Can cats cry?
Domestic cats show emotions. They can experience a wide range of feelings similar to humans - irritation, anger, sadness, melancholy and joy. Sometimes the owner may notice tears flowing from the pet's eyes.
Crying cats are often noticed in stressful situations - when changing housing, if the kittens were taken away from the mother cat or they died, after the death of a second pet with whom the cat was friends, or when losing a favorite toy.
But tears are also a symptom of many diseases in cats, which require timely assistance from a veterinarian.
There is currently no scientific evidence that cats' tears are associated with sadness or grief. In animals, physiological interactions between the nervous system and the lacrimal glands of the eye, which have been studied in humans, have not been established. We tend to associate certain human facial expressions with corresponding internal states: sadness with tears, laughter with joy. But science has little way of knowing whether the same analogies exist in the animal kingdom. Therefore, this question remains open for now.
Even veterinarians who have been working for many years cannot give a definite answer, since during the same medical procedures that cause pain to a cat, one animal does not show any reaction, while another’s eyes begin to water.
Can a cat get sick due to anxiety?
If a cat worries about something for a long time and strongly, then it can get sick. You will notice that after eating fresh food your pet has an upset stomach, and in some places the hair begins to fall out. At this time, the owner must show sensitivity, talk quietly and affectionately with the pet, and caress it. Felinologists say that cats are independent animals. If you give your pet only 10 or 15 minutes. per day, he will be grateful and happy next to you for many years.
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February 21, 2018| 13:23
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Reasons for crying in cats
I would like to say right away that there is no need to be afraid. A cat’s tears are not always the cause of some terrible illness, which is why it’s time to take the fluffy one to the doctor. Without knowing for sure the reasons why a cat is crying, it is impossible to begin to “treat” it.
Remember little kittens. You can almost always see discharge on their eyes. And their color, and their structure, and quantity are also not always the same. Transparent liquid streams from someone's eyes. And the other has reddish, stretchy “snot.” And the third kittens cry today, but not tomorrow. And what is it? Disease? Or is it just physiology? Or maybe the characteristics of some age-related hormonal changes in the body. But most often the reason why baby cats cry is that they simply haven’t learned to wash themselves yet. And they can’t take the tears away from their eyes.
What other reasons are there why you shouldn’t sound the alarm?:
- After sleep, almost all cats collect some fluid, which makes the cat appear to be crying;
- Just like in humans, cat tears perform the function of cleansing the eye;
- Cats are incredibly emotional creatures. And sometimes this affects their facial expressions and physiological functions. A cat may cry when it is happy or upset for some reason;
- Any active activity of a cat, from pulling up to playful jumping, can lead to the animal “crying.” In fact, this is the result of more active work of the mucous membranes during the cat’s movements;
- And even onions in food, or if you cut them in front of a cat, can cause a similar reaction.
These reasons why cats cry are not serious. Nothing bothers the fluffy one. He is actually healthy. But there is also cause for concern when the owner sees that his cat is crying. What are these reasons :
- Conjunctivitis;
- Other infectious or viral diseases of the orbit, canals and tissue around the eye;
- Injuries (this also includes the fact that a foreign body has entered the cat’s eye, causing a reaction - the eye cries, and the cat itself can behave restlessly and meow);
- Turn of the century;
- Allergy;
- Worms.
Experts' opinion
Scientists believe that cats cannot cry from an excess of some emotions or feelings. Their tears, like those of other animals, come out of their eyes in order to moisturize the eye cornea, preventing it from drying out. But from some positive experiences: joy, happiness, meeting a beloved owner after separation or due to negative reasons, pets cannot cry.
Felinologists explain that, for example, big-eyed Persians, Exotics or Highlands may shed tears involuntarily. This is due to the fact that they have a round eye shape and some, like the Pekingese, have protruding, watery eyes.
Scientists also deny the ability of cats to cry due to the fact that it is an animal, and feelings and experiences are characteristic of people who remember, think about something, are nostalgic and sad. Out of curiosity, experts conducted many experiments and found that cats do not always base their behavior on instinct. They can act unconventionally, spontaneously. Some kind of irrational logic, analysis and synthesis of the situation can be traced.
Don't forget that cats are highly developed animals. with a complex nervous system. With some disease of the central nervous system, motor function may be impaired. This also affects the state of the brain. Cats may have sad thoughts. They are characterized by experiences on topics known to them.
The owners noticed that if you yell at a cat unfairly, it gets offended and doesn’t come up for a long time, proudly avoiding the owner’s calf tenderness. Pets are characterized by a state of sadness and suffering due to pain or emotional distress, for example, when a beloved owner has left somewhere and simply disappeared for the cat. With all these experiences, the cat does not cry, but rather falls into apathy, becoming lethargic.
Remember zoology and the body structure of cats. After all, they have a developed central nervous system and a brain that performs many functions. Predators always have a complex brain. If a cat feels bad, it may feel sad and depressed. If something happened between a beloved owner and a pet, the pet may be offended, and then not approach the owner, hide and worry.
During some kind of physical suffering or mental distress, cats do not cry, but can behave sluggishly and even show aggression. It happens that the owner wants to console the pet, but the pet hides from him in a corner or climbs under the table and hisses.
When to contact a veterinarian
Only a veterinarian can diagnose and accurately state the cause of this condition of cat's eyes, when a small amount of discharge accumulates in the corners of your cat's eyes. If this happens in the morning or after sleep - the phenomenon is quite physiological, the cat will wash itself, or you will help it with this - wipe the corners of its eyes with a napkin. But, if tearing occurs throughout the day, this is no longer a question of hygiene, but a question of disease, and your veterinarian can and should help you in this case.
Also, if you notice that your cat begins to constantly squint, or tries to rub its eye with its paw, this may also indicate that an infection has entered the animal’s eye, which means you immediately need to seek advice from specialists and do not wait until the eyes the animal will be filled with pus and it will stop seeing altogether...
What to do when your cat cries
Only the owner can return the cat to good health and mood if he promptly deals with the cause of the pet’s wet eyes. To determine it, you need to seek help from a veterinarian. Only an experienced doctor can deal with an animal’s tears and eliminate them.
If tear discharge appears only after sleep, then this is probably a physiological reason, which can be easily resolved by simply wiping away the accumulations with a napkin. But when an animal cries all day long, you cannot do without consulting a professional.
When a cat begins to squint and tries to wipe away tears with its paw, this indicates the presence of an infection in the animal’s eye. In such a situation, it is necessary to contact a veterinarian as quickly as possible, before the tear secretions are replaced by pus, from which the pet may lose vision.
This is interesting: What to do if a cat licks bags?
How to deal with lacrimation in a cat
When faced with increased lacrimation in a cat, the main thing is not to waste time and prevent infection of the irritated mucous membranes. If you are unable to see a doctor as soon as possible, before receiving professional help, try to alleviate your pet’s condition yourself.
Preventive agents for disinfecting mucous membranes can be purchased at a pet store. Usually the products are drops or solutions for wiping. If, for some reason, this option is not suitable for you, you can use the following as an antiseptic solution:
- Decoctions of herbs (calendula, chamomile, oak bark) for wiping the eyelids.
- A strong brew of tea for cleaning eyelids and soaking crusts.
- A weak solution of furatsilin.
Features of some breeds
The flow of tears from the eyes, which is often found in purebred cats, is not at all the norm for them. Due to their physiological characteristics, Persians, Scots, Britons and cats of some other breeds suffer from teary eyes more often. However, with proper care for your four-legged friend, his eyes will be clean and clear, like all healthy cats.
Why do Scottish cats have watery eyes?
Scottish Fold cats have a specific skull structure. They have a short, snub-nosed muzzle. The tear ducts are very short. Therefore, whenever there is any irritation, tears flow easily from the eyes. If the discharge is clear and not very abundant, you should treat it as a breed characteristic and regularly care for your pet’s eyes.
Video
A little more detail about each of the reasons.
Norm . Just like a person's eyes, a cat's eyes become clogged with dust. And when we cry, tears clear microscopic debris from our eyes. And that's okay.
Insufficient care . This is the most common problem in small kittens. They have not yet learned how to properly care for themselves; their mother does it for them. And tears, as we have already found out, can occur in completely healthy animals. That's why kittens seem to cry. There are also among adult cats those who do not pay attention to themselves in matters of hygiene and do not put their eyes in order. Then the owners should help them.
Allergy . Cats have an excellent sense of smell. And they are sensitive to many chemicals, to certain types of food or cat litter, and even to delicate grooming products. As a result, cats cry.
Emotions . Their owners are convinced that cats are very emotional. These cute animals know how to be happy and sad; cats can be hurt so much that they cry from resentment. They may even develop depression. And all this is the reason for the appearance of tears in the eyes of pets.
Diseases . Unfortunately, the list of eye diseases that can cause a cat to cry is huge. But tears can indicate more than just eye diseases. It is advisable to determine the cause and make an accurate diagnosis from a veterinarian.
Injuries . Internal and external injuries to one or both eyes can lead to discharge.
Physiological feature . For cats, the ability to cry is quite common. The body of these small predators is designed in such a way that any stress or physical activity, jumping forward, backward, causes tears to appear from their eyes.
Rock properties . Some breeds have a specific skull structure. But this is precisely what can cause the cat to cry.
What to do when a problem appears? Contact your doctor. Self-treatment of a cat is only possible if the problem is familiar. In other cases, it is better not to risk your pet’s vision.
