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

From time to time, any person whose cat lives in the house would notice that the pet looks at the surroundings with a peculiar look through the dilated pupils. And they are so expanded that they can not even see the iris. And sometimes they become different - one turns into a narrow slit, the other becomes very wide. A careful study of the cat's behavior makes it easy to answer the question - what do the eyes of your favorite animals say.

Zoologists have long known causes that affect the expansion of the pupils of a cat - in 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 light - a wide one.

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

Natural causes

1. The current and call of nature. At a time when cats of both sexes require a sexual partner, and hormones in the body are raging, a lot of things change - both the behavior and the physiological parameters, and some metabolic processes. So, when you see dilated pupils in the nursery during estrus, you should not be afraid - this is normal. In addition, there are other signs: the animal begins to visit the tray more often (urination increases), the cat breathes, opening its mouth in an attempt to smell the female's smell, intensified licking of the perineum begins, and so on. As a rule, with the end of estrus it passes, and the cat's pupils become normal sizes.
2. The cat is alarmed and nervous. A state of stress, depression, or a constantly haunting feeling of anxiety also affects the size of the pupils. Many owners who have just appeared a shaggy pet, noticed: cat's pupils, regardless of the lighting of the room, are constantly expanded. And this is explained very simply - the cat has not yet mastered the new dwelling, is not accustomed to and has not studied the situation, therefore every minute it expects an attack from an unknown enemy. A similar reaction is observed when another congener began to live in the neighborhood and would have to share territory and other things with him.In such cases, the pupils become very wide, plus this is accompanied by caution and restraint in movements, insinuations. Especially if the "alien" nearby. After some time, the pet will get used to the new neighbor, and the pupils will become normal again.
3. Games, hunting, movement. When the cat is resting (not necessarily sleeping), the pupils are usually narrow. And with the onset of the evening in a normal cat, physical activity begins, a wild desire comes to play. And as soon as she starts jumping around the house, looking wildly at her surroundings, you can see that her eyes turn into giant “saucers”. Thus, they react to the release of adrenaline into the body. This is a completely natural and even necessary process for an animal: you can better see the outlines of objects encountered along the way, while deftly evading them and not risking injury. Moreover, the chance to see prey increases, which, according to the cat's estimates, will surely appear from some secret corner (it is known to the owners that there are no mice behind the closet, and the hope of the cat is so great!).
4. The world around is full of dangers. Cat's pupil is unique and instantly able to change shape if the cat suddenly saw the danger. If, for example, an experienced feline persona owner intends to dip 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 who will definitely need revenge. And an inexperienced naive young kitty will have one desire - to find out who the villain is, who has thrown her into the water. And, seized by fear and uncertainty, will try to cover the whole room with a look, and the pupils will expand, filling the entire eye space.

Eyes become huge because of frightening loud noises from nowhere, incomprehensible rustles and other surprises traumatic for feline peace.

Disturbing symptoms

Eye diseases
If the health and mood of the cat is all right, but the pupils of different sizes or all the time dilated, then we can say that the eyes are affected by the disease. At decrease in sight the photosensitivity falls, and pupils are not narrowed. With the disease of both eyes, both pupils will be round, if they are different - only one eye gets sick,and the other also responds to changes in lighting.

Most often, different eyes are in the following diseases:

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

These diseases pose considerable danger and can make an animal blind. It does not matter that the treatment was started in a timely manner. Therefore it is better to immediately visit the veterinary ophthalmologist.

Tolerate pain
Another bad reason for the expansion of the cat's pupils can be called constant incessant pain. Cats and cats are quite patient, and never show how they hurt. They patiently treat cramps, spasmodic manifestations, never complain, being injured, etc. Therefore, rarely does the owner notice that his pet has been suffering from pain for several weeks in a row.

If the cat moves a little, during sleep it takes an unnatural posture, its gait is constrained - this may be the cause of aching constant pain (pain in the kidneys, stomach, heart, part of the body is affected by a tumor, infection has started, and so on).

If the pet has always wide pupils - you need to immediately run to the vet! The specialist will do the necessary tests, assess the condition of the cat and prescribe the necessary treatment course.

Poisoning
When a cat, along with large pupils, has a lack of coordination of movements, nausea and vomiting, it can be said with complete certainty that the animal has been poisoned. Attention should be paid to how frequent vomiting is, the intensity of the eye's reaction to light, and travel with the animals to the vet. Usually dilated pupils talk about poisoning with substances that are hard to remove on their own from the cat's body. For example, a pet could be poisoned by drugs, some plant containing poison, or food of poor quality (or poisoned).

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

It is not worth it to try to find out the reasons why the size of the pupils of the cat is changing. The natural causes described here are also possible, and maybe the animal got sick. As long as the owner wonders what happened, the disease will develop. It is better to consult a veterinarian,who inspects the pet and will not allow him to go blind.

Video: how the cat's pupils work