My cat is squinting one eye and seems sad. What should I do?

I see what you mean. He could be squinting because the light is painful to his eye, and it may be he has injured his eyes or has an eye infection. Any eye problem is an emergency because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I'd take him into a vet right away to get checked out. Best of luck.

If there is an emergency vet within a reasonable distance, I would recommend that Willie get checked out sooner than later. Eye problems can be very painful, and can go from bad to worse very quickly (even overnight). There can be many causes of squinting an eye, including something stuck under the eyelid, corneal abrasion or ulcer, autoimmune disease, among a few others. Without personally seeing it I can't be certain, but what you may be seeing with him "looking to the upper right" is the effect of a raised third eyelid covering the inner part of the eye to make it look weird. You can try to flush the eye with a saline eye rinse, but do not apply any medications topically. Keep him inside in a dim room since bright light makes many eye problems more painful.

When they squint the eye they do that because it’s painful; so she is in pain. Usually they squint because there has been an injury to the cirnea. I suggest you get her to the vet for an exam. Eyes are very delicate organs and can go from bad to worse quickly. I don’t think you need to rush her to the ER but try to get her in tomorrow to see your vet.

Its a bit hard to tell from the photos. It may be a wound that has caused the problem, or its possible he was rubbing his eye if his eye was uncomfortable already, and then he scratched it traumatized the skin there on the inner part of the eye. Put an Ecollar (cone of shame) on him so that he can't scratch at it or rub the eye on the ground, worsening the problem, and get him in to see the vet in the next couple of days.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From the pictures you posted it does not look that there is anything very serious going on with her left eye. Squinting the eye could be result of trauma (usually scratch from another cat) or infection. Please, keep wiping the eye and giving her soothing eye drops. If the eye is not back to normal after 5-6 days, you will have to try and get her seen by a vet.

I am so sorry to hear that Buzz is experiencing these problems with his eye. Thank you for providing an excellent picture, it seems as through the third eyelid is protruding. This is a common sign that there is an issue in the eye of a cat. Start by placing an e-collar or cone on Buzz to prevent scratching or rubbing. If the eye is infected it is likely painful, this will prompt Buzz to scratch or rub his eye. However, this could inflict further damage, infection or even an ulceration. Because eye concerns with cats, such as infections, corneal ulcerations, cataracts and glaucoma, can progress rapidly I would have him examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the issue. The precise medication can then be dispensed by your veterinarian. Please do not attempt to treat an eye infection at home with any over the counter medications, drops or ointments. This can lead to permanent damage and unnecessary pain or discomfort. I hope this answer was helpful and that Buzz feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both!

Great job thinking on your feet to keep Midnight in your lap so that he can't scratch his eye. It sounds as if he may have either gotten something in his eye or potentially have a corneal ulcer, which is just a fancy way to say a small cut on the surface of his eye (the cornea). It is important that you keep him from scratching or rubbing the eye, as this can potentially cause more damage. Midnight will definitely need to see a veterinarian to examine his eye and prescribe the appropriate medication if needed. In the meantime, I highly recommend getting Midnight an e-collar, or cone of shame until you can get him seen by a vet as soon as possible. Most pet stores sell them, PetCo. definitely carries them. While this is not a true emergency, it may be easier to take Midnight to an emergency clinic just to get things taken care of before there is time for things to potentially get worse. I hope this helps and good luck with everything. I'm happy to consult with you or your parents if they have any additional questions.