Here’s the thing… it seems that my cat has gotten some eye condition or something so that his left eye’s [thingy in the inner corner of the eye] is swollen and covers up a quarter of the eye or so. Also, he holds the eye rather closed.
Now I saw it the first time today, although he has been holding the eye a bit closed for quite a long time (maybe even years). But not always, some of the time, he is completely normal. My sister said that he also had this condition a few years ago but it is not a constant problem - comes and goes.
I’m quite worried about this, does anyone know what this could be from?
I am planning on taking him to the vet but I’ve never done it before and it’s a very domesticated cat - he’s really really really scared of even going a few metres outside my door. I fear he would get a huge shock from going to the vet…
Our cat, Jane, had a similar thing, eventually resulting in a clogged tear duct. Turned out to be a sinus infection. Unfortunately, it is chronic, and Jane is too old for an operation. So he just has to live with it. We try to make him as comfortable as we can.
The cat has never left my apartment. We don’t really take pets to the vets in this country unless something is seriously wrong. We don’t register pets either (although maybe it might be required… I have no idea, but nobody does it :p)
He’s about 10 years old so I’m not really sure he can handle such a new experience due to age… but I guess I’ll have to do it…
Since the cat is strictly an indoor cat, it’s not like skipping the shots is wholesale neglect. I mean, don’t get me wrong - we get shots for our cats, of course - but it’s not the same as letting an un-vaccinated cat roam around the neighborhood.
Cats don’t like things out of the ordinary, but it’s better for the cat to endure some temporary discomfort than to let it live for years with a health problem.
Does your cat get the runny eye condition when he or she is run down or not eating properly? My kitty had feline chlamydia when she was a kitten. We were told it would never go away and she would need to be put down or have the disease for the rest of her life. After 2 weeks while we were trying to decide, it completely healed up. Once or twice in the past six years the conjunctivitis has come back when she stays away from home for a few days or doesn’t eat properly but otherwise she is happy and healthy.
I know what you mean by worrying they’ll get a huge shock, my cat majorly freaks out every time I have taken her, but if it sets your mind at ease then it’s worth it.