Conference misery::feline

    We refer to this as "gunk".  I think it is a combination of dust
    from the wall to wall mixed with the eyes natural fluid which
    keeps the eye clear. If the cat is subject to a lot of dust
    and gets a hair in its eye it will water more and the eye gets
    runny and on light color fur this looks awful.
    
    Keep up what you are doing. Be careful you don't scratch the
    kittys eye when you are doing this. I sometimes use a cotton
    ball with warm water on it if it's bad or I let it go a couple
    of days.
    
    Barbara & her 3M's

    Hi.  Barney's problem was different, but started out about the same. 
    (He has chronic conjunctivitis which causes his inner eyelid to swell
    and look awful).  Anyway, his eyes were always tearing and in the
    morning would be all "goobered".  A kleenex easily cleaned the goop
    away but he hated it also.  One of the suggestions the vet gave me was
    to use a (mild) saline solution on his eye (the kind of solution used
    by contact lens wearers).  I would wet a cotton ball and clean his eye
    with this.  Unfortunately for Barney, his problem was more serious and
    he's ended up with an operation to clear away the inner eyelid membrane
    that was just about covering his whole eye.   If this problem
    continues, you might want to consult your vet.  Barney was recently
    given some sort of cortisone shot which helps his eye condition.  His
    eye has not teared much at all in the last 6 weeks.  
    
    Good luck,
    Mary
    

    My mother's siamese has this since he was born - 6 years already.
    Always only a bit. I clean it with a paper tissue, if he does not clean
    it himself. Do not worry, only if it gets serious. Do not medicamentize
    the cat until consulted a vet. Hope it is harmless and - good luck!
    
    Nat & Alphonse

    Fickle has had this condition on her right eye since she had
    conjunctivitis about 8 years ago - must have partially blocked her tear
    duct.  I clean it up for her every day or so, and it seems to be
    harmless - she is now 13, pretty old for a "kitten", which is what she
    thinks she is!
    
    /Charlotte

    Is Mary a Persian by any chance?  My Persian used to always have junk
    in the same eye.  The vet said it often occured because of the
    configuration of a Persian's face being slightly pushed in.

    Taja, Herbie, and Kelsey all get the gunkies in the corners of their
    eye.  Herbie gets the gooey brown stuff usually associated with
    Persians (he's a Himalayan) and it most prevalent after some sort of
    stimulation... eating, vigorous play, etc.  I make sure to wipe his
    eyes directly after he eats or else he has this awful habit of shaking
    his head and the stuff flies all over the walls and cabinets.  YUCK!!
    
    Both Taja and Kelsey get dried gunk, like "sleep", which I can scrape
    off with my finger.
    
    -Roberta
    

    In a forum such as this it is easy to make generalities about
    conditions.  Since none of us can see what you are removing from your
    cats eyes, it is hard to know if it is something that requires vet care
    or not.
    
    My general rule is that if the discharge is clear, and the eye is not
    irritated and red, then it *probably* isn't serious.  If the discharge
    is cloudy, mucousy, discolored green or yellow, and the eyelid is red
    or irritated, then the cat should see the vet.  These are just general
    guidelines though.  Any questions that you have about the problem
    should be discussed with your vet.
    
    Jo

    Barn Kittens in Chesterville
    
    
    I am looking for some advice from some experts regarding a problem I am
    having with my barn cats.
    
    First, some background. I bought a hobby farm last November that came
    complete with three barn cats. The deal is that they stay in the barn
    and I feed them each morning. For the most part it is an amiacable
    relationship and everyone seems happy.
    
    The problem arose when one of the cats got, shall we say, too happy, and
    as a result the cat population of the barn has increased by two. The
    problem I am having is that one of the kittens has trouble opening one
    of its eyes. In fact it appears to be completely shut while it's other
    eye and those of it's sibling have been open for a number of days now.
    There is a black crust that has developped around the closed eye.
    
    I am quite concerned about this kitten but at the same time cannot
    justify large vet bills. I would like to know if someone has
    experienced something like this before and if so, what is the
    prognosis?  
    
    I would also like some advice on whether or not I should bring the
    kittens into the house. The mother cat is doing a good job keeping them
    protected, warm and fed but when I tried to move the family to the
    house on the weekend she went hairy. She is a very timid cat and
    somewhat independent as she has always lived in the barn. Should I let
    them stay in the barn and just keep an eye on things or should they be
    forced to move to the house? Eventually I would like to find homes for
    the kittens and therefore want them to be used to more human contact
    than their mother can tolerate. For now I pat the kittens and pick them
    up each morning when I feed the other cats. Is this enough?
    
    Any advice would be appreciated.
    
    Nancy

      First,  I'd get the kittens to a vet right away!  Eye infections,
    conjunctivitis is very common in kittens, untreated it will result 
    in blindness.   If it isn't too late, the vet will give you some
    stuff to put on the eyes to save them.
      Mom should be fixed if you don't want any more kittens around.  I'm
    afraid that's the only way to solve that problem.  Someone in here
    probably has a low cost spay certificate they can get to you if cost
    is a real concern. 
      If you don't have any cats in the house that would be risk from any
    diseases or parasites that the barn kittens may have been exposed to,
    there isn't any reason not to bring them in.  They would be safer and
    adjust to humans and being inside better I'm sure.
      I'm trying to find homes for some homeless kittens, so I know what
    you're experiencing as most of us in this file would.  Kittens are
    so active, so quickly, they need a safe place to be.......
    
      Good luck!
      Denise and the gang of 11 plus a bunch of homeless kitties....
    

    To add to what Denise said, you might try calling around to different
    vets to see if any will accept payments in installations.  It could be
    easier on the pocketbook and a better way of addressing the problem if
    you could pay a small amount of money on a weekly basis rather than all
    at once.  Also, cats don't know about abstaining from kitty sex, so
    you'll need to get them fixed as soon as possible.  I know, easier said
    than done, but if you don't get these cats spayed/neutered, you'll have
    a much larger problem on your hands in short order.  Cats multiply like
    crazy!

    We had many feral cats around the barn (all 20+ are neutered or spayed
    now) and most of the cats would have their kittens in the barn.  WE
    would handle them alot.  Mom's wern't real crazy about it, and
    sometimes they'd move the litter.
    
    The kittens were great, but we couldn't always find homes for them.  It
    was very sad to see them get sick and die.  The biggest kicker is that 
    we were paying $25/week to feed these critters.  And with more litters,
    the costs kept going up.
    
    finally we decided to spay all the females we could catch, and then
    neuter the toms.  It took over a year, but we did it with Friends
    of Animals low cost spay/neuter certificates.   A neuter is $25 and a
    spay is $38.  We worked w/ a vet who didn't pursue vaccines or other
    stuff.  He knew all we wanted to do was to stop adding kittens, so the
    expense was there, but manageable.
    
    If you want more info off line, please call me at 234-4678.
    
    Michele
    
    P.S.  Friends of Animals #:  1-800-321-PETS

Oh, please, please get those kittens to a vet!  I found my Beth as a four
week old 'barn cat' who had such bad infections that she ended up having to
have both eyes surgically removed.  Please don't mess with it.  If you can't
afford the vet, I'll help.  Don't let the kitten suffer--and believe me,
my Beth did.  A $5 tube of ointment is a good investment.

Please, please don't let it happen to another helpless kitten...

Mary

    
    I thought I'd better add this update.
    
    It seems that the situation has cleared itself up. The eye was open
    this morning when I went out for my regular visit. Both kittens appear
    very healthy but I will take your advice and have a vet examine them. 
    
    So far I have found a home for one of them and a potential home for the
    other. Mama will be fixed shortly. In the meantime, I will attempt to
    bring the family into the house this weekend. 
    
    I would like to thank you for all of your advice and concern. I assure
    you that these babies will be well taken care of.
    
    Nancy 

    Thats great news!
    
    I just want to again caution you about moving the family inside.
    When we've done that, the mom will usually move the family, and 
    we never see them again.  They may be better off where they are with 
    daily human contact.
    
    We also had a house cat that served as a surrogate mom, so we could
    take the wild kittens, and she'd feed them.  (mom would then go to get
    fixed 2 weeks after).
    
    Good luck.....I really miss the kittens......
    

I have been looking for a siamese mix kitten and found one yesterday at a local
animal shelter. This little guy is only about six weeks, appears to be in
ok health, except for ear mites, fleas, and a bloated belly - all I would
imagine treatable. However, he only  has one eye. The shelter thinks he might
have been born this way, but it was also mentioned that it might have been
poked out. There is most difinately a hole there, with the eyelid covering
most of it. It doesn't look infected. What has anyone's experience been with
something like this? Would I be looking at years of major medical problems?
What type of care is needed? 

This kitty is precious and I'm willing to put in a good effort on his behalf
but at the same time I don't want to set myself up for a fall.

Thanks for any and all advice!
Laura

    He needs to be looked at by a vet, of course, but I doubt very much that
    you'd be looking at years of problems.   I've known of a number of
    shelter cats who have lost an eye.  My rather hazy impression is that
    once the area is healed, the vet sews the eyelid permanently shut, and
    that's that, except for the normal health monitoring any area of a cat
    needs.
    
    You might call your vet and ask their opinion about these cases in
    general.
    
    Sounds like he's found a good Mommy, to me :-)
    

Laura,

I say GO FOR IT! I would not expect horrendous vet bills because of the 
eye. They may want to sew the eyelid shut but I don't think that would be 
expensive. 

I have two one-eyed cats. Actually, Cubby has both eyes, but he can only
see out of one. The other eye was damaged and smaller than the good eye 
when he was found as a 4 month old kitten. Nobody knows if was due to an 
injury or if he was born that way. My vet did refer me to VONE (Veterinary
Ophthalmologists of New England) in Lincoln, Mass. to have Cubby checked
out. VONE confirmed that Cubby was blind in that eye and that it couldn't 
be fixed, but they also said it didn't need to be removed, either. It cost
$55 (in 1987) for the visit, tests, and giving a report back to my vet.
I felt it was well worth it.

When Wrigley appeared in our driveway one morning last July (apparently 
abandoned), he had a badly damaged eye. The vet said either he scratched
and punctured it himself (he had bad earmites) or maybe another cat did 
it. Since the eye couldn't be repaired or saved, the vet removed it and 
sewed the eyelid closed. 

Cubby seems to be a little klutzy sometimes and occasionally misjudges 
distances when he leaps onto something. But Wrigley -- you'd never know
he only had one eye! He's now 15 months old, and it hasn't slow him down 
a bit. 

Neither cat requires any special care, but all the vets who have examined 
my cats at one time or another have said these guys should remain indoors 
(as all my cats are) because they would be more apt to have an accident 
(like not see a car coming). 

Your little shelter kitten sounds like he will be one heck of a wonderful 
kitty!  We are all cheering you on!

Linda and 
Misty, Cubby, Tweetie, Toby, Peanut, Sunny, Wrigley, Jumper, and 
foster kitty Putt

    
    	Where's Mary??!!!  Mary Tamir has a kitty with NO eyes...
    
    	but don't tell Beth that, she doesn't know it.!  She is
    	the sweetest baby you ever want to meet.  And Mary can give
    	you all kinds of advice and history on Beth's treatments.
    
    	JJ
    

    I say...go for it too!!!   There is no better feeling then
    helping a kitty in need!!!!!   
    
    Keep us posted...
    
    Sandy

Here I am!  I have a year old angel who has no eyes!  And JJ is right--don't
tell her that!!  Last night, I had a friend over for dinner and he spent the
entire night playing fetch with Beth and just couldn't believe that she's
slightless.  So go for it!!

I'd have your vet look Kitty over and see if some surgery is in order--
for example, an early injury caused the globe to collapse, whatever.  Then
I'd have it stitched closed.  It's a simple procedure and the cat will
be happy and healthy for years to come.

DO IT!
Mary

P.S.  Welcome to the family of exceptional cats!!!

    I suggest a THOROUGH vet check....not to be pessimistic, but
    why hasn't this kitten rec'd any medical care yet from the
    shelter?
    
    L-

    Unfortunately a lot of shelters don't give medical care to animals
    because they can't afford it, esp. if it's the kind of shelter that has
    to euthanize animals.
    
    This leads me to say that the original person asking about this cat
    should make haste to pick it up in case it is the kind of shelter that
    puts animals to sleep;  often they're held for just a couple of days.
    

Thanks for all the replys!! This kitty goes up for adoption today, so after
work I'll go over a pick up my new baby! FYI The shelter says that they don't 
give any of the cats medical treatment and weren't willing to elaborate on the
kitten's eye problem. 

Laura

    One of my neighbours has a one-eyed male. He adopted it for 19 years
    ago... He had no problems. I suggest, check and take.
    Nat

    To back up a bit to the noter with the barn kittens, sometimes kittens
    will injure each other's eyes when they squabble over nipples during
    nursing.  I always trim young kittens nails as soon as their eyes are
    open to help prevent that type of injury.
    
    Also, if you are handling the kittens daily then they should grow up to
    not be afraid of people, but beware that their mother's reaction to you
    could have an affect on them.  If every time you approach the mom
    freaks out, the kittens will learn that behavior from her and may start
    to freak too.  After they are weaned, you may want to move them into
    the house so that you can continue to socialize them without their mom
    influencing their reactions to humans.
    
    Jo

    Well, my #7 cat, Middy (aka Midnight) is in the hospital today awaiting
    surgery.  He has glaucoma in his right eye and I've been medicating the
    eye per vet's instructions since it was diagnosed.  Unfortunately, the
    medication is no longer helping and the eye is swollen and completely
    white.  My vet said if Middy was a human, he'd be unable to stand the
    pain right now.  There were only 2 alternatives and I took the one to
    have the eye removed.  Middy is a sweet boy and gone through a lot in
    his lifetime before coming to me so I only had one choice.  The vet
    also said if Middy was his, he'd opt for the surgery too.
    
    Actually, the surgery will be performed by his associate, Robin, who
    operated on Beth's eyes, Mary.  Robin will call me when surgery is over
    to let me know how it went.
    
    Although Middy is an older cat he is a strong cat so his chances of
    recovery are good.  There's always a concern though, especially re.
    anesthesia for older animals.  Middy's age is estimated to around 13.
    
    Pat & Clan
    

         Sending hugs, healing and good luck to Middy !
    
    					- Andrea

    hugs from me too.
    

    Pat...please keep us posted.  My thoughts and prayers are with
    you today.   
    
    Sandy

    Hugs from my crew, Pat!
    
    Lynne + 8 critters

    We send tons of kisses to help Middy!
    Karen and her 13

    sending lots of healing energy to Middy...
    
    Nanci

    Beth says not to worry!  She adores Robin (and Robin adores Beth!) and
    says Middy is in the best hands!!  One of my co-workers had to have his
    kitty's eyes removed for the same reason.  He regrets having waited so
    long as he says the difference in the cat before surgery and after was
    remarkable.  Even tho Spooky is totally blind, he's a much happier,
    healthier, active kitty.
    
    Aren't we lucky to have Dr. Kaas and Dr. Porter???
    
    Mary

    
    Yes, we are lucky to have these two compassionate vets, Mary.  
    
    Middy's operation went well yesterday afternoon and he's doing fine so
    far.  I'll be calling them before I leave work to see if he's ready to
    come home today.
    
    I'm sure he'll be more comfortable without that painful and sightless
    eye so I'm not that concerned about him adjusting.
    
    I sort of missed him at 3 this morning.  He always wakes me when he
    does both his duties in the litterbox as he attempts to cover things. 
    He tries to use his crippled food to do this but only ends up banging
    the side of the box.  He knows it will get me up to take care of it for
    him. ;^)
    
    Pat & Clan
    

    I have a question about cats eyes.   My sister has a 10 year
    old cat and it appears that over the last year ONE eye is gradually
    changing colors.   It is changing from green to brown.  It wasn't
    very noticable before...but now it is!
     
    It appears he still has sight in the eye...and he has no other sick
    symptoms.  If it was just old age...I would think both eyes would 
    change color.  Any thoughts...
    
    Sandy

    Sandy,
    
    Marni, one of my OLD Korats has one green eye and one brown eye. 
    Korats ONLY have green eyes.  From what her vet records show, (we've
    only had her 2 years now.  She's 16 years old) she had some type of a
    cyst behind her eye which caused it to turn brown.  The cyst was not
    removed, but the eye stayed brown.  She can see perfectly fine out of 
    the eye from what the vet says.
    
    The reason that the cyst was not removed is because it wasn't harming
    her in the least bit.
    
    Holly
    
    

I picked up "Middy" yesterday and he's doing fine so far.  I was told to 
try and keep him isolated for a few days from the rest of my "Clan" but he 
insisted he wanted to join them last night; he's not used to being alone.  
He wouldn't eat while at vet's but he at a little dinner last night and ate 
his breakfast this a.m.  

He's on Amox. tabs (1 every 12 hrs.) to prevent infection and he does look 
like a "teddy bear that lost one of it's button eyes"; just black, fuzzy 
hair around that area and the stitches.  I have to watch him for next three 
days to be sure the present swelling doesn't enlarge but I think he'll be 
okay and adjust fine.  He has been getting along with only one eye to see 
for awhile now anyway and at least he won't have the pain from glaucoma 
anymore.  

I do have him isolated in my room for today so he can get rest without 
being bothered by inquisitive "kids".

Pat & Clan

    Sandy, I would have your sister take her cat to a vet.  I know that
    change in eye color can be a symptom of a couple of different diseases.
    
    Better safe, you know.
    
    Jo

An update on Middy (.27)
Unfortunately, the swelling over the area of the operation got larger by 
Saturday.  I called the vet as he wanted to know if this happened. I had 
to put warm compresses over it 3 x a day for 10 minutes.

He hasn't been wanting to eat much and when he does, he loses it.  I think
his medication does this to him; he's always had a problem with medicines
in the past.  

Yesterday afternoon I also found some drops of blood on the floor and
noticed he had some moisture on corner of eyelid that has stitches in it.
Guess he must have been scratching or rubbing at the area.  Rest of my Clan
    haven't bothered him at all and today he's shut in my room for the day
    while I'm at work.  Middy did eat his breakfast and drank water this
    a.m.
    
I'll be leaving Middy at the vet's tomorrow morning before I come to the 
office to have him checked.  Living in Hooksett and having my vet in 
Nashua isn't very convenient sometimes.

Pat & Clan

    .41
    
    Last night when I got home, Middy was sooo much improved and the
    swelling had gone down.  He ate his dinner and even came looking for
    some junk food later.  This a.m. he ate his breakfast and drank more
    water.  I was so happy to see the improvement from the weekend I cried
    as I hugged him.
    
    I believe the pressure was reduced from the little blood that oozed
    from corner of eyelid; after cleaning the area again this morning,
    there was only tearing on the cotton and the stitches all seemed to be
    okay.  He may have rubbed enough to cause the release of some fluids to
    reduce the pressure there.  Animals are pretty smart in the art of
    healing sometimes.
    
    I locked him in my room again today with a water dish and a litterbox;
    again to keep inquisitive "kids" from bothering him.
    
    Oh, I have to tell you my older female, Holly, has been curled up next
    to Middy on the livingroom couch each day he's been home from surgery. 
    She has never been that close to Middy before but maybe she senses he
    needs a friend right now.  I've noticed her staring at his face now and
    then too.  I wish I knew just what she was thinking.
    
    Thanks to everyone who sent their prayers and hugs to him; they're
    working.
    
    Pat & Clan
    

Last winter my husband got *very* sick with the flu that was
going around. He would spend time lying on the sofa because
leaning against the arm would help with the coughing.

Now, Bumble Bea is not allowed on the upholstered furniture
(the rocker is all hers) and she is useally very good about
this. Also, when she's on the bed she
stays near me because she knows how dangerous it gets when
my husband rolls over.

One afternoon I found my husband asleep (on the sofa) and
Bumble Bea was on top of him. She gave me this 'look' and
I lost all inclination to shoo her off the sofa. I think
she was on a healing mission and didn't want me to disturb
her.


                               Susan

    Great news Pat.....and give Holly a hug for being so nice to Middy!!
    Your mind must be somewhat at ease now!!
    
    Sandy

What great news!  Beth seemed to have a similar recovery.  One morning, she
was looking very sick and that evening she was romping with Biff and eating
everything she could get her paws on.  It's good to hear that he's doing
so well.  Hang in there!!

Mary

    Got a question....
    
    Can a cat with a case of conjunctivitis transmit it to humans?

    
>    Can a cat with a case of conjunctivitis transmit it to humans?


	Yes, when My cat had it, the vet told me this was possible, and to be 
	extra careful with the other cat and myself.

	He also said to treat both of the cats eyes, as it was transmitted 
	easily between the eyes when they washed their faces.

	Heather

    
    Hi all, 
    
    My roommate has a one year old white kitty that I just love....
    She has one yellow eye and one blue. For the past couple of months
    one of her eyes is always running. I am very concerned about this 
    as I love her and would not want to see anything bad happen to her 
    sight. I have mentioned quite a few times that she needs to be checked
    by a vet to see why this eye is always watering, if it was a cold 
    it should have been in both eyes and shouldn't have lasted this long. 
    Her owner thinks that it might be an alergy, but why just one eye...
    Has anyone any similar experience with this. I would greatly appreciate
    any pointers. 
    
    Thanks, 
    
    Shaw

    I don't know about cats, but in humans a constant tear in one eye *may*
    be the symptom of a brain tumor.  Same applies if a person experiences
    sudden deafness in just one of the ears (generally caused by the tumor
    putting pressure on the ear nerve).  Or sudden blindness in one eye.

    I'm not saying it *is* brain tumor, I'm saying it *may* eventually be,
    if the same physiological rules apply to cats (I'm totally ignorant
    about that).  In any circumstance, I would think it is cause for alarm
    and advise your friend to have the kitty checked by the vet ASAP.

    Keeping my fingers crossed for the kitty.  Let us know how she's doing.
    Eduarda

    
    	It could also be something lodged in the eye, or a scratch
    	or ulcer on the surface of the eye. Does she squint a lot? Is
    	the third eyelid drawn up (looks like a white flap that starts
    	at the inner corner of the eye)? It does sound like she should
    	be seen by a vet, just to be sure she's not in any pain...
    
    	Sherry

    
    The only visible symptom is the watery eye, and a little redness
    around the eye lid.
    
    Shaw

    
    It also could be a scratch that isn't healing.   I'd try to convince
    her to take the kitty to the vet!!
    
    Sandy

    If the eye just has a little redness it could be a slight infection. 
    Generally when this happens it is caused by (I forget the proper name)a
    blocked drain duct.  Cats have ducts that drain away the tears and when
    this becomes blocked (due to infection OR because of the shape and
    structure of the nasolblahblahbla as in the persian) the tears then
    roll out the eye.  
    
    This sounds like it could be the problem. Other possible solutions
    could be a corneal scratch which the vet would just stain to see. In
    either of these circumstances you would apply a topical ointment such
    as tetracycline or another one (?).   Sorry, the mind isn't hear yet! 
    I do have both at home and should know!!!
    
    Another possibility if it is a clogged duct, either by foreign matter
    or some such, is to flush out the nasoblahblah.  I would take the cat
    to the vet with these things in mind.  It could be very simple and not
    too expensive.  But either way the vet will need to prescribe something
    in all likelihood.
    Good luck,
    Karen

    Can you talk your roommate into letting you take the cat to the vet
    if she won't?  I would have this checked out.  It could be something
    minor (my Holly's eye runs a bit because she's a carrier of a respiratory
    infection), but it might be something that's causing the cat pain.
    

    
    There is no evidence and I realy do not think that the cat is 
    in pain, she sleeps in my room everynight and we play quite a bit
    before bed time. She is quite content and playful there is no sign
    to show me any pain. The pain is mostly in my heart when I see
    all the water in her eye. I don't want to be pushy with her as 
    this is her cat, but on many occasions have mentioned that kitty's
    eye is still running and since it's been a couple of months maybe
    she shoudl see the vet, but nothing so far. I don't want to interfer
    with her bussiness, I guess everyone has different values on how far
    they go with pet care.  I will try again. 
    
    Shaw

    Shaw, I forgot to mention another possibility, a tooth problem.
    Please take kitty to the vets?!
    Karen 

    Maybe you could offer to pay the vet bill, if that's the problem.
    

    Shaw,
    
    It could be a mild case of conjunctivitis.  Here is a tip I don't think
    will hurt.  Terramycin ointment, applied 3X daily to the eye.  This is
    an oitment that does not contain a steroid, which could damage the eye
    if it is scratched in any way.
    
    If your roommate does not want to take the cat to a vet at this point,
    try the Terramycin yourself.  Most mild eye problems respond to it
    readily.  If the eye doesn't clear up in a week or two, a vet visit is
    definitely in order.  The vet can flush the eye with a dye which will
    floresce (sp?) and reveal any scratches or abrasions.
    
    Another possibility is that the cat could have a blocked tear duct. 
    This is not a major problem.  I had a cat with a blocked duct once that
    underwent surgery and the blockage returned.  This can happen even with
    the surgery, so a lot of specialists advise against putting the cat
    under to try to flush out the duct.
    
    Terramycin is available without a vet's perscription.  Best to order it
    from one of the supply catalogs like Foster and Smith.  It is only
    about $3 a tube, and they can ship it to you in a matter of days.
    
    -Roberta
    

    
    Friends, if it was up to me, kitty would have been to the vet two
    months ago. Tonight when I went home I told her about my quiry in
    this file and your responses I 'm not sure she took it very
    seriously. Situation also is that I don't feel comfortable medicating
    the cat without her permission. 
    I am leaving for the mountains tonight, but Monday I will suggest to
    her that I will be more than happy to take kitty to the Vet, if it is
    too much trouble for her. She's (the cat) just such a sweetheart I 
    would hate to see any kind of permanent damage to her due to
    neglagence.
    
    Shaw
    

    
    Update on BooBoo kitty, My roommate took her to the vet. As karen 
    suggessted it was a blocked drain duct. The vet could not just clear
    it. She was supplied with some medication for her eye. Kitty is due
    for another visit in ten days to check the progress. 
    
    Thanks everyone.
    
    Shaw
    

    Hello,
    
    I recently became the owner of a cute black kitten that I have called
    Harley.  The person that I got him from told me that Harley had a cold
    in his eyes and that it seemed to be clearing up (his eyes had all
    kinds of "gunk" in it).  The next morning I got up and noticed that
    Harley's eye was stuck shut from all of the "gunk" and I had to take a
    warm compress to get it open.  I decided to take no changes and brought
    Harley to the vets for a complete physical.  The vet told me that he
    had a respiratory infection (thus the eye thing) and put him on
    Amoxicillin.  She also wormed him (he didn't have worms..just a
    precaution).  I am very happy to say that Harley is now a little terror
    but always snuggles up to "Mom" and purs very loudly in my ear when I
    get home.  
    
    Good luck with your kitty
    
    Dawn
    

    Has anyone ever had or know of a cat with an eye that was cloudy?
    This cat's vet said  (6 months ago), that it was probably a cold.
    He also used that light on the eye for a scratch, none were found.
    Six months later the cat's eye is still cloudy, with the eye
    running.  I believe the cat should be seen by a vet, but the
    person that owns him refuses.  I just want to know if this could
    be a real problem (which I personally believe is).  Thank you.

    Kitties depend on we humans for everything -- food, water, health
    care, love, etc.  Whenever any of my little ones show signs of a
    problem that I don't have any experience with (I've never had a cat
    with a cloudy eye), I take them to the vet IMMEDIATELY, if not
    sooner.  Delaying treatment may have results that no one will like,
    human or feline.
    
    An owner that refuses to take an obviously suffering kitty to the vet
    should contemplate how they would like it if they were suffering and
    no one cared enough to call a doctor.
    
    This kitty MUST go to the vet right away.  Somehow you must convince
    the owner in no uncertain terms that there is no alternative.  The
    little kitty is depending on it.
    
    Carl-who-just-can't-stand-suffering-kitties-or-insufferable-owners

    Our cat Sammi has cleft eyelids, which allows a few of her lashes to
    sit on the eyeball, so we keep a very close watch for eye problems. So
    far we've only had one.
    
    She was holding her eye shut, so I took her into the vet. He was
    concerned that an ulcer might be developing, so he put something in her
    eye that would turn green where the ulcer was starting. It turned out
    that an ulcer was beginning, but was still very shallow, and we were
    able to quickly cure it by treating it with ointment (I can't remember now
    which one - there is a type that will make an ulcer worse). The vet
    said that it didn't have to be a scratch but could be a viral infection
    or any number of causes. He also said at the worst, that if an ulcer is 
    not treated the cat could go blind or lose the eye. 
    
    It is possible this cat had a cold and the eye was not scratched,
    but that doesn't preclude the possibility of an ulcer or other serious
    condition. A cloudy and runny eye for six months is very serious.  Please 
    urge the owner to take the cat to the vet immediately, or if he/she 
    adamantly refuses, to at least call the vet and explain that the eye has 
    never healed. The cat should be rechecked and the eye should be
    treated asap.
    
    Please let us know what happens.
    
    Rebecca    
    

    My daughter brought a kitty once with eyes I would think of as cloudy
    (I do not really know what that means) and running. The vet said it
    came from worms allergy, and healed the cat in a weeek (happy and BIG
    ever since).
    
    Nat

    Could also be a blocked tear duct.  I agree, the cat should either be
    seen by a new vet or an opthomologist for cats.
    

    Well, here's what I've done.  I called the vet.  He said that the
    animal did not have a cold, but he does have something called Pannus
    which he said is a pigmentation.  There is an ointment called
    Neo-predes that can be put on the eye daily to control it.  There is no
    cure for it.  I still would like to see the cat treated for it.  I
    would guess that it might be hard to see through a cloud.  Thank you
    everyone for your replies.
    
    deb

    
    	Squeeky's went to the vet Friday, both of her eyes have turned
    milky inside! It's not the surface, it's actually the anterior fluid of
    the eye. Otherwise she seems okay. He took blood and should get some
    results today and some tomorrow. Her sight is affected, I saw her walk
    into something yesterday. Vet said the milky fluid is actually white
    blood cells, and might be caused by some kind of internal infection. It
    might go away, it might not. Anyone got any ideas or experience with
    something like this???
    
    	Sherry

    Sherry,
    I know this is late, I was out.  But have you heard yet what this is?
    If not I have a few suggestions.  I hope all is well!
    regards,
    Karen

    
    	Squeeky's eyes have cleared up,slowly. The vet has had her on
    prednisone and an antibiotic. All of her tests came back negative,
    so we do not know what caused all of this. On one hand, I'm glad it's
    going away, but somehow I think I would feel better knowing why it
    happened in the first place. I'm just worried the other cats could 
    come down with it. [but so far so good...]
    
    Sherry

    That's very good Sherry!  I am going to look up this problem 
    in some of my medical books tonite.  I am really curious.  
    good luck!
    Karen

    I don't have the time to read 70 replies, unfortunately, but
    I just wanted to raise a flag about the use of clumping litter.
    I think it was in FELINE a few years ago that a cat was reported to
    have developed severe eye problems that vanished when the "fine
    sand like" clumping litter was replaced with the older kind.
    

    yep, Karen is right. Also, some cats have a problem with different
    brands of litter. I recall someone's cat (Kate's ?) had a problem with
    the dust in the expensive litter in the yellow bag (I can't remember
    the brand name).
    
    Deb

    
    	Squeeky doesn't have the clumping litter. The vet said we were
    seeing a mass of white blood cells in the anterior fluid, but they
    still don't know what caused it. As it went away, the mass shifted
    downward, almost as if it were sinking. 
    
    	Sherry
    

    
    I've just got two eight week old kittens and noticed that one of those
    keeps getting a bit of 'sleep dust' in her eyes. I've been using a
    light-weight cat litter which, I must admit, is a bit dusty so I'll try
    the 'Fullers earth' type which is heavier and see if that helps. 
    
    They are due to go to the vet this week for their vaccinations so I'll
    get them both checked out while I'm there. 
    
    Trevor

    
    I noticed last evening that one of my cats had one eye more dilated
    than the other.  It wasn't really that one pupil was dilated but more
    that one pupil was much smaller than the other.  I noticed this once
    before with her several months ago.  I'm concerned - any thoughts on
    this?  By the way, she was somewhat lethargic as well and was sound
    asleep hours before her normal bedtime.
    
    Mary
    

    Sounds like it could be neuro problem (or a primary blindless problem).
    Any history of trauma to the eye?  With the additional lethargy, it
    sounds like it could be a neuro problem (or coincidentally she's just
    more tired).
    
    Try doing a pupillary light response test on both eyes.  Shine a bright
    light into one eye & watch *both* eyes for the expected pupillary
    constriction.  There should be both direct response (meaning the eye you
    shone the light in should constrict) as well as consensual response
    (meaning the opposite eye should constrict as a result of light shone
    in the other eye).  Do this for both eyes.  It can help identify the
    source of the problem - Whether it's due to a problem from the optic
    chiasm forward (optic nerve or primary eye problem), or if it's a
    problem within the brain.  If you'd like to post the results or send me
    mail, I can let you know what they show.  I'm a second year vet student
    (with my last final tomorrow), and I've had neurology & have gone over
    the PLR pathways in a lot of detail so I can help give you some
    preliminary info that might help when you call your vet.  Either way,
    you should give your vet a call.
    
    Good luck,
    liz

    
    This is to unreal.  I was just about to put the same note in here. 
    Sheba has the same problem all of a sudden.  Her Left eye does not
    get as small as the Right eye when it is in the light.  When she is
    not in the light her eyes are the same size.
    
    But put her in the sun and the right eye gets so small you can 
    barley see it and the left eye is still large (but not as large
    as when she is in the dark)
    
    any ideas?
    
    Louisa

    Any indications of any head trauma in these cats?  A mild concussion
    will show up like that.  Have they been rough-housing?  I'd check wi th
    the vet.  Don't want to take chances with those precious eyes : )
    Sarah

    
    I dont think Sheba hit her head, but then again I'm not around her 24hr
    a day.  She is a lazy cat and likes to sleep in the bay window all day,
    but ya never know.  she has no bumps, but I'll check closer tonight.
    
    Louisa