First Aid for Eye Injuries in Cats
If your cat experiences an eye injury, you should take her to the veterinarian right away.
Below are some common eye conditions and injuries that happen to cats and the first aid you may wish to perform on your way to the veterinarian.
Something Foreign in the Cat's Eye
If you can see something in your cat's eye, wrap your kitty in a towel and wash the eye out with saline.
Note: Be sure not to use contact lens cleaning solution, which contains other chemicals.
Note: Don't flush the eye if it appears that the eyeball is perforated. Instead, cover the eye with a paper cup and tape it in place. Get to the veterinarian right away.
Even if you are able to flush the foreign object out, your cat's eye should be examined by a veterinarian right away to ensure no damage was done to the eye and that there isn't further debris in the eye under the eyelids where you can't immediately see it.
Anytime your cat's eye doesn't look right, she should be examined by a veterinarian.
Cat Eyelid Laceration
If your cat's eyelid is cut and it is bleeding, you can wrap your kitty in a towel and apply gentle pressure to the cut with clean gauze.
If necessary, you can tape clean gauze over your kitty's closed eye until you can get to the veterinarian.
Prolapse of the Eyeball
Though it is more common in dogs than cats, it is possible for a cat's eye to pop out of its socket. It is almost always the result of trauma such as an attack by a dog or being hit by a car.
Your cat needs emergency veterinary care if her eye has prolapsed from its socket. You can place a paper cup over the eye and tape it there to give it some protection while you travel to the clinic.
Other Eye Conditions
If your cat's eye appears red, swollen, irritated, or your cat is pawing at it, schedule a visit with your veterinarian as soon as possible. If you have an Elizabethan collar for your cat, put it on so she can't traumatize her eye in the meantime.
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