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Why is my cat's eye closed with cloudy discharge and tearing?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 10 months and 16 days old | 8 lbs

My cat is keepimg one eye closed most of the time, there is a little bit of cloudy discharge it gets teary too but its not red or inflamed, she still eats fine and plays fine. What could this be?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 2nd, 2018

This could be due to a scratch on the eye and/or an infection. The possible infection can be on the outside, or inside of the eye. There are also some eyelid disorders that can cause damage to the eye. Without seeing it, I can't narrow it down more than this. However, the cloudy discharge is concerning enough that it's best to take Shasta to a vet within the next 24 hours. Infections and other problems can quickly cause irreversible damage to the eye, so it's best to have it diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. 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=tDGzdUTUdNI I hope that helps and Shasta gets better soon.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on

    There are a number of reasons that a cat will keep an eye closed. Some of the most common reasons in a young cat include a scratch or ulcer in the eye or an infection or inflammation of the tissues around the eye (conjunctivitis). A scratch or ulcer generally causes the eye to be red, but your vet would need to do a special stain in the eye to make sure this is not a problem with Shasta. Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the tissues around the eye) can occur in just one or both eyes. We will see both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis problems in young cats. I am attaching a handout below that describes one cause of conjunctivitis in cats. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1327 I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Shasta to determine the cause of her eye problem and the best treatment for it. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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