What are Cat Eye Boogers and are They Normal?

Source: © Shutterstock

If you’re a cat owner, you’re undoubtedly familiar with what many people call eye boogers. It’s the stuff that comes out of a cat’s eyes, not unlike the same gunk that you get in your own eyes after you sleep through the night. Many people worry that this isn’t necessarily normal for cats and that it might actually signal a bigger problem. If you’re wondering the same thing, it’s important to know that it can be completely normal or it could be a sign that your cat is ill. In fact, the presence of this gunk in the eyes is something that happens to all cats at one time or another. Therefore, you have to look at other factors, such as the appearance of the eye boogers themselves and how frequently they are occurring in order to determine whether or not a trip to the veterinarian is in order.

Generally speaking, it’s not uncommon for cats to get this kind of gunk near their eyes after they sleep or if they’re in an environment where there are a lot of impurities in the air. Think about leaving your cat outdoors on an extremely windy day where there’s a lot of dust blowing. In this particular case, the eye boogers are nothing more than your cat’s way of eliminating all of that dust and debris from its eyes. By the same token, if you notice a moderate amount of gunk in their eyes after they’ve slept for a long time, it’s basically the same thing. It’s the way that their body keeps their eyes free from debris, largely while they’re sleeping.

If you notice that the gunk changes colors or that there’s an excessive amount, that’s when it’s time to get concerned. If you noticed that the eye boogers have become so bad that the cat’s eyes are practically glued shut with the stuff, it might mean that they have an upper respiratory infection or an infection of the eye itself. Similarly, you might notice that the gunk is either green or yellow in color, signifying that an infection is present. If you notice this, it’s important to look and see if you can find any physical damage to the eye by merely looking at it. Regardless of whether you find damage or not, it’s a good idea to go ahead and make an appointment with your veterinarian and have your cat seen as soon as possible.

Even if you don’t notice any physical damage to the eye, you still need to have your cat seen right away because you might be dealing with some type of other infection. Cats can get the aforementioned upper respiratory infections and they can also get severe allergies, both of which can cause these types of eye boogers to form. Either way, your cat is probably miserable so it’s also important to look for additional signs that all is not well. For example, your cat might be displaying signs of lethargy, a lack of appetite, and a desire to be left alone without being touched. In other words, if you’re seeing an increase in eye boogers and your cat is acting differently than it normally acts, it’s really better to go ahead and take action right away as opposed to waiting and hoping the situation resolves itself.

Cats are extremely resilient but there are those rare instances where they can get some type of infection that can be controlled with immediate veterinary care, yet might be fatal in just a few days without it. It really isn’t worth risking. Many cat owners have waited just a few days to see if things would improve, only to lose their cat in the end because they didn’t act fast enough. Obviously, no cat owner wants to fall into this category so it’s important that you take action as quickly as possible.

Like most things, you have to look at the big picture. It’s a lot easier to make an accurate decision about your cat’s overall health if you don’t single out one thing and fail to look at anything else that’s going on. Excessive eye boogers can mean that there is a problem but you have to look at everything in order to make that decision. That way, you can make more rapid choices when it comes to caring for your cat properly and you can do it with confidence.

When it’s all said and done, you should never hesitate to take your cat to the veterinarian if you have any doubts whatsoever about its health. Even if you don’t really think it’s anything to worry about but you’re not quite sure, it’s always better to go ahead and make sure that everything is okay. Hopefully, this information will give you a good foundation to make those accurate decisions when it comes to determining if eye boogers are normal or if you need to take action right away.