Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My cat's inner eyelid is red, swollen, covering half. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

The white bottom of my cats eyes is inflamed and red and covering almost half my cats eyes. Is this something that goes away? Does it require medical attention?

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 26th, 2018

Poor Lucky! When the third eyelid of a cat is showing with their eyes open, this is a sign of a medical illness and it is something that requires medical attention. It's not something that will go away without treatment, so I would take him into the vet in the morning to diagnose the cause of this problem so it can be treated. I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Our cat's one eye seems to be having an issue; he tries to keep it partially closed. The white part in the front corner (close to the nose) seems to be showing sometimes on and off. But not all the time. The pictures do not show the white part; becau
The white part is Sully's third eyelid, and it normally only comes out when a cat's eye is closed. If it shows when the eye is open, it's a sign of a problem like an eye infection. Any eye infection would cause him to keep the eye partially closed as well because it's sensitive to light. Any eye problem is considered an emergency because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. Please take him into a vet now. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cats eyes have changed, the white from the corners seems to be larger and he looks unwell.
Hello and thank you for contacting Boop by Petco. The white tissue in the corner of the eyes is the third eye lid. It goes up like this when a cat is unwell. It is not a specific sign for one particular disease but it often means that a cat has fever, has breathing problems, has abdominal discomfort, muscle or joint pain. Please, take Lancelot to your local vets tomorrow for full clinical examination. Your vet may recommend a blood test or abdominal scan to find out what is going on. Good luck !
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello. A friend of mine reached out to me regarding her cat who got out of the house this morning. She returned home visibly roughed up and with something clearly wrong with her third eyelid. My friend said her neck was wet and clearly hurt. Vets are
Cats with really painful eyes (such as from a scratch to the cornea or something stuck in the eyelids) will elevate their third eyelids to help protect the eye. Though some types of neck injuries can damage a nerve to works in the face and can also cause this to happen. Since I am concerned that this beautiful kitty is in pain, I would recommend taking her to the emergency vet. After the examination, discuss financial constraints with the vet to determine what can be done to alleviate pain but still fit within the budget you have set. Many times we are able to come up with plans B and C to do what we can to help the pet!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cats have recently had conjunctivitis in their eyes (since Monday), but one of my cat's third eyes is showing. It's only one eye, the other is fine. Is this just a symptom of the conjunctivitis? I have been giving them Terramycin and antibiotics s
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Fox. Yes, a kitten's third eyelid can be elevated secondary to an infection. However, this can also be a sign of a more serious condition such as a corneal ulcer. I recommend he sees his veterinarian to have a dye test performed to ensure that he does not have a scratch across the surface of his eye. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, there's a male cat in my college who suddenly has an eye condition in which the inner skin seems to be growing out of his left eye. It's blocking it's vision and causing discomfort. Please advise what I can do to help..
It's difficult for me to understand what is happening here, but it makes me think of conjunctivitis as this could appear as swollen tissue that may make his eyelids appear to roll outward. I agree that there is nothing you can do personally and an ophthalmic exam is needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my cat's eyes seems weird. it won't open fully on the inside
Having the third eyelid up is often a sign of a systemic disease from a virus or infection, not an eye problem itself. This can also be caused by intestinal parasites. I recommend a veterinary exam and testing of his blood for feline leukemia and aids and a fecal test for intestinal parasites. They will also check him for anemia and make sure his organs are functioning properly. Once they find the reason then they can prescribe the correct treatment. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Mochi.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi when my cat looks to the side the corner of her eye is being covered with like an other eye lid but so is not opening her eye that much and it's like a layer of skin or something. What should I do?
What you are seeing is Zoe's third eyelid, which is a normal part of a cat's anatomy. What isn't normal, however, is it being out while her eye is open. Normally it comes out when her eye is closed, and if it's out while her eye is open, that signals a medical problem such as an eye infection. An eye infection would also keep her from opening her eye as normal. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would have Zoe seen by a vet as soon as possible to have her eye examined and treated.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cats eye is swollen
His eye does look swollen! He could have injured his eye or he could have an eye infection. The eye is such an important and delicate structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would take him into a vet immediately to diagnose what is causing his eye to be swollen so it can be treated.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My daughter is worried about her cat. When she arrived home from school today she noticed his right eye is barely open and he’s not as active or responsive as usual. Is there anything we can do to treat it? Could this be a symptom of a more serious h
Poor Sweets! He could have injured his eye, or could he have a severe eye infection. This is something that needs to be treated promptly by a vet, as leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would have your daughter take him into a vet now. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
My kitty has been having problems with his left eye. He has been blinking or shutting it completely. It’s red and I just noticed today there is small crusty stuff in the corner of it. He hasn’t been itching it though!
It sounds like he has a touch of conjunctivitis which is inflammation of the eyelids. I would go to the vet though as with any eye problem there is s risk of the cornea being damaged which can be quite serious. Either way the vet will be able to offer some treatment to help
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Supplies Cat Food Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Wet Cat Food Cat Ear & Eye Care Prescription Cat Allergy Medicine Cat Medicine Cat First Aid Heart & Blood Pressure Medicine for Cats Cat Laxatives PetAlive Cat Ear & Eye Care Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Solution Cat Medicine Latanoprost Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Latanoprost Cat Medicine Well & Good Cat Ear & Eye Care Pet Honesty Cat Ear & Eye Care Pet Parents Cat Ear & Eye Care Zymox Cat Ear & Eye Care Neo-Poly-Dex Cat Medicine Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Solution Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored