The cat has dilated pupils: why and what to do?

From time to time, any person who has a cat in the house noticed - the darling looks at the surroundings with a special look - through the dilated pupils. Moreover, they are so expanded that you can not even see the iris. And sometimes they become different - one turns into a narrow little click, the other becomes very wide. With a careful study of feline behavior, you can easily answer the question - what do the eyes of your favorite animals say.

Zoologists have long been aware of the reasons that affect the cat’s pupil expansion - this way the retina receives more light, and the pet sees much better even in complete darkness. And so that the eye does not receive damage from bright light, the pupil narrows. And it turns out - when it is too light - the pupil is narrow, when there is not enough lighting - wide.

But there are times when the wide pupil speaks of other problems not related to the abundance of light.

Natural causes

1. The small river and the call of nature. At a time when cats of both sexes need a sexual partner, and hormones are raging in the body, a lot changes - both behavior, and indicators of the physiological plan, and some metabolic processes. So, when you see dilated pupils in the pet during estrus, you should not be scared - this is normal. In addition, other signs appear: the animal begins to visit the tray more often (urination increases), the cat breathes, opening his mouth in an attempt to smell the female, increased licking of the perineum begins, and so on. As a rule, with the end of estrus, this passes, and the cat's pupils become of normal size.
2. The cat is alarmed and nervous. A state of stress, depression or a constantly haunting sense of anxiety also affects the size of the pupils. Many owners who have just got a shaggy pet noticed: cat pupils, regardless of the room lighting, are constantly dilated. But this is explained very simply - the cat has not yet mastered the new dwelling, is not used to and has not studied the situation, therefore, every minute it expects an attack by an unknown enemy. A similar reaction is observed when another neighbor began to live in the neighborhood and had to share territory and other things with him. In such cases, the pupils become very wide, plus this is accompanied by caution and constraint in movements, insinuatingness. Especially if the "alien" is nearby. After some time, the darling will get used to the new neighbor, and the pupils will become normal again.
3. Games, hunting, movements. When the cat is resting (optionally sleeping), the pupils are usually narrow. And with the onset of the evening, a normal cat begins motor activity, there comes a wild desire to play. And as soon as she starts to jump around the house, looking wildly around, you can see that her eyes turn into giant "saucers." Thus, they respond to the release of adrenaline into the body. This is a completely natural and even necessary process for the animal: you can better see the outlines of objects encountered along the way, while deftly dodging them and not risking injury. Moreover, the chance increases to see a prey, which, according to the estimates of the cat, will certainly appear from some secret corner (the owners know that there are no mice behind the closet, and the cat’s hope is so great!).
4. The world around is full of dangers. The cat’s pupil is unique and instantly able to change shape if the cat suddenly saw danger. If, for example, the owner intended to dip an experienced feline person into a bath with water, then the eyes of an indignant indignant cat will turn into two barely noticeable gaps. The gaze will be focused on the potential victim, which must be avenged.And the inexperienced naive young cat will have one desire - to find out who this villain who threw her into the water. And, gripped by fear and uncertainty, she will try to cover the whole room with her gaze, and the pupils will expand, filling the entire eye space.

Eyes become huge due to frightening loud sounds from nowhere, incomprehensible rustlings and other surprises that traumatize feline peace.

Anxiety symptoms

Eye diseases
If the cat is in good health and mood, but the pupils of different sizes or are dilated all the time, then we can say that the eyes are affected by the disease. With a decrease in vision, photosensitivity decreases, and the pupils do not narrow. In case of a disease in both eyes, both pupils will be round, if they are different, only one eye gets sick, and the other also reacts to changes in lighting.

Most often, different eyes are with the following diseases:

• closed glaucoma;
• retinal atrophy;
• dislocation of the eye lens;
• ocular blood supply is impaired;
• posterior uveitis.

These diseases are fraught with considerable danger and can make an animal blind. And it does not matter that treatment was started in a timely manner. Therefore, it is better to immediately visit an ophthalmologist-veterinarian.

Endure pain
Another bad reason for the expansion of feline pupils can be called a constant ongoing pain. Cats and cats are quite patient, and never show how painful they are. They patiently treat seizures, spasmodic manifestations, never complain, injured, etc. Therefore, rarely does any owner notice that his pet has been suffering from pain for several weeks in a row.

If the cat does not move much, takes an unnatural posture during sleep, her gait is constrained - this can be the cause of aching constant pain (kidneys, stomach, heart hurt, part of the body is affected by a tumor, infection started, and so on).

If your pet has constantly wide pupils - you need to immediately run to the veterinarian! The specialist will make the necessary tests, evaluate the condition of the cat and prescribe the necessary treatment course.

Poisoning
When a cat, along with large pupils, has a violation of coordination of movements, nausea and vomiting, it is safe to say that the animal has been poisoned. You should pay attention to how frequent vomiting, the intensity of the eye's reaction to light, and to go with the animal to the veterinarian. Usually, dilated pupils indicate poisoning with substances that are difficult to remove from the cat's body on their own. For example, a pet could have been poisoned with drugs, some plant containing poison or poor quality food (or poisoned).

Age, old age
Very often, dilated pupils are observed in old and old cats. Vision deteriorates, becomes weaker, the cornea is clouded. Old animals no longer constrict the pupils when it is light, the eyes respond less to light. But with its excess, it still narrows a little.

You should not independently attempt to find out the reasons why the size of the pupils of the beloved cat changes. The natural causes described here are also possible, or maybe the animal is sick. While the owner will wonder what happened, the disease will develop. It is better to contact a specialist veterinarian who examines the pet and does not allow him to go blind.

Video: how cat pupils work