My Cat Is Squinting: What Should I Do and Could It Be Serious?

By Dr Duncan Houston

A cat holding one eye partly closed can look as though they are simply sleepy. Persistent squinting, especially when one eye looks different from the other, often means irritation or pain.

The difficulty is that a minor irritant and a potentially serious eye problem can look similar at home. Your cat may need treatment even if they are still eating, purring and moving around normally.

Quick Answer

New, persistent or recurring squinting needs a same-day veterinary examination. Seek emergency care immediately for severe pain, sudden cloudiness or vision changes, significant trauma, a protruding eye or chemical exposure. Plain sterile saline eyewash can help rinse away loose surface debris, but owners should not touch the eyeball, remove embedded objects or use unprescribed eye medication. An online vet can help assess urgency, but a painful eye usually needs an examination in person.

Is My Cat Squinting or Just Sleepy?

A relaxed slow blink followed by normal, comfortable opening of both eyes is different from repeatedly squeezing an eye shut.

Watch for excessive blinking, watering, rubbing at the face, avoiding light or a change in behaviour. Some cats become quieter or hide when their eye hurts. An eye does not need to look dramatically red for something to be wrong.

Observe your cat without pulling the eyelids apart. Repeatedly keeping an eye partly or completely closed is a reason to call your vet.

How Urgent Is a Squinting Eye?

What you notice	What it could mean	What to do
A brief, relaxed blink, with both eyes opening normally afterwards	Normal behaviour may explain it	Observe. Recurring squinting, discharge or discomfort changes the advice.
Persistent squinting, watering, redness or discharge	Surface irritation, conjunctivitis, an ulcer or another painful condition	Arrange an examination today.
Severe pain, sudden cloudiness, an enlarged-looking eye, unequal pupils with discomfort or apparent loss of vision	A potentially sight-threatening problem	Contact an emergency vet and go immediately.
A chemical splash, an object embedded in the eye, major trauma or an eye displaced from its socket	An eye emergency	Get emergency help now. Chemical exposure needs immediate flushing; penetrating injuries need minimal handling.

These categories guide urgency rather than identify the diagnosis. If you are unsure which category applies, describe the signs to a veterinary clinic now.

What Could Make a Cat Squint?

A scratch or corneal ulcer

The cornea is the clear surface at the front of the eye. Damage to this surface can be very painful, even when the injury is too small for an owner to see.

Claw injuries, plant material, rubbing, chemicals and feline herpesvirus can all be involved. Signs include watering, squinting, rubbing and sensitivity to light.

Some ulcers become deeper and threaten the integrity of the eye. That is why an apparently small scratch deserves prompt assessment.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis means inflammation of the tissue lining the eyelids and covering the white part of the eye. It can cause redness, swelling and watery or thicker discharge.

In cats, infectious causes include feline herpesvirus and certain bacteria. Irritants can also cause inflammation. One or both eyes may be affected.

Discharge alone cannot tell you which treatment your cat needs. A vet must also check for problems such as an ulcer that can occur alongside conjunctivitis.

Something trapped in or rubbing against the eye

A loose particle may wash away, but material can also lodge beneath an eyelid or penetrate the cornea. Trying to pick it out risks making an injury worse.

A vet needs to determine how deeply an object is lodged before attempting removal.

An inward-rolling eyelid, called entropion, can also allow hair to rub repeatedly against the eye. Rinsing will not correct the underlying eyelid problem.

Inflammation inside the eye

Uveitis is inflammation within the eye. It can cause pain, redness, cloudiness and changes in pupil size.

Possible causes include trauma, infection and other diseases. Sometimes the eye problem is a clue that the cat needs a wider health assessment.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma involves increased pressure inside the eye and can damage vision. Affected cats may squint, become withdrawn or develop a cloudy-looking eye or enlarged pupil.

Acute glaucoma is an emergency. Eye pressure has to be measured with appropriate equipment; it cannot be judged reliably from a photograph.

When Is This an Emergency?

Go to an emergency veterinary clinic immediately if your cat has:

• Severe eye pain or an eye held tightly closed with marked distress.

• Sudden cloudiness, a visible change in eye shape or apparent loss of vision.

• Bleeding, significant facial trauma or an object stuck in the eye.

• An eye that has come out of its normal position.

• A chemical splash into the eye.

For a suspected puncture or embedded object, do not pull it out, press on the eye or attempt to investigate beneath the eyelids. The visible injury may extend deeper than it appears.

For chemical exposure, start the flushing described below while arranging urgent veterinary care.

Should I Rinse My Cat’s Eye With Sterile Saline?

Sometimes. Saline is first aid for suitable surface contamination, not a treatment for unexplained squinting.

If you know a small amount of loose dust or debris has reached the eye, gentle rinsing may help. It should only be attempted if your cat allows it and there is no obvious penetrating injury.

Use plain, sterile 0.9% sodium chloride eyewash suitable for use in eyes, preferably from a fresh single-use container. Do not substitute contact-lens cleaning or disinfecting solution, homemade salt water, tea or medicated “redness relief” drops. Veterinary ophthalmologists recommend sterile saline eyewash and caution against contact-lens solutions.

To rinse safely:

1. Wash your hands and keep handling gentle.

2. Let the fluid flow softly over the exposed eye surface.

3. Keep the nozzle away from the eyeball, eyelids and fur.

4. Avoid forceful jets, squeezing the eye or forcing the lids apart.

5. Stop if your cat struggles or appears more painful.

A suspected foreign body still warrants veterinary assessment, even if it seems to rinse out, because it may have scratched the cornea. Do not keep repeating rinses while postponing the examination.

What if a chemical has splashed into the eye?

Begin rinsing immediately with copious lukewarm clean water or sterile saline. Do not delay while looking for saline.

For a corrosive chemical exposure, aim to flush for at least 20 minutes, if this can be done safely, while someone contacts an emergency vet. Keep the flow gentle and direct runoff away from the other eye and mouth.

Do not add another chemical to “neutralise” the first one. Take the product packaging or a photograph of its label to the clinic.

If your cat will not allow safe flushing, contact the emergency clinic immediately for instructions and proceed to care. Do not spend prolonged time struggling to complete a rinse while delaying treatment.

When should I avoid home rinsing?

If there is a visible puncture, embedded object, abnormal eye shape or suspected rupture, avoid manipulating or routinely flushing the eye. Get emergency instructions immediately. Never try to push a displaced eye back into its socket.

Should I Touch My Cat’s Eye?

Do not touch, rub or wipe the eyeball itself.

Avoid using fingers, cotton buds, tissues or tweezers to investigate the eye. Do not scrape away a spot, pull back the third eyelid or press on a closed eyelid.

Cleaning the surrounding fur is different. If your cat is comfortable, you can gently soften and remove discharge from the fur using clean gauze moistened with warm water or sterile saline. Keep it away from the eye surface, use a fresh piece for each eye and stop if your cat resists.

Do not peel apart eyelids stuck together with discharge. Painful or heavily crusted eyes need veterinary assessment. When applying medication prescribed by your vet, the bottle tip should never touch the eye.

What Should I Do While Arranging the Appointment?

1. Call the clinic and describe the eye problem clearly. Mention when it started, whether one or both eyes are affected, and any injury, chemical exposure, cloudiness or vision change.

2. Keep your cat indoors and calm. A quiet room with comfortable, subdued lighting can make waiting and preparation easier.

3. Prevent rubbing if possible. A properly fitted Elizabethan collar can help, provided it can be fitted without pressing on the eye or causing a struggle. Do not delay leaving to find one.

4. Record useful information. A quick photograph or short video can show changes, but do not use a flash or force the eye open.

5. Transport your cat in a secure carrier. Take any current eye medications and details of previous eye disease.

If the eye becomes more painful or its appearance changes while you are waiting, contact the clinic again and ask whether to go straight to emergency care.

Should I Contact an Online Vet or Go Into a Clinic?

An online consultation can help you explain what has happened, discuss appropriate first aid and decide where to seek care. It can be particularly useful when you are unsure how urgently your cat needs attention.

However, the key tests for a painful eye need to happen in person. Depending on the findings, a vet may:

• Examine the cornea, eyelids and area beneath the lids.

• Apply fluorescein dye to look for a corneal defect.

• Measure eye pressure when it is safe to do so.

• Assess tear production or investigate an underlying illness.

A normal-looking photograph cannot exclude a small ulcer or abnormal eye pressure. For persistent squinting, use online advice to support timely care rather than waiting for a remote diagnosis. Emergency signs take priority over an online appointment.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting because your cat is still eating. Normal appetite does not establish that an eye is comfortable or undamaged.

• Using leftover eye medication. A previous prescription may be wrong for the current problem.

• Using steroid eye drops without a current veterinary assessment. Steroids can delay corneal healing and worsen an ulcer.

• Trying to numb the eye at home. Repeated use of topical anaesthetic drops can damage corneal tissue.

• Assuming a clearer-looking eye has healed. Follow the prescribed treatment and recheck schedule. Ulcers may need repeat staining to confirm healing.

Can I Reduce the Risk of Eye Problems?

Keep cleaning products and sprays away from your cat’s face, avoid exposing them to airborne dust and reduce opportunities for fights or contact with sharp objects.

If squinting keeps returning, ask your vet about an underlying eyelid problem, recurring corneal disease or feline herpesvirus. Repeated episodes need a plan based on the cause, rather than repeated home cleaning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an indoor cat get an eye injury?

Yes. Indoor cats can encounter dust, chemicals, sharp objects and scratches from another animal. Staying indoors does not rule out an ulcer or other painful eye condition.

Can I wait until morning if my cat is squinting?

Call an out-of-hours veterinary service for triage rather than deciding to wait. Severe pain, cloudiness, vision changes, significant injury or chemical exposure require immediate care.

What if the eye looks better after saline?

Improvement does not prove that the cornea is undamaged. If a foreign body was suspected, arrange a veterinary check even if it appears to have washed away. Persistent or returning squinting also needs examination.

Will my cat’s eye recover?

Many eye conditions respond well to appropriate treatment, but the outlook depends on the cause and extent of damage. Prompt assessment gives your vet the best opportunity to relieve pain and protect vision. Deep ulcers and severe internal eye disease can have lasting consequences.

A squinting eye deserves attention while the problem is still manageable. Keep handling gentle, avoid experimenting with drops and arrange an examination promptly.

If you are unsure how to describe your cat’s symptoms or what to do next, ASK A VET™ can help you understand the next step. A painful eye still needs timely in-person assessment, and emergency signs should take you straight to an emergency veterinary clinic.