My 16-day-old kitten's eyes aren't open with crust. Is this normal?

I agree that by 2 weeks of age the kittens eyes should be open and there would be concern for abnormal development or an infection causing adhesions. You may want to see if your vet feels comfortable applying a warm compress and then gently trying to ease the eyelids apart - this might help with adhesions. Otherwise anesthesia and using an instrument to separate the lids (surgery to cut the lid is not recommended) may be necessary since the eyes need to be open for appropriate development of the eye and neurologic pathway to the brain.

Kittens will naturally open their eyes at around 7-10 days of age. If your kitten has an eye that is still shut, or appears to be blocked by debris or discharge, it is best to schedule a veterinary appointment as this may indicate a congenital issue or infection causing the problem.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Tom. The discharge and crusting you describe could be signs of an eye infection. Kittens are prone to getting eye infections secondary to a viral infection. You could try gently wiping some of the crusts away with a warm facecloth/towel. If the discharge continues and is significant enough that it prevents him from opening his eye fully I would recommend having Tom seen by a veterinarian so that they can perform an ocular examination and prescribe antibiotics if needed. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hi Caron, thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. At 5 and a half days of age, that is young for the eye to be open, and there is a concern that it won't be fully developed as you fear the eye was forced open. He needs to see a vet right away, as this could permanently damage his eyesight. You are doing the right thing by keeping the lighting dim and covering the windows, and you want to make sure the eye isn't too dry, which is why he needs to see a vet to get checked out. He can't be separated long from his mother, so please bring the mother and siblings to the appointment as well, and I would take them all in today. He should see a vet asap. I hope this helps!

The opening of kittens eyes is not triggered by light and i would not expect it to speed the process. Very rarely surgical opening is required. If there is no swelling behind the eye, warm compresses for 2-3miinutes may help but be very gentle not to put any pressure on the developing eye structures

This is probably an upper respiratory infection. it's very common in young cats and is very contagious to other cats as well. It is treated with antibiotic eye drops/ointment and oral antibiotics for about 2 weeks. if left untreated many cats will end up blind or even die from the disease. I advise going to your vet asap to start the treatment right away.

Cats can have the morning sleep in their eyes just like us. If the squinting is not persistent throughout the day, it should be fine. If it occurs throughout the day, then she should get checked out by the vet.