Cataracts in cats cause a noticeable blue-white cloudiness in the lens of the eye and gradual vision loss. While less common than in dogs, they occur in older cats and cats with diabetes or uveitis. PawCheck screens for it free.
Download Free — Android ↗About cat cataracts
A feline cataract is a clouding of the crystalline lens inside the eye. Unlike the blue-grey haze of nuclear sclerosis (a normal age-related change), true cataracts cause a denser, white opacity and can progress to significant vision impairment.
A blue-white or white opacity visible inside the pupil area of the eye. The affected eye may look distinctly different from the other. The cat may bump into objects, be hesitant in dim light, or show reduced tracking of moving objects.
The most common causes are diabetes mellitus (cats fed high-carb diets), uveitis (eye inflammation from FIV or FeLV), trauma, and advancing age. Diabetic cataracts are an emerging concern in India as cat owners increasingly feed human food and high-carb commercial diets.
Persian and Himalayan cats (genetic predisposition), cats over 10 years old, and cats with poorly controlled diabetes. Any cat that has had significant eye inflammation (uveitis) is also at elevated risk.
Frequently asked questions
PawCheck's AI eye scanner covers 4 cat eye conditions.
PawCheck screens for cataracts and 5 other cat eye conditions in under 10 seconds.
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