Was my cat's eyesight affected by being out during a cloudy eclipse?

Great question! Cats typically do not stare at the sun, it's not something that holds interest for them, so you don't have to be worried about Ginny or your other cats looking at the solar eclipse. As for you, given that you have had retinal surgery, it would be best for your eyes to cover the windows that don't have blinds with blankets. I hope this helps :-)

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. He seems to have an opacity in his eye. This can be on the cornea (surface of his eye) or on the lens. He could have a scratch across his eye or even a scar. If the problem is on his lens, then a cataract is a possibility. His veterinarian will examine his eye with a special instrument called an ophthalmic scope. Some tests may be recommended as well. I hope this information helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Injury caused by slamming or opening door can be serious in cats. If your Dolly does not came back to herself within 45-60 minutes after the accident, you should take her to your nearest vets today. Changing colour of the eyes, I suspect is due to dilatation of the pupils, which is a sign of pain in cats.

It looks like that left eye may have some ongoing damage ongoing problem with the cornea clear, (front part of the eye). Does she seem like she can see? Does she walk along walls (as though looking to be leaning in for a knowledge of where she is), does she bump into things? If she does not bump into things and DOES seem to be able to see, then her pupils are probably functioning appropriately even if you can't see it. However it is possible too that she has some lens changes... the lens in the left eye looks a bit cloudy in the picture. As long as she's an indoor cat, it shouldn't matter too much whether or not she can see. Most blind animals do quite well and function great as pets. However, if she seems uncomfortable or painful, I would encourage you to take her to your vet to have the eyes re-evaluated. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I see what you are seeing from the pictures. The pupil is just an opening in the iris (colored part) and what sits inside the eye (behind the pupil, what you see though the pupil) are the lens and the contents of the back of the eye (fundus including retina, etc.). A cloudiness to the eye can occur due to inflammation (uveitis), lens related changes (nuclear sclerosis or cataracts), or sometimes due to cellular infiltrate in the eye. It is good that there are no vision changes and that the eye is comfortable. A cause for this haze should be able to be readily identified by an eye exam by your vet. Dependent on the cause monitoring may all that is required. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, Finn will be fine. The reason we do not stare up at an eclipse is the same reason you do not stare at the sun. You can burn the back of the eye called the retina. The more interesting question is why we do not see more retinal burns in animals? How do they know not to stare at the sun? Depending on where you are in the country, it may get dark enough that Finn may think it is bedtime. In any case, you certainly can cover up the birds at the time of the eclipse. Take care.

Poor guy! It could be a sign of pain or trauma from the event including head or neck trauma, or a side effect of pain medication. If he was bleeding did they find the source of it? Was he given any medications at the clinic (pain medication?) or to take home? Was he appropriate mentally there and then has declined? The problem with kittys getting attacked is that the attacker often shakes them while biting. This can create a lot of shear trauma under the skin that is initially not seen. If no meds have been given i would worry about pain or head trauma. I would recommend calling the clinic that saw him to report this change. The safest thing for these patients is for them to be hospitalized for monitoring because not all problems show up right away. If head trauma is suspected medications may need to be given for this. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!