What causes tear stains on cats?

Tear stains on cats may be caused by genetic factors, improper diet, eyelash stimulation, nasolacrimal duct blockage, eye infections, and other reasons. It is recommended that owners take their cats to the pet hospital in a timely manner for inspection and treatment to prevent tear stains from worsening. In addition, during daily care, owners also need to pay attention to the nutritional balance of their cats, providing them with light foods. Also, do not feed cats foods with high salt content and clean their eyes regularly.

Genetic factors

Some cats are born with a tendency to have tear stains, especially those with flat faces, such as Garfield, Persians, and Chinchillas. These cats have short and twisted nasolacrimal ducts, which prevent the tears secreted by the lacrimal glands from being discharged normally. Therefore, their eyes always appear to be teary. If the tears are not wiped away in time, tear stains will eventually form. For cats with flat faces like Garfield, English Shorthairs, Persians, and Chinchillas, owners need to wipe their faces with wet tissues daily to remove tear stains, which can reduce their appearance and pay more attention to their respiratory health.

Improper diet

If a cat's diet is messy or if they are fed foods with high salt content for a long time, it can also lead to tear stains. To address this, owners should change their cat's diet structure, feeding them light and easily digestible foods, and regularly feed them vegetables and fruits.同时，还需要监督猫咪多喝水。

Eyelash stimulation

Eyelash stimulation can also cause tear stains on cats. If a cat's eyelashes grow inward, they can poke the inner surface of the eye, stimulating it and causing tears to flow. Over time, this will result in tear stains. For cats with inward-growing eyelashes, if the owner wants to handle it themselves, they can use tweezers to pull out all the eyelashes. However, if the cat is uncooperative, the tweezers may injure their eyes, and the owner may also be scratched or bitten. Therefore, it is not recommended to handle this situation oneself and should instead go to the pet hospital for surgical treatment.

Nasolacrimal duct blockage

A cat's tears usually drain into the nasal cavity through the nasolacrimal duct. When the duct is blocked, tears accumulate on the eye and overflow, eventually leading to severe tear stains. This usually requires treatment to unblock the nasolacrimal duct.

Eye infections

If a cat's eyes are infected by bacteria, they may develop eye diseases such as conjunctivitis or keratitis, causing the cat's eyes to secrete a large amount of sticky matter, forming tear stains. Symptoms may also include watery eyes, redness, swelling, and other signs. In this case, proper eye cleaning is necessary, and owners should use physiological saline to wipe away the secretions from the cat's eyes and administer eye drops containing lysozyme for treatment.