As Maine Coon owners, we diligently brush and groom our kitties alongside regular nail trimming and paw care. But you know what often gets ignored? The eyes. Problems with them can often go undetected, leading to infections, aggravated illnesses, and an overall decline in health.
Taking care of your Maine Coon’s eyes is easy and quick, but you need to be regular with it and have some knowledge about the early signs of medical issues.
This post discusses how to take care of your cat’s eyes, along with general information about eye conditions, and how problems can be prevented.
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Maine Coons and Common Eye Problems
Part of your cat’s eye care includes educating yourself about common eye conditions that affect felines, so you can get them treated in time.
Fortunately, Maine Coons aren’t prone to any eye conditions in particular, but they can still suffer from common infections and diseases that come with age, and/or an unhealthy lifestyle.
1. Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is one of the most common eye infections in cats. It’s what we call ‘pink eye’, caused either by a virus or a bacteria. It makes the eye inflamed, causing redness, swelling, discharge, and a considerable amount of pain.
If your cat goes outdoors, it can become more susceptible to this infection. Pink eye in cats can also happen as a result of airborne allergens like pollen, mold, or smoke. It’s easily treatable with medications, though.
2. Corneal Ulcers
The cornea is the glistening top layer of the eye, and when that is scratched, the sore is called a corneal ulcer. It usually happens if your cat accidentally scratches itself or gets poked in the eye by a foreign object. It’s very painful and makes your cat blink excessively and squint. Discharge may also be present.
3. Glaucoma
Glaucoma – another common condition in older cats – is a degenerative disorder of the eye lens that can make your cat visually impaired or even blind. It increases the pressure within the fluids inside the eyes, so your cat can display symptoms like half-closed eyelids, a bloodshot look, and watery discharge.
Getting your cat on glaucoma medication as soon as possible is essential to save the eye from irreversible damage. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about preventing glaucoma, as it usually occurs due to old age, genetics, and tumors.
4. Entropion
This is a condition where a cat’s upper or lower eyelid folds inwards, causing the hair to rub against the cornea. It’s quite painful, and a cat with entropion will have red eyes that squint or blink constantly.
Although it’s not as common and is typically hereditary, entropion can be acquired due to an infection, keratitis (chronic inflammation of the eyes), and many more issues.
Treatment involves surgical intervention to prevent the eyelid from folding inwards along with medication for symptom relief.
5. Uveitis
Uveitis is an inflammation that occurs within the iris and the middle layer of the wall of the eyes. It’s caused by many factors, including various infections, diabetes, eye tumors, fungus, etc. Your cat’s eye may look very red with uveitis and might water constantly, causing immense pain.
Felines with uveitis usually recover well with medications, but getting help in time is essential to prevent irreversible damage and blindness.
Eye Symptoms to Look Out For in Cats
Observing your cat frequently and examining its eyes can help detect eye problems in time. Here are the symptoms you should look out for:
- Redness
- Swelling around the eyes
- Dark brown, green, or yellow discharge
- Excessive tearing or watery eyes
- Squinting
- Milky or cloudy lens
- Repeatedly rubbing the eyes
- Hiding in dark corners and not being active
If you notice one or more of these symptoms, take your cat to an experienced vet as soon as possible. It could mean anything from an easy-to-treat infection to something serious like glaucoma or ulcers.
How to Take Care of Your Maine Coon’s Eyes
Eye care for cats doesn’t just involve checking the eyes, though. You need to clean them out regularly, especially if your Maine Coon has discharge, and take plenty of preventive measures.
Cleaning the Eyes
Although eye discharge isn’t as common in Maine Coons as in other breeds like Persians, it can still occur from time to time.
This discharge is usually clear or slightly brown or gray, and can sometimes become crusty and pile up around the corners of the eyes. It’s kind of like the eye boogers we get in the morning. This discharge isn’t anything to worry about unless it’s accompanied by symptoms like squinting, redness, or swelling.
To clean discharge from the eyes, you’ll need:
- Sterilized water
- A clean piece of cloth or cotton pads
- Treats
Start by washing your hands with soap and water to get rid of any germs, or you might infect your cat’s eye. Next, make the cloth or cotton pad damp with some sterilized water.
Stabilize your Maine Coon by holding it in your arms like you would a baby, or ask someone else to hold it for you. Make sure it’s relaxed, so you don’t accidentally poke the eye.
Now wipe the corner of the eye where the gunk and stains are, moving downwards towards the nose. Use a firm hand to really get the stubborn stains, but don’t apply too much pressure.
Don’t forget to get the outer corners of the eyes, wiping down or outwards but not towards the eye.
Before moving on to the other eye, use a different cotton pad or cloth to prevent bacteria transfer. Make sure you don’t push the boogers inside the eyes. This video shows how:
When you’re done, go ahead and offer treats to your Maine Coon, so it can learn to associate eye cleaning with it and get used to the routine.
Depending on how often your cat’s eyes discharge or form crusts, you’ll have to clean them a few times every week. Otherwise, you’ll be giving way to infections. Regular cleaning also gives you a chance to inspect the eyes and stay on the lookout for any signs of eye conditions.
Removing Stubborn Crusts
Sometimes, a simple wipe across the eye doesn’t get rid of stubborn crusts. They can form if you don’t clean out discharge or boogers in time, which dries them up into crusts. In this case, you should apply a warm compress to soak them first. Never rub vigorously – you could end up damaging your cat’s eye.
Start by dipping a cotton pad in lukewarm sterilized water, squeeze out the excess, and place it on the crusts. Keep it at the spot for about 10 seconds, so the debris can loosen up.
Now wipe across, making sure you don’t get anything inside the eye. Repeat if necessary. Your cat may not like getting its eye wet and covered by the cotton pad, so be prepared for a struggle.
Soothing Irritated Eyes
Your cat’s eyes may discharge as a result of allergies to dust or pollen. Even fragrances can make them water and form boogers around it. If the eyes seem irritated due to this, you might want to use a vet-recommended eye rinse instead of water when cleaning out the eyes.
The eye rinse won’t only help clean gunk, but also soothe the eyes and relieve symptoms of allergies. Some of these eye rinses are available over the counter, but make sure you buy a brand that your vet approves of.
Preventing Eye Problems in Maine Coons
While medication and hygiene are necessary, preventing the problem from happening in the first place can put a stop to recurring infections and irritation. Taking a more holistic approach can definitely help you get to the root of the problem.
1. Allergies and Irritation
Maine Coons, like any other cats, can develop allergies. Their eyes can start watering or release discharge as a reaction to airborne allergens, which include pollen, mold, smoke, and dust.
To minimize their eye irritation, you should ensure you have a HEPA filter in your HVAC, which has been proven to remove small allergens from the air. If not, use a portable air purifier in rooms where your cat spends the majority of its time.
Cat eyes can also become irritated due to dry air, making eyes itchy and even red. If that’s your climate for a good part of the year, consider investing in a humidifier, especially for winter months – it can make a huge difference for cats.
Using harsh surface cleaners or air fresheners can also affect their eyes, so try avoiding them or keeping your cat confined in one room when you use them.
2. Good Diet
Apart from this, your Maine Coon should consume all the nutrients necessary for good eye health. These include vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, and various antioxidants that support good vision and keep the eye generally healthy.
To ensure this, use cat foods that are labeled as ‘complete and balanced’ and are recommended by your vet. If your cat is prone to eye issues, your vet may recommend an eye supplement that you can feed your cat along with its regular food.
Note that you shouldn’t use just any supplement available in pet stores – some of them can cause more harm than good.
3. Vaccines and the Outdoors
This probably goes without saying, but you should ensure your cat is up to date with all its vaccine shots. It’s always better to start young with vaccines, but if you’ve just adopted an adult Maine Coon, you should visit the vet for vaccination. This is especially important for indoor-outdoor cats.
Speaking about the outdoors, you might want to restrict your cat from roaming outside. You never know where they go and what mess they get into, exposing their eyes to countless germs. Indoor cats are always less prone to viral and bacterial infections.
4. Nails and Paws
Another important part of preventing trauma and infection spread is keeping your Maine Coon’s nails short. Otherwise, they can accidentally scratch their eyes when trying to itch or clean them.
If you live in a multi-cat household, make sure all your cats have short nails, so in case one of them gets aggressive towards the other, their nails don’t do much damage.
Keeping their paws clean also helps prevent debris from entering the eyes and spreading infections, so wiping and trimming paw hair is important.
Final Thoughts
The takeaway? Preventive measures go a long way when it comes to feline eye infections. It’s all about maintaining hygiene around the eyes, ensuring your cat gets a balanced diet, and limiting your cat’s access to allergens that might cause or aggravate eye conditions.
Also, remember to seek medical help when necessary – sometimes eye conditions appear unexpectedly, and early intervention can help save your cat from eye pain and damage.
