Hi, we have a barn kitten that is about a month old. His eyes are swollen and mattery. Most of the time they are stuck shut. I don't believe in spending lots of money for vet calls for barn cats, so I need to have some home remedies. I put triple antibiotic salve on the eyes this morning. Will that take care of it? My parent's had this problem with their cats from time to time when I was a kid, and I cannot remember what they did. I know they didn't run to the vet, so there must be an answer. Any suggestions?

Blessings Maylene

-- Maylene (zedanka@aol.com), June 14, 2001

Answers

Maylene - We recently found a litter of 3 kittens that were about two weeks old in our hay bales. One of the kitten's eyes were closed with a yellow crust and some ooze over them. We took it inside, wiped its eyes clean and put an antibiotic salve on the eyes as you did. Then we put it back where we found it so the Mama cat (feral) could continue raising it. The next day we looked for the kittens, but Mama had moved them to a new hiding place. Well, that was about two weeks ago, and just a few days ago I saw 3 kittens popping their heads up from our wood pile. I noticed the eyes on the one we treated looked fine. Whether it was our treatment or it healed naturally with licks from Mama cat I don't know.

-- Barb (rosemontfarm1@aol.com), June 14, 2001.

Sometimes a heavy hookworm infestation can cause eye crusting, as well as any one of the half dozen respiratory viruses cats get. Worm the kitten with pyrantel or fenbendazole (email me if you need dosages) and wait a week. Then repeat the worming to break the worm cycle. In the meantime, a little terramycin powder in their milk or a half cc of pennicillin under the skin for three days should take care of any colds. Hope this helps. By the way, the ointment was a good idea to prevent eye ulcers. Works with most of my barn cats.

-- Sandra Nelson (Magin@starband.net), June 14, 2001.

Lots of good advice so far. I would recommend vaccinating your barn cats, it will save you money in the long run (and make life much happier for the cats). Your vet may sell you a vial or single doses depending on how many you require. If it is not possble to get the vaccines from the vet try www.upco.com , a small animal supply catalog. Another treatment for the eyes (but NOT as good as an antibiotic salve) is a boric acid wash. Follow the directions on the bottle carefully or you will cause more problems than you treat. Bless you for at least caring for the kitten.

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle Mn. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), June 14, 2001.

Our last batch of kittens had the same problem-matted and unopening eyes, and the vet said that it was because humans were handling them at such a young age! He said to wait about a month before picking a kitten up...he gave us some antibiotics, and the problem went away...hope that helps!

-- Joe (threearrs@wcnet.org), June 14, 2001.

I had a cat with eyes both crusted shut when I found her as a kitten. I washed them with a cottonball and hydrogen peroxide 2 or 3 times a day for about a week. She didn't have any hair around her little eyes for 3 or 4 months but it grew back. She didn't have hair there during the infection, so I don't think the hydrogen peroxide hurt the hair growth. Never thought of antibiotic ointment, was too busy with a newborn baby to think much. She's 16 now. Vaccinating barn cats is a good idea. Depending on what state you are in, you can give rabies, also. I order from Omaha Vaccine in Omaha, Nebraska. I think it's ovc.com, or maybe spelled out. Seems to me they use initials. Yhey have other pet supplies, too. Good luck. Carol

-- carol (fchambers@mail.janics.com), June 14, 2001.

I have always had good luck with the antibiotics when that happens. If they don't clear up with the eyewashing, then they should get the pcn. If your vet will do it, call him/her up and say you need some for some kittens with mattery eyes. Mine will sell me the powder without seeing the kittens. Real nice guy!

Cindy

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), June 14, 2001.

Sounds like you have lots of good advice except from Joes Vet. That is silly not to handle kittens for a month? Where did that come from? Show cats are handled from birth and the earlier you get them used to people the tamer and easier they are to handle later when there is a problem.. Yes, treat the eyes, vaccinate and worm the cats, practice reasonable hygiene. Just common sense. :-)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), June 15, 2001.

we also found a abandoned kitten. To young to be away from its mother eyes matted shut and near death. I washed the eyes several times a day with warm water. The water softened the crust on the eyes . I also gave the kitten a small dose of amoxicillian that i had. Foster and smith veternarian site has the dosage so i just broke down a capsule and gave recommended dosage. As the kitten was so young worming is was not a good idea. As bad a shape as the kitten was in, it recoverd well. we fed it with a eye dropper so you can see the kitten was a baby. Hope this helps !!!Good Luck

-- paul miller (millerclan@alltel.net), June 16, 2001.