Common Causes of Watery Eyes in Cats

There are many causes of unusual discharge from the eyes - nearly every opthamological problem in cats causes the eyes to water, and without a physical examination it is impossible to be specific. Let's take a look at some of the common causes of watery eyes in cats.

Sudden onset or a temporary clear discharge from the eyes can be caused by injury (although this is unlikely if the discharge is from both eyes), allergic reaction or
an upper respiratory tract infection - just like when humans get watery eyes when suffering from a cold. If your cat has a respiratory infection he is likely to also develop a wet nose. Cats in which a clear watery discharge from the eye is the only symptom can be treated with a twice-daily saline eye drop (specifically for cats) to help cleanse the eye and tear ducts. If your cat suffers from a reaction to an environmental stimulus (for example an allergy) this treatment should offer mild relief.

If your cat has become lethargic, or there has been any change in his behavior or health, it is likely that the wateriness is an exterior sign of an underlying illness and you should seek a thorough veterinary examination as soon as possible.

In cases where there are no other symptoms, chronic eye watering can be due to a range of causes - including conjunctivitis, ulcer, cataract, glaucoma or distichia. In most cases, these conditions would result in only one eye being affected, and that eye would also exhibit cloudiness or redness of the eye.

The most likely cause of a watery eye in cats is conjunctivitis. The eye reddens because of the increased flow of blood and swelling of the mucous membranes is sometimes seen. The most common cause of conjunctivitis is herpes, a virus that is sometimes compounded by a secondary bacterial infection. There are several treatments for herpes - antivirals such as idoxuridine, trifluorothymidine, and vidarabine can be administered as eye drops. Rinsing your cats eye with a saline eye drop (specifically for cats) will also help.

An opacity in the lens of the eye is most commonly attributed to either a cataract or sclerosis of the eye. Sclerosis only occurs in cats in old-age, so any cloudiness in younger cats is normally the result of a cataract. However, a cataract can only be confirmed by a thorough veterinary examination, and your vet will design a treatment plan to not only cure the cataract but will address the underlying cause.

A cataract describes any opacity in the normally clear lens of the eye, and prevents light from reaching the retina at the back of the eye, sometimes eventually leading to blindness. Inherited conditions are the most common cause of cataracts and may be present at birth or develop when the animal is very young. They can also be caused by injury, or illness such as diabetes, in which case treatment of the underlying condition is essential - if your cat has diabetes failure to treat this will lead to further complications. Cataracts can be removed surgically by a veterinary ophthalmologist, who would replace the lens with a plastic or acrylic prosthetic lens to allow for more focused vision. Although usually highly successful, cataract surgery requires a lot of postoperative care.

It is also possible that your cat suffers from an inherited defect in which a malformation of the tear ducts blocks the normal flow of tears. This condition is actually called "Watery Eyes" and is often accompanied by stained fur around the eyes.

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Protect Your Feline With House Plants That Are Safe For Cats

By Heather Sneed

Finding house plants safe for cats is not always the easiest thing to do. However, responsible pet owners search through the listings of poisonous and not poisonous plants put out by the ASPCA for appropriate plants. Then they decorate their homes with the plants that are safe for their precious cats.

Sometimes, you get a cat after you have already decorated your home. In this case, you bring your brand new kitty home and you do not give a second thought to your house plants. You go about your daily life never even thinking that those plants could be poisonous to your new edition.

Then one day, you come home from what is usually an otherwise normal day at work to find your cat a little ill. You have no idea what is wrong. This scenario goes on for a few days before you take your precious kitty to the vet and find your feline has been nibbling on a house plant. This is when you find out that the English ivy that you have had for years is actually poisonous to your kitty cat. Lucky for you, your cat did not ingest enough to be fatal but did ingest enough to get ill.

You quickly rush home and check the ASPCA's website and throw out all the potentially harmful house plants before something serious happens to your cat. After all, you are a responsible pet owner and you love your cat. You do not want anything to happen like this again. So, out goes all dangerous house plants and in comes safe house plants.

Since cats like to nibble on lush greens, many cat owners like to plant cat friendly gardens in their homes. You can accomplish this by planting lush greens. A simple seven by seven container will work just fine. In the container, plant some barley and wheat. Some pet stores and online stores sell "cat grass" seeds or something similar. It should grow a few inches tall and attract the cat for grazing. Since the cat will want to nibble, make sure the container is stable enough to prevent tipping over and spilling.

Other popular plants safe for cats include the Christmas cactus, African violet, and
the spider plant. They are all easy to grow and safe around children and pets. They add beauty and color to any living space. Therefore, you can brighten up your home without worrying about endangering the lives of your loved ones.

If you want to brighten up the outdoors, you might want to try a Boston fern. These grow nice and large. Therefore, they are not recommended to bring indoors. However, they do make for a lovely patio plant and are safe around cats.

Cat Urine Cleaning - Every Cat Owner Has to Clean That Urine Sometime

Cat urine cleaning is a task that befalls every cat owner at some point. Most cats are pretty good about using their litter trays, but sometimes when a cat is unwell, or feeling upset they can have their little accidents.

It's not the soaking up the pool of urine that's the problem, use enough paper towels or absorbent cloth and it soaks up easy enough. It is best to get to it before the cat pee soaks in though!

The tricky part of cat urine cleaning is the stains and the dreadful lingering odor.

Most household cleaning products will not do a very good job of cleaning up cat urine, preventing stains and neutralizing the smell. The problem with these cleaners is that they are ammonia based.

As you may know, when a cat urinates in a spot, even accidentally, she is likely to use that spot again. Leave any hint of your cat's urine smell and she'll think it is
okay for a repeat performance. What does ammonia smell like? Yes, it smells very much like pee. Use an ammonia cleaner and again, your cat will think that spot must be the place for her toilet. Cleaning products that are scented are not much use, they may cover up the smell for you, but they won't for your cat.

There are many cat urine cleaning products available which are enzyme based. These specialized cleaners are more costly than ordinary cleaners of course, but they stand a far greater chance of getting the result that you want. These enzyme cleaners do not mask the urine odor they neutralize it. How well they work depends on the surface your cat peed on, how deep the urine has soaked in and how well you use the cleaner.

When cleaning your cat's little accident from a carpet remember it does not take long at all for the urine to soak through. If it has then you will also need to clean the under padding and possibly the floor beneath. If it is a fitted carpet that may mean pulling it up. However, there is a very good cat urine cleaning product that comes with an injector so you can tackle the underside without having to roll up your carpeting. As with all the urine cleaners, it may take more than one application.

If your wood floor is well sealed then cleaning up your cat's urine should not be too difficult, but you still need to use an enzyme product to do it properly. If there are cracks in your wood floor your cat's pee is sure to seep through them, so you have to get the cleaner down there too.

Cat's do not just have accident's on the floor, oh no. They will urinate on your upholstered furniture, your bed, your clothing, just about anywhere. Unfortunately, sometimes you just can't eliminate that awful whiff, and all you can do is dispose of the soiled item. But, tackling the job the with the right cleaner, in the right way, often means that you can save whatever it is your cat decided to bless.


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