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My kitten's eye is dripping, swollen, and stuck. Does she need a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 7 months and 26 days old | 7 lbs

A few days ago her eye randomly start dripping and as the days passed it's got worse and started to swell up abit and also drips alot and sometimes in the mornings it gets stuck together . A few of my freinds said it will go down itself and to not take her vets but i think im going to have to. I was thinking maybe she just hit ber head somewhere because shes always running around playing with the other kitten . Ive noticed the strays she plays with have the same thing but not as worse .

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 7th, 2018

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Nala. She appears to be squinting a bit in your picture. This can mean that her eyes are painful. If the other cats she is playing with are experiencing similar signs, I suspect there is an infectious cause. I would recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She may require an antibiotic eye ointment. In the meantime, do not let her paws at her eyes as this can irritate them further. I hope this information helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 2nd, 2017
Kittens can commonly be afflicted by upper respiratory viruses that can cause sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, draining eyes and corneal ulcers. These viruses can pass from the mama cat to the kitten during birth. This is what I suspect is going on with your kitten.

Oftentimes cats can overcome a viral flare up on their own but sometimes, especially in immunocompromised kittens, they need antiviral drugs, eye medications, and possibly antibiotics to help them get over the virus. If the illness lasts more than 3-5 days, or if Nala stops eating then I would take her in to the vet to be checked out.

I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck with your new kitten!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenny, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 20th, 2018
Kittens are prone to respiratory infections and conjunctivitis from viral infections. It is best if she gets treated by a vet for medication to control secondary bacterial infections and help keep her eyes clean and moist
If they get congested their appetite will decrease and they can get dehydrated quickly at her age.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My kitten's eye has a white film. Is it serious or just cross-eyed?

What you are seeing in the inside corner of Nala's eye is a normal structure called the third eyelid (or nictating membrane). However, it is not normally up as much as Nala's are in the picture. There are a few possibilities of why a third eyelid will be up more than normal. Some drugs will make them go up more, tapeworms (https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951442) can sometimes make them go up in cats, and any irritation of the eye can make them go up. Since it appears to be getting worse, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her to see if they can find a cause. If Nala is squinting or rubbing at her eyes, she should see a veterinarian ASAP. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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