Runny Eyes Due To Rubbing Against A Gate?

[mommytobuck]

So back in August I installed a very tall, very hard metal gate in my first floor. This was to guard during a vet visit. I wanted my cat to get used to it being there before the visit. I also didn't want him trying to go up the stairs with a large dose of gabapentin. Turns out that wasn't necessary. He was so tired he didn't move from the couch.

However, come Labor day he woke up to a left eye watering like crazy with water every place. By the end of the day, however, all was fine. Strange I thought? It goes away in 5 hours?

This morning that same thing happened again. Quite bad. I assumed it was due to the vet visit drama this week. However, tonight I caught him rubbing his face on that gate. I put two and two together and wondered if he doesn't excessively rub his face on it too much, perhaps when I am sleeping, and not around to correct him, and hurt his eye. He has always been smart and never does anything on purpose to hurt himself when I am not in the house, but sleeping is fair game. Also during the day he enjoys sleeping. But at night he enjoys getting into trouble.

So I dismantled the gate and put it away.

Has anyone had anything like this happen? He enjoys rubbing his face from time to time but there usually isn't anything available that is so hard and so perfect to rub his head on.

 

[abyeb]

Hi, I think your gate theory makes sense. He could have scratched his eye when rubbing against it. I would recommend getting him checked out at the vet anyway, just to be sure that there isn’t any damage to his eye, although I might be overly cautious.

 

[stephanietx]

The runny eye could be allergy related. Cats rub on things to mark their territory. He was probably just marking the gate.

 

[mommytobuck]

I just find it suspicious that both times what looked to be a horribly running eye resolved so quickly -- if it was allergies. My cat had a visit on Monday with the vet.