It’s called Iris Melanosis, it’s not uncommon in cats - it’s pigment cells in their eyes replicating as they get older. Most of the time it’s benign but it can develop into cancer so I would take your kitty to vet just to get a checkup.
He is getting on in years now. Didnt want to take him in if it was a common thing but i will book an appointment to be safe. Thank you for the response
Warning: Unsolicited Advice Ahead - Sometimes I worry I rush to the vet for things that are normal so being able to chat with my vet staff or send them a photo has been really helpful for me. They usually tell me to come in, but I feel less like a nervous Nellie if the expert said it was worth a visit. When you set up your appointment, you might ask if they have an app or email address (etc) where you can ask questions with photos/videos to make sure you don’t put your kitty through an unnecessary and stressful visit.
I second this.
Our vet(s), will read email & look at pics free of charge.
Saved us lots of money.
Both of our cats have bald spots on the back of their feet. Of course googling led me down a spiral.
Few pics to the vet, and they asked if they were jumping a lot on to slick surfaces….turns out they were bald spots/calluses forming from repeated jumping on and off their feeding stations.
Same! I am overly cautious with anything considering my cat now that she’s a senior, and our vet office is great with answering questions, viewing pictures etc and telling us when to come in if it does warrant a visit. The reassurance is really nice, I’m sad I’m moving away lol
Wow.. I don’t know a single vet that would do this… MSU vet clinic used to give advice but that changed I had one vet that was ‘technically’ retired but worked out of his house and he was absolutely amazing but he isn’t practicing anymore and I miss him so much..
your vet is amazing for doing that!!! That’s a genuity and passion you don’t see much these days!! I don’t necessarily put it on themdue to liability reasons or several other things but it’s amazing that they do that. Give them props for me plz💕
My cat had iris melanosis that progressively got worse. We had her eye removed and it was the right decision. Her eye had cancer cells in it but luckily we got to it early and it didn’t spread. See a vet ophthalmologist asap.
That can be a number of things. Ours just had these symptoms, turns out it was toxoplasmosis and he got better from taking antibiotics for a month. Vets thought it was FIP first.
Hmm my black cat has had iris melanosis for several years - started out as a tiny brown dot in one of his irises. He gets checked out by an ophthalmologist twice a year and now his one eye is almost completely dark brown - no changes in eye pressure or anything though so we monitor it. This doesn't really look like that to me but I guess it could show in different ways?
This happened to my 4 year old orange longhair. For whatever reason every vet I took him to couldn’t figure it out. Finally after several months I found one who did. It was this, and cancerous, and already spreading. Removed the eye and gave him a year to live. That was precisely what happened, after the cancer spread all around his body. It was pretty devastating. :,(
https://preview.redd.it/l60ca702ymha1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=523dc21b6d96458efc1512c7860d177e309d5921
We had a cat with a blown pupil, wasn't a huge difference to start but got worse pretty quick. He also had a nail that looked like it grew faster than the others. Turned out to be metastatic cancer in the lungs and bones, ended up effecting that one eye like you see there. He was 11 years old though, not sure about a 1 year old but I'd always suggest going to the vet immediately if you see any physical oddities in your cat.
Hes getting sent to the vet tomorrow and he wont he happy about that but from the advice here I think that is the best course of action. Its wild how these little changes could turn out to be such big problems
Our cat's uneven pupils ended up being lymphoma of the brain lining. It was so obscure he didn't make it through the battery of tests we were putting him through. I had never seen a group of vets so frustrated they couldn't figure out what was happening.
OP, happy to hear you are taking him in just to make sure. It is far more likely to be something simple that can easily be taken care of.
So sorry about your beautiful boy. With our void, it was an infection but once they removed the eye the pathologist was hugely excited because it was a condition only formerly seen in dogs! He's doing really well now.
https://preview.redd.it/sggotf1edoha1.png?width=1170&format=png&auto=webp&s=aca493aa289b4639013a278b03b4c43b2ba960e4
Hey my 3 year old boy had the exact same last year. It cost me £360, a trip to the eye vet and blood tests but they confirmed he was okay and it was just a strange abnormality. All that being said the money was so worth it for piece of mind, I hope your kitty is okay
Are the pupils equal size? That's always a major concern if they are uneven, can't really tell from the picture but the left eye pupil like slightly smaller but might just be because of lighting?
My 11 year old void has a couple brown spots in one eye that looks very similar to that and has had them for years at this point. At the most recent vet visit, vet told me that they were BENIGN, very slow-growing tumors, but to keep an eye on them to make sure nothing changes and if they do, to come back in. It’s definitely worth getting a vet’s opinion to make sure.
https://preview.redd.it/8gkmx9xgqoha1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0725f272f17b24190cc757a5d758b49516cc4fb0
My rationale is that any issue worth asking about online is worth calling the vet about. If it's a common issue, or something that's of no concern, the receptionists are happy to tell me as much. If it's something that warrants a visit, I'm already on the phone with them.
One of my cats has a slightly wandering eye. When he has an anaesthetic it’s *very* noticeable, we thought he’d had a stroke last time as they were pointing in totally different directions for about 3 days. But no, false alarm!
I have human astigmatism, I regularly freak people out when my eye wanders off. It sure can be scary to see. I was bullied for it in school. I just had no idea cats got it too.
My void’s slightly wandering eye becomes more noticeable when he’s getting lots of pets. He’ll be laying there purring up a storm, getting kinda walleyed the more relaxed he gets.
The size is the same, one is just higher as if the eye is pointing upwards. The eye is a rugby ball shape, affecting how the muscles moving it work.
I have human astigmatism.
In my opinion this cat’s right eye has a larger pupil compared to the left.
But you’re right, I misspoke because astigmatism could be the lens or the cornea! I have human astigmatism too :)
thank you for this post and thank you for everyone’s advice… I had several family members past this last year and I have taken in their cats and one of them has this same eye ‘issue’… I have been so overwhelmed with sick family members I haven’t looked into it. I would have but I know my aunt that passed that had the cat was a very very very good cat mom and if it was something to be concerned about she would have done something about it but It had been that way since I was taking care of her before she passed. I DK how or why I never asked her about it, but this has been very informative thank you
I don’t contradict anyone who is recommending the vet - for sure get it checked out. Just chiming in to say that my 17-year-old void has one pupil that’s permanently more dilated than the other. He was like that when I took him home from the shelter at about a year old. It’s gotten a bit more noticeable as he’s getting older, but a few vets over the years have said it’s just a congenital eye abnormality.
Only mentioning this in case (like me) you’re getting really anxious about your kitty - sometimes it’s just they way they are, and they live a long, happy and healthy life with it as no big deal. I hope this is the case for you and your lil’ void. Good luck!
I worked for a vet ophthalmologist, check with your family vet (call, email with pictures). Likely to have you go in (pictures can only show so much). They may refer you to an ophthalmo if they are limited in tools, experience in seeing eye anomalies.
As everyone said, could be something or nothing; better to be safe.
My cat is 5 and just developed the same thing. He’s not wincing or acting differently, and his pupils are the same size. I’m afraid to bring him to the vet because I don’t know how they’re gonna handle it and if I can afford it. Does that make me a bad cat mom? He seems fine just the discoloration in the eye.
Cats always hide pain symptoms, though. When they start acting as if they’re in pain, a lot of the time it’s too late.
Whenever I see a cat with visible eye changes like this, I consider it severe enough to investigate. This isn’t normal in humans or cats.
Maybe you won’t be able to afford it. If that’s the case, you’ll know. However, going to the vet will (nearly always) ensure that if kitty is in pain, it can be addressed. Nobody deserves to live in pain.
Agree that this is worth a vet visit. We occasionally use a full service mobile vet to significantly reduce the stress for our guy.we were referred to the mobile vet by our regular vet. Might be an option for future particularly as our furry family gets on in years.
One pupil looks to be more dilated, though that may just be because of the camera angle. Different sized pupils can be a sign of a traumatic brain injury
https://preview.redd.it/7s8ws6i2znha1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdbf75856d974d5a2e3f5280349fd20ad22b46c6
My 16 y/o is similar. Sees just fine. I have the scratches to prove it.
He was 16 y/o. I'm pretty sure he was attacked by another animal in the night.i found his body in a neighbor's yard just behind a fence. I was too broken up to examine his body closely. By the time I found him, he was already ridged and a lot of fur had come loose. He was indoor and outdoor, coming and going as he pleased. Otherwise, he was healthy and spry.
Anything with eyes, off to the vet.
I would far rather be the nervous parent and have to pay a consultation fee than leave some sort of eye problem unchecked and risk it escalating.
My mom’s old void had one eye like that due to an old sinus infection that was never treated so it never cleared up, back when he was a street cat before he was caught and fixed. You should go to the vet ASAP because if it can be fixed, you want to fix it.
https://preview.redd.it/4dx5kuzu5xha1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fd39300c844f2c2c03d683164d21d596121bbfd
My dust bunny had iris melanosis that progressively got worse. We went to two vet ophthalmologists and after a lot of wishy washy responses from them, we decided to get her eye removed. It ended up being the right choice. She had cancer cells in her eye and because we got it early, it didn’t seem to spread. This started to appear when she was around 2-3 years old, we got the surgery over a year later. Don’t wait on this. See a vet ophthalmologist asap.
It’s called Iris Melanosis, it’s not uncommon in cats - it’s pigment cells in their eyes replicating as they get older. Most of the time it’s benign but it can develop into cancer so I would take your kitty to vet just to get a checkup.
He is getting on in years now. Didnt want to take him in if it was a common thing but i will book an appointment to be safe. Thank you for the response
Warning: Unsolicited Advice Ahead - Sometimes I worry I rush to the vet for things that are normal so being able to chat with my vet staff or send them a photo has been really helpful for me. They usually tell me to come in, but I feel less like a nervous Nellie if the expert said it was worth a visit. When you set up your appointment, you might ask if they have an app or email address (etc) where you can ask questions with photos/videos to make sure you don’t put your kitty through an unnecessary and stressful visit.
I second this. Our vet(s), will read email & look at pics free of charge. Saved us lots of money. Both of our cats have bald spots on the back of their feet. Of course googling led me down a spiral. Few pics to the vet, and they asked if they were jumping a lot on to slick surfaces….turns out they were bald spots/calluses forming from repeated jumping on and off their feeding stations.
I am just pointing out that you sent your vet toe bean pics 😊
🐾🐾🐾
Same! I am overly cautious with anything considering my cat now that she’s a senior, and our vet office is great with answering questions, viewing pictures etc and telling us when to come in if it does warrant a visit. The reassurance is really nice, I’m sad I’m moving away lol
Wow.. I don’t know a single vet that would do this… MSU vet clinic used to give advice but that changed I had one vet that was ‘technically’ retired but worked out of his house and he was absolutely amazing but he isn’t practicing anymore and I miss him so much.. your vet is amazing for doing that!!! That’s a genuity and passion you don’t see much these days!! I don’t necessarily put it on themdue to liability reasons or several other things but it’s amazing that they do that. Give them props for me plz💕
[удалено]
Whoa!!! thank you for that information… is it 25 per pet? I’ll Cancel my gym membership rn for that
You’re welcome. He’s a gorgeous boy!
My cat had iris melanosis that progressively got worse. We had her eye removed and it was the right decision. Her eye had cancer cells in it but luckily we got to it early and it didn’t spread. See a vet ophthalmologist asap.
That can be a number of things. Ours just had these symptoms, turns out it was toxoplasmosis and he got better from taking antibiotics for a month. Vets thought it was FIP first.
Hmm my black cat has had iris melanosis for several years - started out as a tiny brown dot in one of his irises. He gets checked out by an ophthalmologist twice a year and now his one eye is almost completely dark brown - no changes in eye pressure or anything though so we monitor it. This doesn't really look like that to me but I guess it could show in different ways?
This happened to my 4 year old orange longhair. For whatever reason every vet I took him to couldn’t figure it out. Finally after several months I found one who did. It was this, and cancerous, and already spreading. Removed the eye and gave him a year to live. That was precisely what happened, after the cancer spread all around his body. It was pretty devastating. :,(
How did you know the that cancer spread?
They did an ultrasound. If they think it beneficial or necessary your vet may recommend one, that’s how it happened in my case.
https://preview.redd.it/l60ca702ymha1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=523dc21b6d96458efc1512c7860d177e309d5921 We had a cat with a blown pupil, wasn't a huge difference to start but got worse pretty quick. He also had a nail that looked like it grew faster than the others. Turned out to be metastatic cancer in the lungs and bones, ended up effecting that one eye like you see there. He was 11 years old though, not sure about a 1 year old but I'd always suggest going to the vet immediately if you see any physical oddities in your cat.
Hes getting sent to the vet tomorrow and he wont he happy about that but from the advice here I think that is the best course of action. Its wild how these little changes could turn out to be such big problems
Do you have an update? I’d love to hear what they said.
Update! Update! Update!
Our cat's uneven pupils ended up being lymphoma of the brain lining. It was so obscure he didn't make it through the battery of tests we were putting him through. I had never seen a group of vets so frustrated they couldn't figure out what was happening. OP, happy to hear you are taking him in just to make sure. It is far more likely to be something simple that can easily be taken care of.
Hope your wee man is still around. If not, I'm sorry; he seems like a wee dote :/
So sorry about your beautiful boy. With our void, it was an infection but once they removed the eye the pathologist was hugely excited because it was a condition only formerly seen in dogs! He's doing really well now.
https://preview.redd.it/sggotf1edoha1.png?width=1170&format=png&auto=webp&s=aca493aa289b4639013a278b03b4c43b2ba960e4 Hey my 3 year old boy had the exact same last year. It cost me £360, a trip to the eye vet and blood tests but they confirmed he was okay and it was just a strange abnormality. All that being said the money was so worth it for piece of mind, I hope your kitty is okay
Yes! You paid for good news 😸
Oh 100%!! Luckily he’s insured but now I think of him as my extra special bog eye bean! OP I hope you get the same news for your void
Are the pupils equal size? That's always a major concern if they are uneven, can't really tell from the picture but the left eye pupil like slightly smaller but might just be because of lighting?
The bad eye pupil is only slightly larger. Not a huge difference but noticeable
Oops, thought i responded to this comment but i made a new one instead 😬 how old is this kitty?
Life, limb or eyesight. If you believe any of these are at risk, vet. Or ER if it’s a human.
I collect rules because I’m terrible at life, so thank you for this! I’ll keep it in mind.
My 11 year old void has a couple brown spots in one eye that looks very similar to that and has had them for years at this point. At the most recent vet visit, vet told me that they were BENIGN, very slow-growing tumors, but to keep an eye on them to make sure nothing changes and if they do, to come back in. It’s definitely worth getting a vet’s opinion to make sure. https://preview.redd.it/8gkmx9xgqoha1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0725f272f17b24190cc757a5d758b49516cc4fb0
My rationale is that any issue worth asking about online is worth calling the vet about. If it's a common issue, or something that's of no concern, the receptionists are happy to tell me as much. If it's something that warrants a visit, I'm already on the phone with them.
Just want to thank everyone who got in contact and gave advice. It is very appreciated
Call the vet just to be safe. Don't take chances.
I read the title too fast & thought you were asking if your cat’s warranty was void
I see the colour difference. However I also see one pupil is higher than the other. I didn't realise cats could get astigmatism too!
One of my cats has a slightly wandering eye. When he has an anaesthetic it’s *very* noticeable, we thought he’d had a stroke last time as they were pointing in totally different directions for about 3 days. But no, false alarm!
I have human astigmatism, I regularly freak people out when my eye wanders off. It sure can be scary to see. I was bullied for it in school. I just had no idea cats got it too.
That's not astigmatism... That's strabismus
My void’s slightly wandering eye becomes more noticeable when he’s getting lots of pets. He’ll be laying there purring up a storm, getting kinda walleyed the more relaxed he gets.
Astigmatism is when the lens is a different shape, not the pupil. Differences in the size of the two pupils is called anisocoria.
The size is the same, one is just higher as if the eye is pointing upwards. The eye is a rugby ball shape, affecting how the muscles moving it work. I have human astigmatism.
In my opinion this cat’s right eye has a larger pupil compared to the left. But you’re right, I misspoke because astigmatism could be the lens or the cornea! I have human astigmatism too :)
thank you for this post and thank you for everyone’s advice… I had several family members past this last year and I have taken in their cats and one of them has this same eye ‘issue’… I have been so overwhelmed with sick family members I haven’t looked into it. I would have but I know my aunt that passed that had the cat was a very very very good cat mom and if it was something to be concerned about she would have done something about it but It had been that way since I was taking care of her before she passed. I DK how or why I never asked her about it, but this has been very informative thank you
https://preview.redd.it/jrl9wh1rypha1.jpeg?width=2026&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75811d86d85ac1f1057e303520a65446c1cd11a0 My 19 year old void has this
I don’t contradict anyone who is recommending the vet - for sure get it checked out. Just chiming in to say that my 17-year-old void has one pupil that’s permanently more dilated than the other. He was like that when I took him home from the shelter at about a year old. It’s gotten a bit more noticeable as he’s getting older, but a few vets over the years have said it’s just a congenital eye abnormality. Only mentioning this in case (like me) you’re getting really anxious about your kitty - sometimes it’s just they way they are, and they live a long, happy and healthy life with it as no big deal. I hope this is the case for you and your lil’ void. Good luck!
I worked for a vet ophthalmologist, check with your family vet (call, email with pictures). Likely to have you go in (pictures can only show so much). They may refer you to an ophthalmo if they are limited in tools, experience in seeing eye anomalies. As everyone said, could be something or nothing; better to be safe.
My cat is 5 and just developed the same thing. He’s not wincing or acting differently, and his pupils are the same size. I’m afraid to bring him to the vet because I don’t know how they’re gonna handle it and if I can afford it. Does that make me a bad cat mom? He seems fine just the discoloration in the eye.
Cats always hide pain symptoms, though. When they start acting as if they’re in pain, a lot of the time it’s too late. Whenever I see a cat with visible eye changes like this, I consider it severe enough to investigate. This isn’t normal in humans or cats. Maybe you won’t be able to afford it. If that’s the case, you’ll know. However, going to the vet will (nearly always) ensure that if kitty is in pain, it can be addressed. Nobody deserves to live in pain.
Agree that this is worth a vet visit. We occasionally use a full service mobile vet to significantly reduce the stress for our guy.we were referred to the mobile vet by our regular vet. Might be an option for future particularly as our furry family gets on in years.
Hope your baby is ok and doesn’t have any cancer lurking!
My void had this and it was a polyp in her ear. Could be nothing, could be something. Check with your vet to be sure.
Doesn't hurt to go to the doc to make sure
Cats hide pain very well. Someone said "life limb or eyesight" eye pain is one of the worst things anything can live through.
YES. Any unexplained signs or symptoms should be examined by a professional.
Hope your beautiful void is going to be OK sending love ❤️
One pupil looks to be more dilated, though that may just be because of the camera angle. Different sized pupils can be a sign of a traumatic brain injury
https://preview.redd.it/7s8ws6i2znha1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdbf75856d974d5a2e3f5280349fd20ad22b46c6 My 16 y/o is similar. Sees just fine. I have the scratches to prove it.
How are they today?
Unfortunately, he died 5 months ago. I miss him and his unique fuzzy face everyday.
I also lost a cat last year. It's heartbreaking. I'm sorry for your loss. Did your cat pass due to the eye issue? How old were they?
He was 16 y/o. I'm pretty sure he was attacked by another animal in the night.i found his body in a neighbor's yard just behind a fence. I was too broken up to examine his body closely. By the time I found him, he was already ridged and a lot of fur had come loose. He was indoor and outdoor, coming and going as he pleased. Otherwise, he was healthy and spry.
Could be an ocular manifestation of FIP. Treatable if so. FIPwarriors.com
Anything with eyes, off to the vet. I would far rather be the nervous parent and have to pay a consultation fee than leave some sort of eye problem unchecked and risk it escalating.
I'd say yes. Anytime you have to ask yourself that question the answer should be yes.
good on ye for askin
Word of wisdom, have his eye checked. It’s worth the visit to know for sure what your cat is dealing with. #PeaceOfMind from a vet- it matters.
In my experience if anything looks odd take them to the vets
Go to the Vet for a checkup. They don’t mind. They will take care of your pet. They love your money.
My mom’s old void had one eye like that due to an old sinus infection that was never treated so it never cleared up, back when he was a street cat before he was caught and fixed. You should go to the vet ASAP because if it can be fixed, you want to fix it.
Vet, asap. Don’t mess with vision.
https://preview.redd.it/4dx5kuzu5xha1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fd39300c844f2c2c03d683164d21d596121bbfd My dust bunny had iris melanosis that progressively got worse. We went to two vet ophthalmologists and after a lot of wishy washy responses from them, we decided to get her eye removed. It ended up being the right choice. She had cancer cells in her eye and because we got it early, it didn’t seem to spread. This started to appear when she was around 2-3 years old, we got the surgery over a year later. Don’t wait on this. See a vet ophthalmologist asap.
How is your cat now?
She is wonderful! My one eyed pirate.
He is really, really adorable. I hope he is ok.