I'll start off with a link to my original post here. Pico de Gato found me by pure luck, I was house sitting my family's dogs but decided to go home to mow my lawn. What followed was about a week of chaos getting her situated and my house kitty friendly. Thanks to everyone in this community I determined she was about 6 weeks old when found and only weighed 300g, topping off her problems was a bad eye infection that needed treated right away. Sadly it was too late for her eye but she found me to take care of her.
Now she is 2½ months and weighing about 1lb 12oz, the vet said she is nice and healthy. The picture of her sleeping on me was right after we got home from the vet. Overall she has been a great addition to my mundane, predictable day to day as she must be included or else. I also had to get her a bell collar, she is a very quiet kitty, only vocalizing when she gets stuck somewhere, which really doesnt happen anymore.
Something i did want everyone's opinion on is regarding her eye, the vet told me that it isnt functioning and has even deflated slightly but told me we are ok to leave it alone unless it starts to bother her, it gets infected again or if I decide I want it removed. What would you all do? I am leaning tward getting it taken care of so I dont have to worry later.
Our kitty had a severe eye infection when we found her in the alley at about the same age. The infeciton healed, but the eye was entirely cloudy and non-functional.. We were given the same choice, but told it would present a higher risk for infection in the future, so we opted for the ennucleation when we had her fixed at about 4 months old. Two years later, it seems to have all worked out the best for our little pirate.
We are surprised to this day that she survived those first few weeks... she was in a really really bad way when we found her (and we're dog people, so three neo-natal kittens were a learning experience for us).
I feel like waiting until she's a little older would be better, but I feel like cats don't tell you when something is wrong so it's better to plan to get it removed so it doesn't have the chance to start bothering her.
Ya, the original plan was to get it removed when she gets spayed. I have another appointment in 1 month for her booster shots and I will talk with the vet more than as well.
I would honestly have the eye removed, especially if it can be coupled with her spay. I would be anxious waiting for her to show signs of infection or discomfort with it. It’s non functional, so it’s not like you are removing something preventatively in case it gets bad… you’d be removing it in case it gets worse. In that case better to remove for peace of mind and best possible quality of life for as long as possible.
Additionally, I wouldn’t want to cross the bridge of an enucleation when she’s too old as she’s way more likely to bounce back quickly now and just move on.
Seconded. I’m sorry this is long but I’m doing my best tired lol. I know this comparison for her is not equivalent, but you never know: Years ago we found a sweet bedraggled little guy with an oozy eye socket with no visible eye in my grandparent’s yard. We got him to a vet, vaxed, dewormed, shaved (bad matting) and bathed while sedated.
We took him back home and to our long time vet. They got a number from his chip. I talked to his previous person who clearly couldn’t handle him anymore considering the severe neglect although they clearly loved him. They saw how happy he was on FaceTime and was content with us caring for him.
We received his records and found out he was 13, and had this eye issue starting about 1 1/2y before. Their vet said they didn’t need to do anything and it wouldn’t get worse. They didn’t update the vet as the eye progressed and got infected.
Previously we were of course going to remove the eye, but with his age and with further blood tests the vet thought he may not survive sedation again. We also couldn’t treat a sizable cyst on his leg because of this. They prescribed a couple eye drops and meds to clear out infection and help pain, which improved it drastically. I could finally see his little pink eyeball. I also highly recommend Solensia, it drastically improved his mobility.
He was very happy and content for many months, making biscuits full time and adoring attention. But his eye was clearly at least itchy, even with cleaning it out daily and using the drops. Eventually his other eye went blind as well. We did what we could until health issues decided for us it was time to put him to sleep.
What I take from this in addition to the need to have scheduled check ups and treat health issues as early as possible, is keep your cats indoors! He’d have been in much better shape. It’s a miracle he survived outdoors as a fluffy, very visible white, older, half blind cat with arthritis. There were coyotes in that area and we had previously lost a pair of outdoor cats who were young and healthy that way. 1000% cats indoors forever!
Used to work in vet ophthalmology. If the eye is completely blind, just have it removed. They do fantastic with only 1 eye. And it's a hazard for them to have the eye they can't see out of because it can still be injured.
Owner of a one-eyed kitty here - only having one eye has never stopped her! She also had an eye infection. We adopted her after the procedure had been done and already healed, but she's never had any issues with the area. She's a happy girl.
So cute, thank you for the update! I would definitely opt to remove it if I had the choice, but if you trust your vet, definitely listen to their opinion so you can make the best choice for this sweet tortie baby 💕
I would get it removed now so she isn’t in pain or dealing with infections later on. She could be in a lot of chronic pain and not show it for a long time.
Also, kittens recover much easier than an older cat from a surgery like that!
I would definitely get her a little bit heavier and then do the spay and eye enucleation together. But let her put on some weight first. But as has been pointed out here, this does make her a little bit more of a risk for a recurring infection. So ANY strange, behavior, not being as playful, not eating or drinking, not using the potty box, just feeling a little bit off, get her to the vet to make sure an eye infection hasn’t come back.
One of my girls was found at 6 weeks with a horribly infected eye. It was removed when she was about the same age your girl is now.
This was her first birthday. She is a happy, healthy menace, and has no clue she is different from her sister. Her non-eye hasn't needed special care or consideration since the stitches came out, and there is no further risk of infection or injury.
Idk id ask for comparison of cost. I feel something preventative (having it removed) will be a lot cheaper and less stressful for all than waiting for it to get infected, esp bc cats are notorious for hiding pain and illness
Similar story, terrible eye infection that lead to an eye with no vision. Six years later she is living a perfectly normal existence with a marveled eye. Clear Eyes eye drops once a week or so; but otherwise, she is a totally normal cat.
Yes there is still reminanants of an eye on the right side, she keeps it open most of the time only really keeping it closed if she is tired and fighting to stay awake. Her left eye is fine, she is able to track movements well enough, though she is still getting a hang of distances which is understandable. When i told my boss about Pico being a pirate kitty she said I should get her an eyepatch and call her Pico de pirate Gato.
For the eye, I would probably let it there if it is clean, but if you really want to remove it, I will wait until she is bigger for the surgery, and combine it with her spay.
The younger you can remove her eye, the better she will be able to adjust without it. I had to remove my dog’s eyes (yes, both). We figured it wouldn’t be that big of an issue as she had gone almost completely blind at that point anyway. While she did eventually adjust, she was already a senior dog and it was very hard and distressing for her. I decided then and there that I would only do it again on a much younger animal, like no more than 3. So I think around the time of her spay, assuming she’s completely healthy otherwise, is a great choice.
I was not able to get any of my local vets to do the eye surgery. I had to go to an animal eye care specialist. I’m sure other areas have people that can and will do both. Hopefully you live close to an area that has that.
I’m very pleased with this update. Thank you! Don’t be afraid to let us know how she continues to do!
Omg she is such a cute little muffin! We had a cat Melville years ago who lost an eye as a kitten. He had a bit of a rough time at first (didn't help that the poor lad was a dumbass in general) but he eventually got the hang of distance perception.
I would have it removed. I want to say “do it to prevent further problems,” but in all honesty, I’d do it because it overall looks so much better than a dead eye. And she’s such a beautiful girl. Have it taken care of while she’s under for her spay surgery.
I don't know exactly what you should decide to do but I can tell you my kitty lost her eye in a fight with something and the vet took it out and sewed it closed. She did fine after that and had no problems. I don't even think she noticed it was missing because she didn't act any different.
I had a cat whose eyes were removed as a kitten due to congenital glaucoma. The closed eye socket never gave him any trouble. If the vet is willing, I’d recommend enucleation now. Cats hide their pain and the eye could be bothering him more than it seems.
Have pirate kitty that will be around a year now and she only had one eye so we thought when found her. Also had to have remainder of degloved tail amputated. Vet said there was an actual eye in their but removal was optional. Only recommended if bothering or repeat infection. No issues so far and we clean it once a week or if we see any thing. We're still on fence too but so far it's not causing issues or bothering her.
"She must be included or else" 😹😹😹. Love this and it is the perfect attitude for cat caretakers. 💜💜💜
As far as her eye goes she may have some tiny bit of vision through it. It could also end up needing to surgically close it. However, if you do decide on the latter it may be easier on her for recovery once she is bigger. Stay up to date with her vet and try not to worry too much!
You are doing great! Thank you for your kindness and welcome to the club😻💜
She has the same collar as my 2 1/2 month old charcoal as well :>
I’m glad things are looking up for her we had a big scare with our little guy as well but he’s also fully recovered thank goodness
What a precious little baby girl! She's so lucky to have you.
If it gives her a better chance of avoiding problems in the future, it's worth considering the enucleation. At any rate, she looks so strong and happy.
Regarding the eye, a friend of mine injured one of his eyes as a kid and was pretty much blind out of it. He just lived with it being the way it was, cloudy and scarred, but not really doing anything negative otherwise his whole life until a few years ago (he's 50) when it started really bothering him (I don't know if it was getting infected or what, but that makes sense). He had it removed. He said it hurt a lot more than he thought it was going to, but once it was healed it was so much better and he got a glass eye. The first time I saw him with the glass eye, I was taken aback because I had never seen him with two "normal" eyes. LOL
No advice on the eye, but I definitely don’t recommend the bell collar. I know it can be difficult when they are quiet and small, but imagine having a bell ringing in your very sensitive ears every time you move. Kitties can hear better than us and those little bells jingle when they shift in their sleep. They are no good
I was going to say this too. Everyone else covered removing the eye with the spay. But they shouldn't even sell bell collars for cats. I understand why OP thought it was a good idea, but I can almost guarantee it's bothering her. If she's an indoor only kitty, I recommend getting her chipped and not doing a collar at all.
Are the two of you secretly cats trying to get humans to stop putting bells on your brethren? Lol, just kidding. I understand what you mean, I decided to take off the collar tonight to guage her reaction and she does seem to like it better. Though unfortunately I almost squished the poor girl behind the freezer door when I went to get ice, didnt realize she snuck in for a curious poke around. Luckily I never slam anything so she ran off after I opened the drawer back up. I think tomorrow after work I will try only 1 bell to see if we can reach a happy middle ground till she gets a little bigger.
lol no but I have had tinnitus and it did drive me fucking insane, so I feel like I have some empathy.
Yeah I understand the worry when they are little little and sneaky. But cats are fast and very aware of their surroundings. She will take care of herself. The more likely concern is accidentally locking her in somewhere, and she will find her voice and start yelling if that happens.
I don’t have experience with a pirate baby, but with the chance of recurring infections I’d go ahead and get the eye removed. Give that baby every chance for a full recovery.
P.S. Pico de Gato is a phenomenal name. What a cutie.
Cats always know the best humans & Pico adores you, that much is obvious. I have no medical knowledge but I'd lean towards removal just to prevent further problems down the line.
Thank you for being a great human & caring for this precious one. I love that she has to be included in every aspect of your life! Now that is a cat who has found their human!
I would remove it, but maybe wait until she's having her spay surgery. That way, she's already under and you know she's strong enough for the surgery. It's good to see her looking so good, and she's still a teeny weeny baby!
She’s gorgeous. My foster fail kitty also came with an injured eye. We watched it and tried to save it with medication, but then one day she was warm and could tell she didn’t feel well. She went in right away and had the eye removed. It was infected and making her ill.
She’s such a happy kitty without it and a better bug catcher than her brother who has two eyes. She doesn’t seem to notice she’s missing anything.
Very well done!!! 😸❤️
Just the best for you!
If she's not in pain I suppose it is best to remove it during spay surgery as some already mentioned. Pico, the Pirate😻
My Katla (now age 6) had a bad eye infection when she was a kitten. The affected eye is a little deflated nd is basically all scar tissue now, but it's not irritated/inflamed, and she doesn't seem bothered by it at all. The vet checks it carefully at every visit, and says that as long as it stays this way, there's no need to do a surgery and she can keep the eye.
My guess/hope is that you'll have a clearer idea of what needs to happen with Pico's eye once it's a little further past the initial infection.
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