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Several conditions can cause blindness in cats, ranging from an injury to the eye, to an untreated eye infection, or an underlying condition. Sight loss can also be gradual or sudden, which may affect how well your cat adjusts. Any changes to your cat’s eyes or vision should be checked by a vet.
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Updated 22nd Jan 2025
First published 17th Jun 2024
Cats can suffer from gradual or sudden-onset blindness. For those who lose their sight gradually, it is not always easy for owners to tell that their cat is going blind. Cats have excellent senses of hearing and smell, so they adapt well, using those other senses to full effect. Cats with sudden-onset blindness, on the other hand, may show more obvious signs, as losing their sight so quickly can be very distressing for them.
The signs can vary depending on the cause. For example, cats at risk of losing their sight due to an untreated eye infection may have more obvious signs of problems with their eyes.
Signs of an eye infection include:
Discharge from the eyes
Swelling
Inflammation
Cloudy eyes
Squinting
Rubbing at the eye(s)
Other signs of eye problems may include:
What are the signs of blindness in cats?
The signs can vary depending on the cause. For example, cats at risk of losing their sight due to an untreated eye infection may have more obvious signs of problems with their eyes.
Signs of an eye infection include:
Discharge from the eyes
Swelling
Inflammation
Cloudy eyes
Squinting
Rubbing at the eye(s)
Other signs of eye problems may include:
Dilated pupils (the black area looks larger than normal)
Changes to the cornea (surface of the eye)
Redness or cloudiness within the eye
Signs that your cat is losing/has lost their sight include:
Appearing disorientated
Behaving in an unusual way
Wandering aimlessly
Bumping into things
Becoming agitated/distressed
Reduced appetite
Lethargy
Reduced interactions with family and reluctance to be petted or lifted up
Rarely, cats can lose their sight due to a neurological (brain) problem, in which case they may show other signs, such as walking differently, fits (seizures) or behavioural changes.
There are many potential causes of blindness in cats. These include:
Conjunctivitis is the most diagnosed eye infection in cats. This is where the infection causes inflammation of the conjunctiva – the pink membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelids and the outer surface of the eyeball. Left untreated, conjunctivitis can lead to eye damage, vision loss and blindness.
Eye infections can also be caused by injuries to the eye, or foreign objects in the eye (e.g., dirt, sand).
Conjunctivitis affecting a cat
Viral or bacterial diseases can also lead to eye infections. Feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus are highly contagious viruses that cause of ‘cat flu’ and can lead to conjunctivitis in cats. Feline herpesvirus can also cause keratitis, which is inflammation of the cornea (the transparent front part of the eye). Damage to the cornea caused by keratitis can lead to blindness. Other viral infections, such as feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukaemia virus and feline infectious peritonitis can lead to uveitis (inflammation of the uvea, the middle area of the eye including the iris), which can also result in blindness.
Occasionally cats need surgery to remove their eye(s) called enucleation. This may be due to consequences of viral infections, traumatic injury to the eye, a painful eye that can’t be treated, or cancer. Removal of an eye is not taken lightly and discussion with your veterinary team can help with decision-making and advice on how to help your cat adjust after surgery.
Hypertension is one of the most common causes of sudden-onset blindness in cats. High blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in the back of the eye, leading to bleeding or fluid leaking out of the vessels. This may then cause the retina (the layer of light-sensitive cells that line the back of the eye and enable us to see) to become detached, causing blindness.
Early identification of hypertension can prevent blindness and regular assessment of blood pressure in senior cats and cats with chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism is recommended.
Cats can also suffer from deterioration of the retina. This often happens gradually, which allows cats time to adjust to their reduced vision. However, on rare occasions, it can be sudden in onset. Certain breeds of cat may be more prone to retinal degeneration (e.g., progressive retinal atrophy in Abyssinian cats) and genetic testing is available.
Diseases affecting the brain (e.g., infections, tumours) can potentially lead to blindness, as visual signals are processed within the brain after passing through the optic nerves (the nerves that carry the visual information to the brain).
This is a condition where the optic nerves become inflamed and no longer function, causing blindness. This is a rare disease in cats.
If you are worried about your cat’s sight in any way or have noticed changes to their eyes, contact your veterinary team as soon as possible. Blindness can be prevented in some cases – for example, eye infections or diagnosis of hypertension – if a prompt diagnosis is made and treatment is started.
The first thing your vet will do is confirm that blindness is the cause of your cat’s signs – this is usually done through some simple examinations.
Once blindness is confirmed, your vet may use some of the following tests to establish the cause:
Examination of the eye – many causes of blindness can be found through careful examination of your cat’s eyes with an ophthalmoscope (the instrument a vet uses to examine structures within the eye)
Measurement of blood pressure – as hypertension is one of the common causes of blindness, your vet will want to check your cat’s blood pressure
Routine blood and urine tests – these will usually be done to help detect underlying diseases. For example, chronic kidney disease is a common cause of high blood pressure in cats
Brain scans – if your vet is concerned about issues with your cat’s brain, they may suggest a brain scan (an MRI or CT scan) – your cat may need to be referred to a specialist centre for this
If an eye infection is present, your vet will prescribe eye drops or ointment, and often, infections respond well to this. If caught early, it can reduce the risk of blindness.
The treatment for sudden-onset blindness will depend on the underlying cause (e.g., tablets may be given to reduce your cat’s blood pressure). Some underlying causes of blindness are reversible, and normal sight may return. However, in many cases even if the underlying cause is treated, the damage to your cat’s sight may be permanent.
Cats with breed-related sight problems such as progressive retinal atrophy should not be used for breeding and genetic testing of predisposed breeds is recommended.
Even if your cat’s vision does not return, many cats are good at adjusting to loss of sight. They compensate extremely well by using their senses of hearing, smell, and touch (using their whiskers to prevent bumping into objects). However, sudden loss of sight is initially very distressing for a cat. They may bump into objects in the house or garden or become withdrawn and only go where they feel very safe.
Caring for a blind cat has challenges. While many cats adjust well, there are things you can do to make their life easier. Keep furniture in the same place and make sure resources such as food, water, litter trays and a comfortable bed are easy to reach. Initially, it may be better to confine your cat to a smaller area or one room, so they can reach everything they need easily. Once they are comfortable in that environment, larger areas of the house can be made available to them.
Avoid making noise around your cat, and in homes with children, ask them to move slowly and quietly around your cat, so that your cat is not frightened.
Your cat may be able to go outside, but only into a safe, enclosed garden.
If the underlying cause of your cat’s blindness can’t be treated, the key thing to focus on is helping your cat adapt to losing their sight. Over time, and with a consistent home environment that doesn’t change, most blind cats adapt extremely well and live a happy life.
If your cat has been prescribed eye drops or ointment, you may find it helpful to watch our video on how to apply eye drops or ointment, which walks you through the easiest way to do this.
Additionally, if your cat needs to be given tablets, our article on how to give your cat a tablet may be helpful.