Cause of why a cat is squinting
a cat is squinting when he is comfortably relaxed and sleeping. But sometimes you may notice that your cat is behaving differently than usual. Your cat squints his eyes in a somewhat forced way. You can often see a wrinkle forming on his forehead, it looks so forced. In this case, he is feeling sick or nauseous. If a cat closes only one eye, there is something wrong with that eye. Often there is an eye infection or corneal damage. When your cat is feeling sick, he will likely close both eyes. In any case, check both eyes for abnormalities. The color should be normal, the position of the pupils should be normal, and there should be no redness in the eye. You also should not see any eye discharge.
Is he sick or is he nauseous?
Is your cat drooling and sitting upright in a hunched position with his eyes closed? Then he is most likely nauseous. But if he is not drooling, it is difficult to determine what is going on. You can take his temperature to see if he has a fever. A cat’s normal temperature should be below 39.5°C (102.5°F). A cat is squinting and has a temperature above 39.5°C (102.5°F)? He has a fever and that will be the reason he is not feeling well.
Does he not have a fever? Then he is probably nauseous (or has a stomach ache). Offer him something to eat that he normally loves. For many cats, for example, they cannot resist cheese or a slice of deli meat. No, it’s not healthy. But for once it won’t hurt. And the way he eats it (or doesn’t eat it) will probably tell you whether he is nauseous or not. If he is nauseous, you can give him Royal Canin intestinal. This is easily digestible and therefore less taxing on the stomach.
Cat pulls his third eyelid over his eyes
When a cat is squinting his third eyelid over both eyes, the same applies as when he keeps his eyes closed. He doesn’t feel fit. If he has the third eyelid in front of only one eye, there is something wrong with that eye. In these cases, you should follow the same advice as with closed eyelids.
Do you need to go to the vet with a cat who is squinting?
If your cat is squinting his eyes for the first time today and does not seem fit, you do not need to rush to a vet right away. In the case of nausea, it is often resolved the next day. If your cat has a fever, you also do not need to go to the vet right away. It usually goes away on its own after 2-3 days.
You only need to take your cat to a veterinarian when he is a senior cat. That means he is older than about 10 years old and is squinting his eyes. With older cats, the chance of a serious cause is bigger. Also, if your cat is squinting and looks very sick, it is better to go to your veterinarian. When in doubt, it’s best to go anyway. For small kittens, it’s also better to go to your veterinarian. If it’s a young adult cat who has just gotten a little sick and doesn’t look very sick, you can wait a bit longer. Keep in mind the weekend, though. If he gets sick on a Friday, it will save you a lot of money if you go that day instead of going to your veterinarian in the weekend.
A sick or nauseous cat needs to get food
It’s important for cats to eat. So also for a cat that is squinting. It doesn’t have to be a full meal, but at least a third of their normal amount is important. Otherwise, their liver may become so damaged that your cat will die. If he doesn’t eat the food himself, try tempting him with warmed cat food or a piece of chicken fillet. You can also buy syringes filled with a recovery food. This contains a lot of calories and nutrients and is made very tasty so that even sick cats want to eat it (most of the time). You can use the syringe to feed him. That way he has to eat it, even if he doesn’t want to.
Other reasons why a cat is squinting his eyes
When a cat is not sick, he will also squint his eyes when he is just sleeping. But awake cats also squint their eyes regularly. If your cat is awake, he can also relax with his eyes closed. The difference is that he has a relaxed body posture, as opposed to when he doesn’t feel well. In the case of very bright light, a cat can also squint his eyes. His behavior will then be completely normal, however. In addition, a cat may temporarily squints his eyes while looking at someone. This is a way for your cat to let you, or the person he is looking at, know that he trusts you. Try blinking back at your cat in a very calm manner. You’ll see that he’ll probably close his eyes again for you.
