My cat cataracts

by Anya

My one year old kitty has cataracts.
She eats non stop, and the vet in Sweden says that there is nothing wrong with her but..I'm really not sure.
Now today she is squinting her eye, and it looks different slightly.
I checked her eye and it looks like her eye underneath has some blood vessels bursting.
I have not been to the vet recently..
Six months ago.
I can't keep running to the vet every other day with the cat and her eyes.
How do I know when to take her and when not to?
She squints every few weeks!
I've seen her eyes have been getting more cloudy.
Can you offer some advice?
Thanks.

RESPONSE:

I don't really have advice but I can give you an overview of some possibilities. You say that your one year old kitty has cataracts. It’s rare for a kitty to have cataracts… so did the vet tell you that your kitty had them? You say the vet in Sweden says there is nothing wrong with her. Does he disagree that she has cataracts? Plus, you said that you haven’t seen the vet for six months but you say you can’t keep running to the vet every other day. It sounds like you are a little emotional and worried about your kitty and things can get stressful. It is perfectly normal to be very worried when you care about your pet.

Remember that the good news is that she eats non-stop. Typically cats go off their food when there is a serious medical problem. However, what you are describing sounds more like uveitis because with uveitis she would squint because it’s painful, eyes might water and new blood vessels may be growing across the cornea. Blood may leak into the front area of the eye. Uveitis is the most common cause of cataract development in a cat and it often indicates the existence of a systemic disease such as feline leukemia virus , feline infectious peritonitis, feline immunodeficiency virus , or toxoplasmosis. Other causes can be parasites, fungi, bacteria, and idiopathic (meaning the cause is unknown).

If any of these exist they have to be treated. Corticosteroids reduce some inflammation but they are used cautiously to prevent making an underlying illness worse. Eye drops such as atropine may be used to dilate the pupil and relieve some pain but treatments have to be given under veterinary instructions. Antibiotics may be given as well to help battle infections. Clindamycin is frequently used, as well as azithromycin to treat toxoplasmosis.

According to Thomas Kern, DVM, associate professor of ophthalmology at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, some feline cataracts develop as the result of an animal’s inability to metabolize proteins and other body chemicals, or they may in rare cases be a byproduct of such conditions as diabetes or hypertension.

You mention that your cat’s eyes are getting more cloudy and a cloudy area in the lens of the eye can be caused by the escape of lens protein into the eye fluid. There are so many variables, so many possibilities, that I suggest you take your kitty to your vet. Have the vet check for systemic diseases, have the vet verify that your kitty has cataracts, if your cat has uveitis or another inflammatory infection then have your vet prescribe the medication needed to cure or control your cat’s eye problem. This will probably only be one visit to your vet, perhaps with telephone follow-ups.

I hope that you take your cat to the vet soon so you can both relax and enjoy the bond you are forming. Here is the link to give you an overview of cat cataracts. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help to you. Please let me know how you resolve this.