# Kittens with goopy eyes... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 4, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kittens-with-goopy-eyes/398712 "2007-04-04T14:52:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kittens-with-goopy-eyes/398712/1 "2007-04-04T14:52:33Z")
Paging **Vetbridge** … We have in the VunderLair a litter of kittens we’re fostering for the local shelter. They’re about 12 days old. One had it’s eyes gunked shut, and the wife got them opened by rubbing them with a wet cotton ball until the gunk let go. There was no pus, FWIW. I’ve seen this once before, and I understand it’s common. I’m not cat savvy, so this is a little beyond my experience. Does the kitten or the whole litter require antibiotics? Are we treating this properly? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kittens-with-goopy-eyes/398712/2 "2007-04-04T15:07:38Z")
I’m not a vet – but it sounds like conjunctivitis, which is common – and needs drops from the vet. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kittens-with-goopy-eyes/398712/3 "2007-04-04T19:39:46Z")
IANAV, either, but I raised lots o’ kitties. Conjunctivitis is also rather contageous - wash your hands well before dealing with other cats. Our HS used to treat with both antibiotics and eye-drops, and warm water wipes to clear the eyes. Yes, it should be treated. And yes, every foster litter I ever raised had it! ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kittens-with-goopy-eyes/398712/4 "2007-04-06T00:43:11Z")
yep. the dive master’s little ‘ocelot’ kitten had it or something quite similar. the vet said it was an upper respiratory infection and is evidently now very common among kittens. diligent hand-cleaning between pets was stressed. antibotics are the plan of the day too, and i can’t agree more with **fechund** : wash your hands. wash your hands. wash your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kittens-with-goopy-eyes/398712/5 "2007-04-06T01:23:04Z")
There are several feline upper respiratory viruses, one is actually a rickettsia (Chlamydia), some are more serious than others. All would benefit from oral and eye antibiotics to help prevent secondary infections. Get the whole litter looked at, even if the others aren’t showing signs the sooner you get something to treat them with, the better. _points to her one-eyed cat_ Pi lost his eye as a kitten due to severe URI and infection in that eye. It was too late to save his eye when I got him and he’s one of the best cats ever but I still feel bad that he had to lose the eye. Had he been brought to us several days sooner he could have had two eyes. The sooner they get treated, the better.