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My cat's eyelid is swollen and red. Should I compress or call vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Male | neutered | 11 years and 8 months old | 12 lbs

All of a sudden this morning, I noticed my cats eyelid is swollen. There doesn’t really seem to be any discharge but the eyelid is definitely swollen and red. Should I apply warm compress and see if it subsides? Or call the vet right away?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Tomasz Wnuk

Veterinarian

Published on May 20th, 2021

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Swollen, red eye is likely to be caused by blunt trauma or cat scratch. It also could be a sign of eye infection or ocular foreign body. Putting a cold compress on the eye will definitely not cause any harm but it would be better if Smiffy is fully assess by your local vets. Please, get in touch with your vets and get him checked over today if possible.

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Other Answers

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    As suggested during consultation, this problem may be related to a traumatic or chemical injury and should be checked immediately by your local veterinarian to make sure no corneal injuries are present.

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