Causes of a Cat Crying: Find Out the Answers!

Occasionally, cats may shed tears, which can be attributed to emotional issues or irritation from dust, pollen, and other foreign particles. It could also be a result of dry eyes caused by exposure to cold winds. However, if a cat frequently has tears, it's often a sign of pathologic lacrimation, with a variety of potential causes. Today, we'll delve into the common reasons and how to address them.

Common Causes of a Cat's Excessive Tear Production

1. Eye Infections: Conditions such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, and blepharitis can cause redness, excessive discharge, pain, and photophobia in a cat's eyes, accompanied by excessive tearing.

2. Foreign Body Irritation: Dust, sand, or other small particles can enter the eyes and stimulate them to produce more tears as a means to flush out the irritants. If left untreated for an extended period, this can lead to eye inflammation.

3. Duct Obstruction: Normally, a cat's tears are drained through the nasolacrimal duct. However, if this duct becomes blocked, tears cannot be expelled normally, leading to overflow and the formation of tear stains. This is particularly common in flatfaced breeds like Persians and requires veterinary intervention.

4. Allergic Reactions: Allergies to certain substances, such as pollen or dust mites, can also cause a cat to tear up. Additionally, exposure to cleaning agents or fragrances containing irritant chemicals can trigger allergic reactions in cats.

5. Internal Heat: Sometimes, even healthy cats may frequently tear up due to internal heat, which might be related to a diet high in oil and salt or to eating excessively greasy foods over a long period.

How to Handle a Cat's Excessive Tear Production

1. Simple Excessive Tear Production

If a cat is simply tearing up with noticeable tear stains but no other symptoms, it might be due to internal heat.

Owners can switch to a lowfat, lowsodium diet for their feline friend and ensure they drink plenty of water to alleviate internal heat and reduce tear stains. Additionally, using a product like Shan Jing (Jinyinhua Eye Wash) to clean the eye discharge and relieve dry, watery eyes can be helpful.

If symptoms persist, it could be due to inverted eyelashes or a blocked nasolacrimal duct, necessitating a veterinary examination. Depending on the diagnosis, treatments such as electrolysis for inverted eyelashes or duct疏通 (nasolacrimal duct flushing) may be required.

2. Red, Swollen Eyes with Excessive Discharge

Firstly, use a petspecific eye care solution or saline solution to clean the cat's eye discharge, maintaining good eye hygiene and preventing粘连.

Secondly, apply Bailangming (Neomycin sulfate eye drops) to suppress eye inflammation. Initially, use twice to thrice a day, then once a day as symptoms improve. For severe infections with purulent discharge, oral administration of Ke Nu Jia (Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium) can help control the infection.

3. Symptoms with Respiratory Infection

If a cat exhibits symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, loss of appetite, listlessness, fever, and runny nose in addition to tearing, red eyes, and tear stains, it may be due to infectious diseases like herpesvirus or calicivirus. If possible, it's advisable to seek veterinary care. If there are other cats in the household, it's important to isolate them to prevent crossinfection.