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My cat has pink, swollen, gooey eyes and is scratching. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered

My cats eyes are pink and swollen there is also weird goo coming from his eyes. He keeps scratching his eyes and they are very wet, the outside of his eyes are pink and he has a large pink ring on the outside of his eyes. What do I do??

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 4th, 2018

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Puma. His eyes do look very red and irritated. He will need to see his veterinarian as he likely has an eye infection and will require medication. If it is not an infection, it could be allergies even a scratch across the surface of the eye. His veterinarian will evaluate the eyes using an instrument known as an ophthalmoscope and may place a drop of dye in each as well. In the meantime, keep the eyes clear of any discharge. I hope this information helps!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on

    I am sorry to hear that Puma isn’t feeling well. It sounds like he may have conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can be caused by allergies, bacterial infection, or viral infections. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. He may need antibiotic eye medication and possibly even some steroids to help with the inflammation. In the meantime you can use a warm compress to soak the eyes which might help with comfort. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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    Answered By Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on July 25th, 2017

    Hershey is super cute! I'm sorry that his eyes are bothering him. Red, irritated skin around the eyes can be seen due to viral infections, allergies or mange. I would recommend that you have Hershey seen by your veterinarian to better determine what the underlying cause maybe. They may recommend doing a skin scraping or swabbing in or around the eyes to test for an infection. Please ensure that he is not rubbing or scratching at his eyes as this can result in an injury to the cornea.

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