A cat with red eye may be suffering from a number of health problems, including glaucoma, irritants, congenital defects, conjunctivitis (also known as pink eye), or hemorrhaging in or outside the eye.
Symptoms of Red Eye
Symptoms of red eye include redness and inflammation of one or both eyes, discharge, crusty appearance and watery eyes.
Red Eye Treatments
Using a homemade saline solution will cleanse the eyes and rinse away foreign particles while relieving irritation. Mix 1/4 tablespoon of salt to 1 cup of lukewarm water and wash the eye three to four times a day using a cotton ball.
More serious cases of redness that may be pink eye should be looked at by a veterinarian for a correct diagnosis. Your vet may prescribe antibiotics, eye drops or additional tests to determine a more serious underlying cause.
Giving Your Cat Eye Drops
When administering eye drops prescribed from your veterinarian, it is important to restrain the cat to prevent any scratching or biting. This is best accomplished by wrapping a towel around your cat and laying him on a table or in your lap. Put your arm across his body and use this hand to hold his head and open the eye with your thumb. With your other hand, administer the eye drops approximately 2 centimeters above the eye, making sure not to poke the eyeball. Apply the prescribed dosage of drops to the lower pouch of the eye.