Causes of a Red Swollen Cat Eye

by Jean Bishop
(Battersea, UK)

Rosie is a 7 yr old moggie. She does not go out at all because she is too nervous. I noticed that her eye was sore and closed yesterday. Although I have had her for nearly 6 years, she won't let me touch her. I cannot pick her up either. She is a rescue cat from Battersea.

I was wondering if you could give me some advice please.

Thank you.

Jean Bishop (mrs)

Vet Suggestion for Helping a Cat with a Swollen Eye

Hello Mrs. Bishop,

Rosie is very lucky to have you looking out for her! Eye problems are fairly common in cats, even if they don’t go outdoors. She may have a wound (e.g., a scratch or ulcer) on the surface of her eye or an infection (e.g., herpes virus, calicivirus, or chlamydiosis). Unfortunately, some of these conditions can get worse rather quickly without appropriate treatment and may eventually threaten your cat’s eyesight.

It sounds as if your best option for getting your cat the veterinary care she needs is to make an appointment with a veterinarian who makes house calls. Confine your cat to a small room with few hiding places before the appointment (beforehand, practice luring her in with a yummy treat like a small amount of tuna or canned cat food). The veterinarian can then sedate your cat, perform an ophthalmologic and physical exam, and come up with a treatment plan that takes into account her nervous nature.

Good luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM