Accepted Answer

Hello there.

I'm sorry to hear about your boy - it's never fun to return home from a trip to find that one of your pets is ill!

I think your best bet would be to bring your boy to the vet for an exam. There's a few things that can cause clouding of the eye, and none of them can be cured at home, and most of these situations will only get worse as time progresses. And you don't want him to suffer from blindness or a more serious problem just because you delayed treatment.

One possible cause is a problem affecting the cornea, which is the outer lens of the eye. Usually, this lens is clear. But if the cornea or other ocular structures become infected - which is especially common if the eye sustained some sort of trauma - it can become cloudy. Conjunctivitis or pink eye is among the most common infections, but this is typically associated with discharge, redness and other symptoms, but there's always exceptions to the rule.

Trauma can also cause clouding, particularly when a corneal ulcer forms following trauma, which can occur virtually anywhere in your home or outdoors. It can even occur while he's grooming, so it's a very real possibility that this started out as an injury and an ulcer formed. In the eye, trauma isn't always obvious to the untrained pet owner, so you may not see any other real signs of trauma necessarily. Also, a feline herpes virus can also lead to corneal ulcers, so that too could be a cause.

Another possibility is an accumulation of fluid in the cornea, which can account for some of this clouding. Also, the fluid that's naturally present in the eye can become cloudy - not the lens - and this too could be the case.

There's also certain inflammatory conditions that can include clouding as a symptom. Uveitis is one condition where the fluids accumulate inside the eyeball, causing clouding. Glaucoma is another condition that comes to mind - it's related to uveitis. And it occurs when the eye's drainage system stops functioning properly and the pressure builds inside the eyeball. Both of these conditions can lead to blindness, so it's important to seek help in a timely manner.

To learn more about some of the things I've discussed, visit:
http://www.animaleyecare.net/diseases/uveitis.htm
http://www.petplace.com/cats/glaucoma-in-cats/page1.aspx
http://www.petplace.com/cats/cloudy-eye-in-cats/page1.aspx
http://www.2ndchance.info/cornealulcer.htm
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/corneal.html

I hope your kitty is feeling better soon! Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any additional questions!
****Please ACCEPT if my answer was helpful!****

-Mia Carter
Pet Expert

Expert:	Mia Carter
Pos. Feedback:	99.5 %
Accepts:
Answered:	12/28/2007

Animal Expert

Specializing in the training and care of ill pets and special needs animals! Mom of 22 pets!