Why Does My Cat Have Eye Boogers?
Are you a new cat parent? Are you worried about your cat eyes that get boggers every day? If yes, you are in the right place. Here in this article, we will discuss the various reasons why cats have eye boggers and when to take them to a vet for medical assistance.
In every case, cat eye discharge — whether watery eyes or eye boggers — is not something serious that may give you sleepless nights thinking about your cat’s health. But in some cases, it may result due to a disease or underlying conditions.
In such cases, you may consider seeking assistance at the doorsteps of a vet to get professional help to combat any underlying ailments in your cat. So, here is a guide to help you understand about eye boggers in cats.
What are eye boogers?
Eye booger is nothing but a sticky discharge that may get deposited around the eyes of your cats. It usually forms a clump of thick mucus-like substance that sticks near the cat’s eyes, which may differ based on the consistency, color, and severity.
The eyes flush away the secretions of the rheum each time your cat blinks during the day. Since the eyes discharge this mucus in a small quantity, you may notice it in the morning. However, when your cat doesn’t blink its eyes at night, the mucus can build up in the tear ducts.
Why your cat’s eyes let out a thick discharge?
Eye gunk and discharge are something usual that you may come across while you have furballs at home. But the catch lies in identifying if the reason for the eye discharge is something serious to worry about or not. So, here are the reasons why your cat has eye boogers.
Allergy
If your cat is sensitive to airborne allergens, such as smoke, dust, and suffers from seasonal allergy, there are high chances that it can make your cat’s eye discharge mucus. The allergen is present in your cat’s eyes can pacify the irritation, which builds up eye boogers in no time.
However, allergic rhinitis can also be a cause of irritation in the eyes. You may even notice frequent sneezing, itching, and runny nose along with the discharge. In such cases, you need to visit the vet.
Upper respiratory infections
Calicivirus, a virus that affects the upper respiratory tract of felines, can result in sneezing and labored breathing, which can further cause an eye discharge or eye boogers. The discharged mucus is usually yellowish or greenish and appears in both the eyes of your cats.
Foreign objects
Sometimes you may also witness an eye discharge owing to some foreign objects that may have accidentally hit the eyes of your cats. If a small piece of dirt or debris enters the eyes of your cat, it makes the eyes to produce more mucus, which can result in eye boogers.
Pink eyes
Pink eyes, also known as conjunctivitis, can be one reason your cats develop a thick mucus around their eyes. Not only does there deposits a thick mucus, but also their eyes tend to swell up and look red in case of conjunctivitis. It is usually due to viral or bacterial infection, which gives rise to squinting. It can also cause discomfort to your furballs, which may make them rub their eyes with their paws frequently.
Eye crust
Just like we humans wake up to find eye crust deposited towards the side of our eyes, cats can also experience the same when they wake up. Eye crust causes a crusty discharge, brown in color, to be deposited near the eyes of your cats. And this is way too normal, and there is nothing to worry about in such a case as it is just a debris deposit that you can easily clean with a damp cloth.
Injury
An eye injury can also cause your cat’s eyes to discharge some gunk. A wound, an accidental scratch can cause an injury and result in eye discharge. The color and thickness may vary depending on the injury, which may further result in squinting, swelling & in some cases, even bleeding can show up as a result depending on the intensity of the injury. But in such cases, only the eye that has been bruised secretes a discharge and not both the eyes.
Corneal disorder
The cornea of the cat’s eye can be affected by injuries and ulcers, making the affected area hazy and cloudy. Furthermore, it results in inflammation, irritation, blinking excessively, and causes mucus to develop, leading to eye boogers.
Cat Breed
Some cat breeds like Persians, Himalayans, and many more have a short nose and large, round eyes. As a result, the fur around the nose may irritate their eyes. Hence, due to their face shapes, such cat breeds are more prone to eye boogers.
Different color of eye discharges in cats
Here are a few different colors of eye discharge that you may witness in your cats:
Green
Viral or bacterial conjunctivitis
Difficulty in opening eyes, excess blinking, redness, squinting, cloudiness in the corneal area
Brown
Hair that touches the eye causing excessive tears, eyelid abnormality
Excessive tears, eye irritation
Yellow
Infection or pus or recurrent conjunctivitis
Squinting, pain
White
Infection, dust accumulation, hairs that touch the eyes
Eyelid abnormality, irritation
Treatment for cat eye boogers / dishcharge
Cleaning the eye area is one of the basic steps you can take to ease your kitty’s discomfort. Moreover, the following are a few treatments that you can consider giving to your cat:
- Antibiotics
- Pain medication
- Removal of any object that ails
- Surgery
- Saline washes
- Antihistamines
Should you clean the secretion from the eyes of your cats?
Yes, the mucus that happens to accumulate near the eyes of your felines should be cleaned using a soft and moist cloth or Arava Pet Eye Wipes. These wipes are free of chemicals and bleach and enriched with eye-sensitive natural ingredients that soothe your pet’s eyes and are good for their skin.
You can also use cotton balls for the same, but make sure you do not vigorously rub it and consider gently wiping it out. If a large amount of mucus has accumulated, you may be required to soak it first so that it becomes a bit soft to be removed easily. Also, do not become a doctor yourself and use an eye drop until the vet prescribes the same.
When to see a vet in case of eye discharge?
Usually, the eye discharges in cats tend to subside on their own, but there may be cases when you may feel the need to take them to a doctor. So here are a few instances when you should consider taking them to a vet:
- When the eye discharge continues to show up for too many days
- When the amount of discharge increases with each passing day.
- If the consistency and the color of the eye discharge change every day.
- If your cats blink continuously, rubbing their eyes with their paws owing to the eye discharge.
- If your cat’s eye swells up and your kitty faces difficulty in opening its eyes properly.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide has helped you understand the reasons for cat eye boogers showing up in their cats. So, are you someone who has witnessed cat eye boogers? Do let us know how you handle it and your experiences that you have had while handling cat eye discharge.
All the Best!
Originally published at https://purrpetrators.com on January 10, 2021.
