Tearing or Squinting in One Eye: what should I do first?

When sudden tears or eye discharge develop in only one eye and cause squinting rather than affecting both eyes, traumatic corneal ulcers from play with other cats, self-scratching, or dust particles are common. Pawing at the eye makes claws deepen scratches quickly, so putting on an Elizabethan collar to protect the eye takes top priority before visiting a clinic. Wipe tears or discharge around the eye not with dry tissues, but gently using cotton moistened with warm water.

What should I avoid doing?

Using human over-the-counter eye drops or old leftover prescription drops on your own initiative (applying steroid drops to a scratched cornea worsens the injury and risks blindness). / Pulling off hardened eye discharge forcibly with dry fingers or fingernails.

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Tearing and Squinting in One Eye: Conjunctivitis or a Scratched Cornea

🚨 Check first

If your cat paws repeatedly at their eye or keeps it tightly shut, they may have a scratched cornea (the clear surface of the eye). Worsening can lead to corneal perforation, so never use human eye drops and visit a vet the same day or next day.

📌 The answer in 3 seconds

When sudden tears or eye discharge develop in only one eye and cause squinting rather than affecting both eyes, traumatic corneal ulcers from play with other cats, self-scratching, or dust particles are common.
Pawing at the eye makes claws deepen scratches quickly, so putting on an Elizabethan collar to protect the eye takes top priority before visiting a clinic.
Wipe tears or discharge around the eye not with dry tissues, but gently using cotton moistened with warm water.

📊 Flowchart

Step 1Put a soft Elizabethan collar on your cat immediately to prevent them from scratching their eye with front or hind paws.
Step 2Examine your cat's eye gently from the front and side in bright light, checking whether the whites of the eyes are red, whether the cornea looks cloudy white or dented, and whether hair or debris is trapped.
Step 3Clean eye-area dirt using 38°C (100.4°F) warm water or sterile wipes, and visit a vet promptly for a fluorescein stain test and prescribed eye drops.

⭕ Step-by-step fix

Step 1 · What you can do at home right now
Put a soft Elizabethan collar on your cat immediately to prevent them from scratching their eye with front or hind paws.
Step 2
Examine your cat's eye gently from the front and side in bright light, checking whether the whites of the eyes are red, whether the cornea looks cloudy white or dented, and whether hair or debris is trapped.
Step 3
Clean eye-area dirt using 38°C (100.4°F) warm water or sterile wipes, and visit a vet promptly for a fluorescein stain test and prescribed eye drops.

❌ Never do this

Using human over-the-counter eye drops or old leftover prescription drops on your own initiative (applying steroid drops to a scratched cornea worsens the injury and risks blindness).
Pulling off hardened eye discharge forcibly with dry fingers or fingernails.

📋 Make notes for the vet

Your notes save automatically on this device, so they stay even without a signal at the clinic.

Your cat

Since when

Symptoms and things to tell the vet

Records of when squinting started and which eye is affected.
Color of discharge (clear tears, whitish mucus, or yellowish-green pus).
History of fighting with resident cats or bumping into bushes or furniture corners.

Urine

Stool

Photos and items to bring

Notes (breathing rate, amount eaten, times, etc.)