All living things with eyes have the potential to have problems with their eyes. Cat's eyes are slightly unique when compared to other animal's eyes. Combined with the fact that they rely on their eyesight more than some other pets, it is very important to notice if your pet cat is having problems with those eyes.

You may be able to notice your cat having problems with it's eyes if they eyes water a lot or if they blink, squint, or try to scratch at their eye often.

They eyes of cats have and extra eyelid. This eyelid is very important and if you can see this second eyelid you can assume that your pet is having problems with that eye.

To examine your cat's eye yourself you will want to try and keep him or her calm and use a somewhat bright light to get a good look into the eye. Compare the eye in question to the other eye and see if there are differences in the color or size. You can do a simple vision test by covering one eye and moving your finger towards the other several times. This should illicit a blink if the eye is working properly. Be aware of cloudy or hazy eyes. If you have difficulty holding your cat or if he is frightened you can try getting a pillow case or a small blanket and wrap it firmly around him and pin it around his neck. Don't squeeze your cat too hard if he is trying to get away during your examination. This could make the situation worse.

If the eye is painful to the touch or especially sensitive to light you can stop there and take your friend to a veterinarian. With further examination you may be able to get some answers with a phone call to your vet depending on your veterinarians approach to phone calls. Take note of any discharge around the eye including the texture and color. If the eye looks cloudy it could be an inner eye problem. Pink eye has symptoms of redness in the eye and a sticky discharge of mucus.

There is also the possibility that your cat simply has a piece of something or a small object lodged in his eye. If you can see something you may be able to remove it yourself but take extreme caution in doing so. If you see something that has pierced the eye or eyelid or has caused severe agitation around it you should probably seek the help of a veterinarian. The last thing we want to do is make an injury worse by trying to fix it ourselves.

Cats can have eye problems just like we can. Do a short examination to see if you can locate the problem. If you are ever in doubt contact your veterinarian for assistance.