What's wrong with a stray cat's bleeding, sore eye and how to help?

It's always tough trying to deal with feral cats. The best option would be to take her to the vet (maybe they could spay her at the same time? Not all vets would be able to do that, but might be worth asking). The vet could sedate her, check out her eye, and vaccinate her for rabies at least. There is a risk of her biting, but we usually can take appropriate precautions to avoid this. If you do take her in, ask your vet ahead of time what preferences they have for type of carrier etc so that they have the best chance of successfully looking at her. It will probably end up costing you a decent amount of money to take her in, because of the extra time +/- sedation that will be required (plus costs for testing, vaccines, medications), so just be aware of that ahead of time. That said, to answer your question about care at home - she could have a viral eye infection (very very common in cats), or it could have gotten worse and become a bacterial infection or an ulcer. She could have issues with the pressure in her eye or have a congenital problem. All we really know is that her eye hurts for some reason. All you can really do at home is keep the eye clean with a warm wash cloth and maybe put some lubricating drops in (GenTeal severe is best for this, it's an OTC human eye drop). You can also give her L-lysine treats which will help fight off a viral infection. That won't be enough if she has a bacterial infection, an ulcer, or really any issue other than a mild viral infection. Eye issues can get bad fast she risks losing sight or the eye itself, so definitely consider going the vet route if at all possible. I hope she's feeling better soon! Good luck!

If you are able to catch the cat the best option is for it to have a veterinary exam. Whether the speed through your veterinarian or if you have a stray or feral cat consortium in your area that may help. He likely needs systemic antibiotics and all alarm may potential he require surgery to remove any remnants of the globe if the eye ruptured. If he's difficult to handle or you're on shore please contact your local Humane Society group or animal control. Do not get bitten. Rabies in stray cats is a very real possibility. Thanks for looking out for the sky. Good luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

This eye looks like it is ruptured. This is a constant source of pain and infection, and this cat will likely succumb to these things and not live a normal happy life. Infection could also lead to sepsis, so I highly recommend helping this stray kitty and getting this eye looked at. If the eye is too far gone, then removal of the eye (enucleation) may be the best course of action to help this poor kitty. Best of luck in caring for this street cat moving forward. Take care.

Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Unfortunately there is not much you can effectively do back home without veterinary assistance. A picture of it would help to give you further advices. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

While I can see the lesion you're referring to in the pictures it's difficult to tell where it originates from. It could be a growth coming from the iris or foreign material stuck in the eye. I would recommend catching him for your vet to take a look - it is possible that it's something that could affect his vision. If it's really difficult to take him to the vet you could see if there are any mobile veterinarians in your area that could come to the house, but you would still need to confine him somewhere inside (without many areas to hide) for the visit.

It looks like this little girl has a bite wound. I would recommend trapping the cat and bringing it to a shelter if one is available. I would be cautious about touching her just in case the animal that bit her had rabies. She need veterinary care, this is not something you can take care of at home. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Izzy's eye is extremely bad and this is now a medical emergency. Without seeing her in person, I can't say what is causing this issue but she could go blind without immediate veterinary attention. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.