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Original poster

My darling girl is having an eye removed today

40 replies

LilacpointMummy · 23/06/2023 11:06

She had lots of teeth out a couple of weeks ago, and about a week after her left eye started swelling. She's been on lots of antibiotics and drops but it's still really bad.

She saw the vet opthalmologist today, and he has to remove it. I'm so devastated for her - she's only 4.

Also I'm not there - my DH and DD are but she's a total mummy's girl.

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Original poster
LilacpointMummy · 23/06/2023 11:06

Not sure really why I'm posting - just so upset and need some moral support please!

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wowmummy · 23/06/2023 11:11

Hi I hope all goes well. If you want to hear something positive my friends cat was ripped apart by two dogs. She is a year old and it broke her spine and everything. She had a 0.2% of ever walking again. They refused to operate. So she cared for her at home and in 3 months she walked again and is perfectly fine from a slight kink in her tail. She'll be ok 👍

HoppingPavlova · 23/06/2023 11:15

I’m so sorry to hear this. At 4yo she will adapt, but understand it’s not fair. Life’s often not fair for both people and animals unfortunately.

Is she an indoor cat or indoor/outdoor? Maybe if outdoor, get an outdoor system or that cat mesh that goes on fences so it falls back on them if they try and climb to keep her safer with her decreased visual ability?

Original poster
LilacpointMummy · 23/06/2023 12:03

She's indoors at the moment - I think we'll definitely be keeping her in for quite a while.

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Original poster
LilacpointMummy · 23/06/2023 12:04

I've been trying to persuade DH that we need a catio for ages- perhaps this will be the deciding factor!

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Ohmych · 23/06/2023 12:09

I'm sorry to hear this it must be devastating. I was in the garden yesterday and a cat I hadn't seen before came in. He was so friendly and let me stroke him. He only had one eye and it didn't seem to faze him at all.

SweetBirdsong · 23/06/2023 12:10

OMG only 4 too. Bless her soul. 💓I am so sorry. Sad I really do feel so bad for her. How awful. I hope she is OK. (And you too @LilacpointMummy )

sunshineandshowers21 · 23/06/2023 12:17

one of my cats had to have an eye removed when she was around a year old. she’s adapted amazingly well to only having one eye and she can do everything my other cats can. she’s actually the best hunter out of all my cats!

FlatArthur · 23/06/2023 12:20

I’m sorry for what your cat has to go through. How harrowing for you all.

Do you think you could post a picture of sweety for us?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/06/2023 12:22

Our brown lab, Coco, had an eye removed - it turned out that she had a benign tumour behind her eye that caused raised intra-ocular pressure which was what the vet first noticed (glaucoma). The vet said it would be painful and had destroyed the sight in that eye, so we were advised removal was the only option.

She recovered quickly, and the only problem we noticed afterwards was that she found it harder to catch treats that were thrown to her - but she was very willing to keep on practising.

FedRox · 23/06/2023 12:27

Another one-eyed cat mum here. I want to reassure you that she's adapted brilliantly to having lost one eye and is still as beautiful as ever. We were advised to keep her in with a cone collar for 2 weeks until it was fully healed and she'd adapted to vision from one eye only. She's a brilliant hunter and was soon catching mice after her op.

I also would like to warn you that this evening might be emotional. Our cat shook her head in the cat basket in the car and there was a lot of blood. She was very subdued the first night and it was a bit traumatic for her and us. Vet advised this was normal. She soon perked up though. She bumped into a few walls and door frames the first few days as she got used to collar.

Toddlerteaplease · 23/06/2023 12:29

She'll be fine!! My girl lost her eye in February. It's made no difference to get whatsoever. Had a few issues with healing initially and had to have it cleaned and re stitched. But she bossed it. I didn't even try to treat the ulcer as I just wanted her out of pain. She was so much happier after it was removed.

My darling girl is having an eye removed today
My darling girl is having an eye removed today
ManuelBensonsLeftBoot · 23/06/2023 12:31

My gorgeous (sadly no longer with us) boy had an eye out at a similar age. He lived for 10+ years with one eye. He coped with a house move and was allowed outside but rarely strayed beyond the garden, but he was the same before his accident. He was 'the one' in terms of the many cats I've had over the years both before he lost his eye and after. I have finally decided to get a new car this year 8 years after his death because he was totally irreplaceable and will always hold a special place in my heart.
Good luck to your darling girl and to you.

Toddlerteaplease · 23/06/2023 12:32

Magic did not tolerate the cone of shame at all. But never touched the wound. She's very lucky she can see at all. As this gentle dopey cat got into a fight a few years ago and punctured the eye she still has. I thought she'd loose it then.

ManuelBensonsLeftBoot · 23/06/2023 12:46

My boy also didn't do the cone of shame - he just walk backwards until he hit a wall when he had it on so it was a no go. But he was fine without it both after the initial surgery and several years later when he managed to get a infection in the long healed socket and had to have a second op (he really was a disaster magnet though).

Original poster
LilacpointMummy · 23/06/2023 13:30

Thank you so much everyone - it's good to hear about other cats who have been fine.

I've attached a photo of her with our other two lilac points.

My darling girl is having an eye removed today
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Toddlerteaplease · 23/06/2023 13:43

The only behavioural difference I noticed and I don't know if it was related or she is being naughty; was pushing her sister out of the way and eating her treats. Despite having her own right in front of her. I thought at first she couldn't see it. But I'm really not so sure!

caringcarer · 23/06/2023 14:37

I knew a cat with only one eye, a lovely friendly girl and she seemed to cope very well. She used to come into my garden to play with my cat. They'd lie in the sun just sunbathing.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 23/06/2023 15:50

A one eyed cat I had a while ago. He lost his eye aged 4 or 5. Lived to 17 and it never seemed to bother him at all, it certainly didn't reduce his prowess as a mouser. Always thought he looked rather dashing as a result 😁

My darling girl is having an eye removed today
LostCats · 23/06/2023 20:24

Any news?
I had a lilac point as a child. They are quite the characters aren’t they!
Very best wishes to your beautiful girl

Original poster
LilacpointMummy · 23/06/2023 21:51

She's ok - very sedated and does look better already.
All your tales are so much appreciated I'm just so devastated but want her to not be in pain any more.

My darling girl is having an eye removed today
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catandgirlmum · 23/06/2023 23:08

Aww I'm so sorry! I've been through the same with my cat (who's sadly passed away now - which was nothing eye related just old age!!) I was heartbroken for her but honestly nothing changed. She was a little nervous for the first couple of weeks and didn't want to go outside which wasn't like her but then she adapted so well and went straight back to being her usual sassy self! I'm glad the op went well and already your kitty looks a lot healthier than my cat did after her op - it was so swollen and sore and the stitches were huge. Looks like your vet did a much better job Smile

FlatArthur · 24/06/2023 19:04

Aw bless her. ❤️

Original poster
LilacpointMummy · 24/06/2023 20:45

She's doing much better today - eating and drinking and very resistant to having her tablets.

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FlatArthur · 29/06/2023 09:22

How is she doing now?