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My kitten has no eyes. Should I remove them for his well-being?

Updated on September 23, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 16 days old | 4 lbs

I recently rescued a kitten with apparent ano or micropthalmia. There is some tissue in the sockets, but no visible eye. We are debating on enucleation and stitching them or leaving them open. I want to do whatever is best for him. We scheduled the procedure, but now of course I am second guessing thinking maybe he has "some sort" of vision that we would be taking away. Any advice or info would be helpful!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 17, 2020

I would go through with enucleation. He will be more comfortable afterwards, and the tissue that is there now will likely be goopy, irritated, and can get infected easily. He won't know the difference; if he has ANY vision now (which I highly doubt is the case) it is definitely minimal and he is so young that her other senses are developing above and beyond to compensate for the lack of vision. As long as he's an indoor only kitty I wouldn't hesitate to enucleate.
Love the name by the way!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on May 15, 2019
Poor poor kitty. Unfortunately this vet may be right. The right eye especially is completely proptosed (out of the socket) and needs to be enucleated. The left eye is infected but it is hard to tell if it can be saved or not. I would recommend considering having them both removed, especially if the vet has evaluated the eye fully and decided there is too much damage. These eyes are causing this poor kitty so much pain and a source of infection, that removing them will provide an immediate relief for this kitty. Even though the kitty will be blind, he can likely adapt to his surroundings by using his other senses and lead a relatively normal life moving forward.
I hope that you are able to provide this poor kitty with some relief soon! Best wishes and take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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