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Cat's eye swollen shut on Sunday, vets closed. Is it an emergency?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 8 years and 8 months old | 15 lbs

My cats left eye is swollen shut more than any photos I can find on the Internet. I am worried it looks much more severe than anything else I’ve seen. It is Sunday and All vets are closed.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

Veterinarian

Published on December 31st, 2017

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Sabian! I am concerned about his eye and I suggest you take him to an open 24 hr Veterinary Emergency hospital. When it comes to eye issues it is best to have the pet seen sooner than later. Possible causes are: corneal ulcer, glaucoma, ruptured globe, severe conjunctivitis, tumor, or tooth root abscess. He needs to have the eye examined, stained for an ulcer and possibly the pressure measured with in the eye. He would nee a safe eye medication to be prescribed based on the cause of the swelling. I hope this helps and I wish Sabian a speedy recovery. Happy New Year!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 3rd, 2017

    It looks as though your cat has a severe conjunctivitis. This can be caused by allergies or a bacterial or viral infection. She may also have a corneal ulceration (a scratch on the outer surface of the eye). I would recommend getting her to the vet as soon as possible. In the meantime you can use a warm compress to clean the eye and keep the discharge out of it and try your best to prevent her from rubbing at the eye as well.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 31st, 2017

    This appears to be conjunctivitis (aka pink eye). Conjunctivitis can be caused by a few different infections, but is commonly caused by a virus that most cats harbor and comes out during times of stress. These infections can become complicated with bacterial infections though and cause more problems. If the eyes appear worse and/or have a lot of yellow/green discharge, then I would recommend taking them to the vet for an evaluation. They will be able to better inspect the eye and provide the most appropriate treatment. For now, you can flush the eye 3-4 times a day with saline (can get this at the pharmacy or supermarket in the eye care section) to help clean and soothe it. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates how to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lXVNMcPzhs I hope that helps and the kitties get better soon.

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