Not sure what is going on with my cat.

[mommytobuck]

Every time i sleep late (typically on a long weekend) I wake up and my cat has an eye problem. It is swollen and watering.

Here is my thoughts.
1. When I work or get up early, my cat has been asleep all night and gets up when I do.
2. When I don't work and sleep late there is a 2 or 3 hour period where my cat has a lot of energy and nothing to do so he rubs his face.
3. The face rubbing causes damage to his eye.
4. The face rubbing imho seems to possibly be due to an ear problem. He definitely seems itchy on his face and purrs when I scratch that area.
5. I had thought it might be teeth but he eats fine and I would assume NOT rub an area that hurts.
6. It doesn't seem to happen when I am not home because he seems to sleep all day while I am at work.

I went out and bought a remedy for the ear that got really good reviews. Hoping it works. Anyone have good luck.
Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone

 

[FeebysOwner]

I wish I could help with some ideas, but honestly don't have any based on what you've told us. Try the ear treatment, but I am not sure I see a connection between his ears and a swollen, watery eye (just one eye?). The only way that would make sense is if his paws are dirty and in rubbing his ear, he is getting something in his eye that irritates it? But, I wouldn't think it could happen every time. The ears, eye(s), and an itchy face would seem to me to point more toward some sort of allergic reaction - when you sleep late, could he be getting into something in the house that is causing irritation?

Maybe some more details about what is going on would help me - and other members - come up with some more thoughts!

 

[mommytobuck]

No I can't see what he would be getting into. And it only seems to happen when I sleep late. So I can go months (it has been 6 weeks since the last incident) with the eye being fine but over a long weekend, it flairs up again. It is possible that it is an ear infection that has gotten out of control causing issues with the eye, but it is not like the eye is swollen. I feel it has to be rubbing of the eye as this morning a patch of hair over the eye was gone. He has always had issues with his ears. Perhaps he has a mild infection that is making things much worse.

I just had a vet visit but without the issue right there for them to see they didn't see any issues. But admittedly I didn't put the ear connection together with it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If your vet will accept pictures, email a pic of his eye to them and ask if it could be connected to the ear issues - and itchy face.

 

[mekkababble]

How long has he had this problem? Depending on that, it could be viral. I have a cat with a similar problem. You could try adding lycene to his food, which give cats a bit of an immune system boost.

 

[MissClouseau]

Definitely take both a video and pictures to show to the vet. If you don't get luck, maybe you can try a veterinary ophthalmologist if there is one where you live.

If it is about allergies, is there a place a spot that he spends (more) time when you sleep in? If he is rubbing around his eyes maybe there is an allergen that makes him get itchy. In case it gives you an idea... my cat for example spends more time on my bed when I'm there and more around the pillow if I sleep in - she waits for me to get up, otherwise she doesn't sit around the pillow side. I can see how that could be a problem if she was allergic to the material of pillow.

She also gets the zoomies more or longer if I'm there and goes to places she would otherwise not go, like under the wardrobe. Can you think of anything like that happening with your cat?

 

[mommytobuck]

I have only noticed it since September and only three times. We have gone 6 weeks since the last incident. All the incidents have been over a long weekend.

I have definitely noticed that he does it sort of as a misbehaving behavior. Such as... he wants food so he does it. He also seems to do it when I am talking on the phone. When I am talking on the phone his is always trying to knock things down to get me stop and tonight my brother called and he was going it all over but once the call was over he was done.

I did also see that there is this head rubbing thing that can be a sign of a neurological condition. However, I just don't think it fits. It isn't like he is doing this all the time. And he definitely purrs like he is in heaven (deep throbbing purrs) when I comb his face. Also those photos and videos seem to be much more of the face banging the wall head on... not the occasional rubbing like he has an itch. I will continue to monitor it.

I do have a food dish that is an automatic dish and I was thinking that I might set it up on the weekends to break the behavior. It does seem like it has to do with him being hungry and not getting the food he wants. He gets up at 3 am and by 8 am his tolerance is over.

When he is alone in my house all day while I am at work I don't seem to have an issue.

Actually fyi I did remember I did send a photo of the last incident to my vet. She had no idea what caused it.