determine the cause, they can choose the best eye medications for treatment.

    I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 4th, 2019

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do at home without knowing what is going on. You can rinse it with contact saline but I recommend taking Milo to a vet to make sure there isn’t a scratch or corneal ulcer. Once they find out what is going on they can prescribe medications to help him feel better. Good luck and kisses to Milo!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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