About cats' eyes and eye injuries

Although all cats are born blind, sight is one of their most important senses. A cat's eyes are built to collect tiny amounts of light from their surroundings, meaning their vision is excellent at dusk and they see well at a distance, but not so well up close.

Have you ever noticed how your cat's pupils change with the light? This is because their pupils dilate to let in as much light as possible, and in bright light, the pupil contracts into a thin slit.

Since vision is such a crucial sense for cats, it's easy to see why eye injuries can have a significant negative impact on their lives. These injuries can be caused by many things, like grit getting into the eye, or more seriously, by another cat's claws.

Eye injuries in cats can vary greatly in severity. However, a basic rule is that if your cat is squinting one or both eyes, it should always be treated as an emergency, and you should contact a vet immediately. It can be very difficult to detect eye damage yourself, but a vet can, for example, stain the cat's cornea to find damage that's otherwise hard to see. If your cat has an eye injury and you delay contacting a vet, there's a risk the condition could worsen considerably, leading to dire consequences and unnecessary pain.

While injuries like these are difficult to prevent completely, keeping a close eye on your cat and noticing if anything changes can make a big difference. For instance, if your cat suddenly starts blinking its eyes, knowing to get them to a vet quickly is key.