My kitten keeps getting litter in its eyes. What should I do?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lili. I recommend asking her veterinarian about the eyes. I am concerned that she has an eye infection or an upper respiratory infection as both are common in kittens. If so, she will likely require an antibiotic eye ointment and possibly oral antibiotics if she is sneezing. I hope this information helps!

Hello. Most of these kitties have a viral infection of the eyes often complicated with a secondary bacterial component. Other than keeping the eyes clear by gently cleaning with warm water a few times a day, there is not much more you can do except having the kitten seen & treated by a veterinarian. With the proper medications, the kitten will start to feel & look better pretty quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Persians have such compressed eye sockets that the normal amount of tears that every cat has ends up tearing in a Persian. Also because the eyes have more exposure they probably create a little more tear film. Nothing will “fix” this. However, rinsing with isotonic saline can help rinse any debris out and keep the cornea as healthy as possible. I would keep doing that. If the eyes are red or if the discharge is green the. She should be seen by a veterinarian. Good luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

It is a good idea to wipe away the discharge with a warm clean wash cloth or soft tissue. I suggest a cloth soaked with warm water or eye wash solution - every 1-3hrs is plenty often enough. Your vet will examine Sprinkles, maybe suggest an eye stain test to check for corneal ulcers (which can occur with feline herpes), and will probably dispense an antibiotic ointment.

Kitten needs to be examined by the veterinarian today. Many cats will get viral infections that cause sneezing and upper respiratory symptoms. Some of these kittens will get viral infections that also affect the eye and can cause painful ulcers which can progress and dive deeper into the eye (which is not good). Lysine supplements for cats may help with viral infections in general but your kitten still needs to be examined today. The doctor needs to check the eye for an ulcer, scratch or perhaps a foreign object trapped under the eye lid. You must also protect the eye from any scratching with an elizabethan collar. I hope this helps and best of luck.

Most kittens will outgrow this messy phase. Adult cats tend to be very clean animals. You may try a different type of litter to see if that helps with the mess or even try something like an automatic litter box. Get a mat as well to put in front of the litter box to can help to knock some of the litter off their paws. I hope this helps and best of luck. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Your kitty likely is suffering from an upper respiratory infection and should be seen by a vet for an exam and deworming. It will likely need prescription antibiotics. In the meantime (until you can take her to a vet) you can tak a cloth with warm water an soak the eyes. This should help with opening them. You can then gently wipe off the purulent discharge.